Aspirin

I totally agree that getting nutrients from food is the way to go - when possible. But, a lot of toxins come from foods too.

Food quality varies and some may not offer optimal nutritional value and also, if not US certified organic, there's the added burden of pesticide residues. Imported foods are automatically sprayed at the border so whether organic or not, those toxins are present. Vegan and vegetarian organic food diets are certainly healthy to an extent, but typically lacks adequate B12 and iron which creates a number of health issues eventually, unless targeted supplements are also taken.
Certainly, growing your own organic veggies works well too, as long as you stick with organic seeds, soil and fertilizers as well.

Packaged and processed foods contain many additives, coloring, and other taste enhancers as do commercially prepared foods.... so nutritional deficiencies are common and yet are not known because typically patients aren't tested for missing nutrients... example, Genova Diagnostics offers the NutraEval test which is comprehensive.

When significant nutritional deficits are found, the most efficient method of repletion is via professional grade supplements. Also, there are targeted nutrients that help prevent progression of certain ailments and the higher concentrations of the supplement offers a chance to stabilize areas that are lacking.

There are definitely large quantities of pure junk supplements out there so those offered by the bottlers who go the extra couple of miles to meet GMP standards and do ingredient quality control assays prior to and after production are the most reliable. Some go so far as to state they are all US raw material sourced. They definitely are more costly, but so is consuming a junk supplement that provides zero nutrient value because its the wrong form.

High quality bottlers do independent quality control testing and label products that pass US Pharmacopeia, and NSF International or UL for independent quality control testing. There's a cluster of reputable producers of nutritional supplements that offer quality assurance.

Jackie

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Jackie
I totally agree that getting nutrients from food is the way to go - when possible. But, a lot of toxins come from foods too.

Food quality varies and some may not offer optimal nutritional value and also, if not US certified organic, there's the added burden of pesticide residues.

Your Organic Food Is Treated With Pesticides, Too

[vitals.lifehacker.com]

"In other words, buying organic strawberries might expose you to more pesticide residues than buying conventional. We recommend ignoring the Dirty Dozen list entirely, and buying whichever fruits and veggies work for your diet and your budget."

Confused yet??

I've seen mass spectrometry results of certified organic and non-organic vegetables side by side. The differences were minimal, to say the least.

I have had a garden, fruit trees and berries for over 40 years, I have always said there is nothing that is truly organic. I weed my plants but in big commercial growers there is no way they can do that, if they did, the prices would be out of sight. The only way you can have food that is truly organic is to grow it yourself. Even so I still have to use spray on my fruit trees, cabbage, Brussel sprouts and broccoli, I just don't use the amounts that commercial growers do. We can't live in a glass bubble.

L

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Carey

Gosh Carey, I dont know, maybe due to the fact that meds are responsible for over 100,000 deaths in hospitals yearly? Dont mean to be contentious here, but I would just be guessing that chewing on willow bark tho not convenient, would be different than chewing on an aspirin.

The only difference between taking an aspirin and chewing willow bark would be predictability of the dosage. I know how to avoid overdosing on aspirin but I don't know how to avoid overdosing on willow bark. I also don't know why you think that chemicals extracted from plants are safer than chemicals extracted from other sources. The plant kingdom produces some impressively toxic chemicals. And above all, since supplements aren't required to meet purity standards, I don't know how to avoid unscrupulous manufacturers who produce supplements tainted with heavy metals and other toxins. It's not like there's a shortage of examples of that.

The whole notion that "natural" supplements are safer than medications in general is a fallacy.

And that is of course a wise and healthy concern, and not only supplements but toxins in some meds and our food. Not that "natural" supplements are safer, but I do find them to be without many of the side effects of meds. The premise is same for same in alternative and opposite healing for meds. Granted I do convert nicely on Flec and Metop within an hour vs several hours on supplements. Meds do work as they were intended with side effects. Treating my whole person takes months to prove.

