Organic produce has been proven better for your diet.
Scientists have been debating for years about whether organic is truly better and worth the extra money. Those of us who have gone organic can definitely tell the difference.
In fact, organic foods and botanicals have been proven to be less contaminated with agricultural chemicals, according to numerous studies. In short, organic is better in food and in the botanicals that go into organic skin care.
Organics and Antioxidants
Organics contain more antioxidants. Indeed, according the studies, organically grown produce contains between 18 to 69 percent more antioxidants than their conventionally-grown counterparts. That’s a significant difference. The authors of the study detailed the significance:
“Many of these compounds have previously been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers, in dietary intervention and epidemiological studies.”
Antioxidants fight free radicals, thus slowing down the aging process. Eating organic produce furthers these benefits. Using organic facial products is an added boon.
Conventional Growing and Residue
It makes sense that organic produce and botanicals are less contaminated with agricultural chemicals. After all, organic growers don’t use pesticides or other toxic chemicals. Conventional growers typically do.
The same studies that discovered the link between going organic and increased antioxidant levels found that pesticide residue was four times higher on conventionally-grown crops. Likewise, organic crops have been found to have 48 percent lower levels if a toxic metal and known carcinogen, cadmium.
GMO and Monoculture
Contemporary industrial agricultural practices such as genetic modification and monocultural planting are decimating our soil microbes. In fact, a recent photo essay by Craig Childs highlights this fact.
Childs set out to replicate a photo essay done by David Littschwager. Littschwager traversed the world taking photos of one-cubic microcosms of nature. Each microcosm revealed a plentitude of living creatures: plants, animals and insects all living in harmony.
Childs’ experience was radically different. He set up a frame on an Iowa farm specializing in GMO corn. Besides the corn stalk, his camera captured a red mite, a spider and two grasshoppers. That’s it. Imagine the desolation.
A century before, that same area would have been teeming with 300 species of plants, 300 birds, 60 mammals and more insects than you can imagine. A red mite, one spider, two grasshoppers and those corn stalks — that’s all that’s left.
The problem isn’t just that spraying pesticides kills off pests. They also kill off the helpful microorganisms necessary to the soil — kind of the same way antibiotics can kill off the helpful bacteria, causing yeast infections. That’s what’s happening on these GMO-based, monoculture industrial farms.
So, it’s up to you to decide how many pesticides you’re comfortable putting in your body or on your face. Lily Morgan answered that question for herself 26 years ago when she founded her USDA-certified organic farm in Henderson, Colorado. Lily Farm Fresh Skin Care never uses artificial ingredients, and Lily never farms with GMO plants or pesticides. Organic botanicals do make a difference in natural skin care.
By Nadia Archuleta
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