Medical science has come amazingly far in the last century. Doctors can prevent, treat, and even cure many forms of cancer. Polio was once a debilitating disease, yet it has all but been eradicated. Vaccines protect children and adults from deadly viruses once thought fatal. In many areas, we’ve progressed far beyond what many people thought possible.
There are other areas, however, where we’ve created more problems for ourselves. One area that has turned into a blessing and a curse is the mass production of food. Over the last century, food has continually gone down in price (except for the last few years) and it’s been increasingly plentiful. The down side is that with this “mass production” of food, farmers have used some less than nutritious methods to maximize production. It is virtually impossible to find 100% natural crops any more. In that regard, we’ve gone backwards.
There are over 14,000 man-made additives that make our food appear more attractive, fresher, and last longer. While the cosmetic benefits of these additives are unquestioned, the harmful side-effects are seldom talked about…and certainly never advertised.
One simple example comes from the canned food industry. A study conducted by the Breast Cancer Fund and the Silent Spring Institute found that the average family can reduce their Bisphenol A (BPA) levels by 60% in just three days by avoiding packaging with BPA. BPA is an endocrine disruptor – a substance which interferes with the production, secretion, transport, action, function and elimination of natural hormones. BPA can imitate our body’s own hormones in a way that could be hazardous for health. Many of the things we buy (without knowing) contatin BPA in their packaging. In the “good ol’ days”, people didn’t have to worry about their food being contaminated through packaging.
Another example comes from the fruit, vegetable and grain markets. Most farmers use pesticides to reduce damage to crops but little is said about the effects the residue these pesticides leave behind. Corn farmers commonly use a pesticide calls Atrazine, which is known to alter estrogen levels. There are over 40 particular harmful pesticides, also known as organophosphates, that are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. These pesticides are designed to harm the neurological systems of bugs that might harm crops, but they also have side effects on humans.
During an investigation by MSN, they discovered that organophosphates are widespread among most food groups. “A 2008 U.S. Pesticide Residue Program Report found detectable concentrations of one organophosphate alone, malathion, in 28 percent of frozen blueberries, 25 percent of strawberries, and 19 percent of celery sampled. (Malathion is also commonly sprayed out of airplanes and onto communities as part of mosquito-control programs. Organophosphate pesticides, also found in some flea and tick products, have been tied to childhood leukemia, and are believed to be partially responsible for colony collapse disorder, which is killing off honeybees (who pollinate our food crops) at unprecedented rates.”
The bottom line is food is not natural and organic any more. It can even be hard to trust grocery stores that advertise “organic food”. While many of those foods contain less chemicals that un-organic food, there is still no guarantee. We are only now beginning to link chemicals and pesticides to severe diseases, viruses, and potentially fatal illnesses.
One reason there is an increasing number of Americans that are growing their own for is for the purity that comes from a home grown garden. From the seeds inception to the storing process in a metal or glass container, if you grow it, you know it. Choosing to use only good soil and water means having food that is disease and pesticide free. There is not question if it’s organic. What has become a buzzword is a reality for knowing how your food is grown. We recommend Survival Seed Kits as a way to start growing 100% natural food. A Seed Kit contains un-altered seeds that produce delicious fruits and vegetables like Lincoln Peas, Scarlet Nantes Carrots, and Parris Island Romaine lettuce.
The point is… sometimes science backfires on us. In the case of altering food in a way that nature never intended, we’ve made our food look and taste better….by chemically changing it. A reverse back to natural, truly organic food is needed so we are healthier. If the market won’t provide it, those with Seed Banks and gardens are the ones who ensure that their families aren’t eating food that has damaging effects. Sometimes going backwards isn’t such a bad thing.