Thank you for pointing out the “honesty” and reliability discrepancies in labeling regulations for organic produce for food safety control of pesticides and herbicides. Apparently, the truth-in-labeling law is yet another casualty in the dishonest world of marketing and consumer protection. Sobering. So what else is new.

Does this mean that the FDA requirements to obtain labeling with the USDA Organic designation is bogus? Or the Non-GMO Project Verified is bogus?

There are apparently many critics online of EWG’s mission; and these days, it’s difficult to know what’s been planted as fact and what’s actually bona fide truth. However, if there is unreliability in the specifications to obtain organic labeling, then so much more is the tragedy. I’m like Liz. Have always raised my veggies organically in summer but I do buy organic in the off-season but only US grown. However, this is another topic under the heading of “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire” because the chemicals often mentioned for pest and weed control are definitely not health-producing chemicals nor are they a nutritional requirement. Plus pesticide/herbicide residues can be neurotoxic and be an influence for stimulating an AF event should accumulations become significant. Some individuals may respond with AF and others may exhibit other effects of neurotoxicity and also mitochondrial damage. These are toxic residues in food but cheap supplements sourced from unreliable sources and produced by bottlers who don't follow the safety and GMP guidelines also can contain toxic residues including minerals such as arsenic or high natural fluoride content that is toxic, for example. Therefore the reliability of labeling is crucial.

I have a long list of studies (over 290) relating to potential health risks associated with pesticides/herbicides from various exposure sources. Here’s a sample –Perhaps some are related to the increasing incidence of the health issues mentioned. (Food for thought)…

Mangia!

Interaction between prenatal pesticide exposure and a common polymorphism in the PON1 gene on DNA methylation Dec 31, 2016
Chronic exposure to organochlorine compounds may contribute to type 2 diabetes and thyroid diseases. May 01, 2010

Occupational exposure to pesticides appears to increases the risk of Parkinson's disease. Sep 30, 2012

Persistent and non-persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals may affect the risk of T2D. Jun 28, 2015

Pesticide exposure was associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Aug 18, 2016

Agricultural activity and pesticide exposure could increase bladder cancer risks. Nov 03, 2016

Background exposure to some organochlorine pesticides appears to lead to vitamin D deficiency in human.
Jan 01, 2012

Chronic occupational exposure to modern pesticides may affect reproductive outcomes in young men. Dec 31, 2016

DTT exposure is associated with increased breast cancer risk. Jan 01, 2010

Exposure to certain pyrethroids may negatively affect neurobehavioral development by 6 years of age. Feb 28, 2017

Exposure to organochlorine pesticides is an independent risk factor of hepatocellular carcinoma. Sep 14, 2011

Organochlorine pesticides may contribute to the initiation and pathogenesis of prostate cancer. Sep 01, 2010

Organophosphate exposure, at levels common among US children, may contribute to ADHD prevalence. Jun 01, 2010

Organophosphate pesticide exposure may adversely e ffect the thyroid. Aug 05, 2010

Serum concentrations of organochlorine pesticides are associated with prostate cancer incidence. Jan 01, 2010

Pesticide exposure is associated with psychological distress and suicidal ideation. Nov 01, 2010

Chronic exposure to chlorpyrifos in oil can directly alter human microbiota in terms of quantity, diversity and metabolic activity. Nov 03, 2016

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Jackie
Or the Non-GMO Project Verified is bogus?

Non-GMO products often have more pesticides then GMO, and probably a good way to ensure that you get roundup, growth hormones, etc, into your diet. Certainly there's no scientific evidence that indicate that they're healthier.

jpeters... you missed the point... I was asking if the certification process for labeling of Non-GMO food was corrupt and not reliable. There is science behind the 'built in' problems with genetically modified organisms and that's not related to pesticides residues.

Jackie

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Jackie
jpeters... you missed the point... I was asking if the certification process for labeling of Non-GMO food was corrupt and not reliable. There is science behind the 'built in' problems with genetically modified organisms and that's not related to pesticides residues.

Jackie

oh..I don't think the labeling is corrupt. You're getting non-GMO, as advertised. What's corrupt is all the marketing about the benefits.