What’s a GMO and what’s it doing in my food? Two good questions. If you’ve never heard of GMOs, then today is a great time to start getting informed. October 2010 is the first ever Non-GMO Month, and yesterday, October 10, 2010, was Non-GMO Day, celebrating our right to choose food and products that do not contain GMOs (you’ll find out in a bit why that’s a good thing).
So, first things first – a definition. GMO stands for “genetically modified organism”. A genetically modified organism is a food (or other products, but we’ll focus on food here) that has been genetically manipulated in a lab, where scientists take the plant or animal’s DNA and inject it with DNA from another plant, animal, bacteria or fungus – something that would never happen in nature. The second question – what’s it doing in your food – has everything to do with business, and nothing to do with what biotech companies would want us to believe, which is their intention of producing a new species of food that can withstand drought and pests and yield larger amounts, maybe even produce a better product.
To date, none of these claims have proven true. In fact, quite the opposite. Read More…
John Reganold has been comparing organic and conventional agricultural systems since he noticed the drastic difference between them in a soil sample 25 years ago. He is an agro-ecologist who has always been interested in how land is used, and is the lead author of a study on the sustainability and nutritional benefits of organic farming, which was published in the journal PLoS ONE yesterday.
The demand for organic food continues to increase, and as we are huge fans of the benefits of organic produce here at HLife, we were thrilled to see such definitive information on a much-debated subject. While everyone knows that conventionally grown produce has more pesticide residue that the liver then has to discard, there wasn’t conclusive data regarding nutrition – until now. This study of strawberries grown on commercial farms is among the most comprehensive of its kind: A team of interdisciplinary researchers checked indicators like soil DNA, microbe diversity, fruit taste, antioxidant activity, and even appearance. Twenty-six strawberry fields were analyzed, and side-by-side comparisons found that the organic farms produced more flavorful and nutritious berries while leaving the soil healthier.
HLife chatted with Professor Reganold about the groundbreaking implications of this study, among which are the relationship between organic farming and better nutrition, a longer product shelf life, and quality soil. Read More…
Honey: Sweet news for those who need antibiotics – new research published in the FASEB Journal confirms the antimicrobial property of honey and explains for the first time how it kills bacteria. “We’ve known for millennia that honey can be good for what ails us, but we haven’t known how it works,” said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the journal. The study shows that bees make a protein that they add to the honey, called defensin-1, which could one day be used to treat burns and skin infections, as well as potentially help combat synthetic antibiotic-resistant infections. The protein is part of the honey bee immune system and is added by the bees to the honey in the process of making it. Read More…
There are many plant-based food styles, with various health benefits. Some of them indicate what you should eat, others what you shouldn’t, others when to eat what, and even others what to eat with what. Let’s explore some of the most popular ones. Read More…
People are always asking questions regarding the health safety and allergens of soy, gluten and dairy. There are lots of information supporting both sides but what we have to pay attention to the details of who said what and why. When it comes to life in general, but specially the foods we choose to put in our bodies, we have to ask ourselves these questions: 1) Do I need this and, if so, for what? 2) Where did it come from and what are its components? 3) What are its benefits (how does it affect me? Will it harm me or benefit me?) And, what happens once its in my body? Read More…
Image via ebfarm.com
All food is not created equal. As you read in our post Why Organic?, buying organic means no genetically modified organisms (“frankenfoods”,) synthetic pesticides or herbicides in your fruits and vegetables, among other benefits (check out the video below.) Still, organic food is not readily available everywhere the way it is here in Los Angeles. So, for those of you who can’t always buy organic but wish to give your liver a break and avoid eating as many pesticides as you can, here is a wonderful tool: The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides. Read More…
