The term, “organic,” sounds healthy. It is advertised for food (including seed suppliers, farmers, food processors, retailers, and restaurants), clothing, and cosmetics. In marketing and economics, “product differentiation” causes the herd mentality that entices people to purchase organic products. Organic products are distinguished from other products thereby making them more attractive to target markets. You just feel cooler (savage, hip, badass – whatever) when you have organic stuff. People are willing to pay more for these kinds of products, but is it worth it? Organic food typically costs more than conventionally grown food for several reasons. The main reason has to do with economies of scale – demand is lower, but the cost of producing organic food is the same or higher than the cost of producing conventionally grown food.
The US Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990 to authorize a National Organic Program which is regulated by the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). Prior to this act, there was no strict definition of this term. Anyone could say they were producing organic food. This law requires anyone using the term “organic” to meet federal standards. The AMS, their private and state certifiers, maintain federal oversight and re-accredit every 5 years.
A few of the standards for growing, storage, processing, packaging, and shipping organic food include:
- Avoidance of synthetic chemicals, irradiation, or use of sewage sludge
- Avoidance of genetically modified seed
- Consistent careful management of soil fertility
- Use of farmland which is free from chemical inputs typically for 3 or more years
Organic farms and businesses with less than $5,000 gross annual organic sales are exempt from this law – though they are expected to follow it if they choose to use the term, “organic.” There are other standards for using the term “organic,” and you can read about them on the USDA AMS website if interested.
In the field of nutrition, there is longstanding disagreement over the nutritional benefit of organically grown food. Typical essential nutrients measured in food such as vitamin A, B, C, and E, and minerals iron, zinc, and potassium are mostly the same. However, a study published in the study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2014 found higher antioxidant (plant chemicals that help fight human disease) levels and lower cadmium (a toxic metal) concentration in organic produce. My personal opinion (in case you were wondering) is the higher number of antioxidants in organic produce (if consistently true) is negligible on health if you are eating lots of conventionally grown produce. However, there are other reasons to consume organic food that many people are unaware. Stay with me please, this is a difficult but important topic!
The term, “cleanliness is next to godliness,” is a well-known proverb with origins as far back as Babylonian and Hebrew religious tracts. Ancient people knew that hand washing stopped the spread of disease, but it was not officially and scientifically recognized until the mid-19th century through observation that it significantly decreased mortality if employed in obstetrical wards. Americans have a thing about cleanliness – mostly because of intense marketing by companies selling products they want us to purchase. Many hold the perception that germs are bad, and this encourages sterilization of household surfaces as well as discourages children from playing in the dirt. Americans typically bath daily (sometimes more) and use an assortment of chemicals to mask natural (occasionally unpleasant) body odor. According to an article in Thrillist, Americans spend $3.1 million on body and face soap, $4.3 billion on shampoo, and $18 billion on deodorant. This is big business, but is it necessary?
A microbiome is a community of micro-organisms living together in soils, oceans, and humans. Millions of microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other micro-organisms) live on and in the body of humans and provide benefits scientists are just beginning to recognize. Even though we cannot tell they are there, microbes live on our skin, in our nose, mouth, throat, and throughout our gastrointestinal tract. Unfortunately, there has been a significant loss of human microbe biodiversity – more bad news about human effect on the environment. The Genetic Science Centre at the University of Utah offers an excellent overview of the role of micro-organisms in human health for those of you who want to learn more. Emphasis on cleanliness, living in an urban environment, consuming a typical European diet, and poor soil management are all contributing to decreased microbiome biodiversity and increases in human disease. Rates of autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, type 1 diabetes, and asthma have increased by 300% and more since the 1950’s. As an example, bacteria on the skin promote a slightly acidic environment. The use of soap causes an alkaline environment, and this disrupts skin microbes causing dryness, acne, and discomfort among other things. Microbes play a role in nutrition and influence how the body regulates blood sugar, appetite, blood pressure, heart disease, mood, and even weight gain. A 2013 study published in Science showed that obese and lean human twins differ in their gut microbial communities. Gut microbes from four sets of human twins (one was lean and the other obese) were introduced into different groups of mice that had been raised in a previously germ-free environment. Weight and metabolic changes in the mouse groups were observed when fed the same diet. Mice populated with microbes from a lean twin stayed slim, whereas those given microbes from an obese twin quickly gained weight.
Without microbes, humans would not be able to survive. Gut microbes train the immune system to produce antibodies and other chemicals which recognize and attack harmful invaders while leaving friendly invaders alone. Autoimmune diseases such as allergy, lupus, eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes, just to name a few, are caused by the immune system attacking itself. Why a person’s immune system is attacking itself is not fully understood. A theory called the “hygiene hypothesis” posits that the lack of exposure to an environment teaming with microbes is behind the increase in allergy and autoimmune disease. The resultant lack of exposure to these microbes does not allow the immune system to learn the difference between harmful and harmless invaders. For instance, pollen, a natural substance in the atmosphere, causes an allergy sufferer’s immune system to turn on itself causing runny nose, breathing difficulty, sneezing, itchy eyes, and a scratchy throat. Perhaps, exposure to ancient microbes may have helped the immune system of these sufferers to recognize pollen as a neutral invader. As I have written before, the use of antibacterial mouthwash such as Listerine destroys the bacteria in the mouth responsible for making nitric oxide, an important chemical in the body. Nitric oxide is responsible for relaxing blood vessels which help the body avoid hypertension, heart disease, and stroke. Colonization by microbes in humans begins at birth through the mother’s birth canal. A study published in Nature in 2018 surprised the scientific community by the discovery that significant microbiota differences existed between babies born vaginally versus those by cesarean section. Babies born by c-section were dominated by harmful bacteria found in hospitals. The difference was such that researchers could tell which babies were born naturally or by c-section just by looking at their microbiota. Mother’s milk and exposure to the environment such as through plant and soil microbiota enable the rapid expansion of microbial diversity as human grow. Children who have early contact with the natural environment such as outdoor settings and farms are less susceptible to develop autoimmune diseases.
Soil microbial biodiversity is even greater than humans; it has existed a long time before humans. Soil management practices influence soil microbiota, volume, structure, chemical characteristics, and soil fertility – all vital in food production. The use of pesticides, while increasing agronomic yield and profit, destroy soil microbiota. Soil microbes help plants grow, uptake important minerals, detoxify harmful chemicals, and suppress disease-causing organisms just to name a few benefits.
To train the human immune system, as mentioned before, we need exposure to a wide range of micro-organisms. Too much emphasis on cleanliness, avoidance of direct physical contact with the environment, and poor soil management are limiting our exposure to beneficial microbes. By limiting synthetic pesticides and attention to soil fertility such as that required to produce organic food, we are helping to preserve the planet’s microbiome and its health. Buying organic is not just an individual action you can take for your health but also for the health of the planet and for future generations.
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