Don’t think we’re here to take the stuffing out of organic foods. We’re not. But there are a few misconceptions about organic foods that really should be dealt with. For one thing, vegetarians and vegans don’t really have any idea how many ground squirrels, mice, birds eggs, and snakes are ground up in the machinery that harvests their salads. Again, not a criticism of any of these alternative diets but still, something people ought to know.
So, as it turns out, many of the so-called organic foods approved by the FDA to receive the label that certifies them to be organic- often contain things that are… let’s just say, less than organic. You may think it’s perfectly safe to eat foods with the label that indicates they are certified organic. Well, we might reflect for a moment on the fact that water is allowed to have a certain amount of industrial waste in it, McDonalds hamburgers are allowed to have a certain amount of feces in them. We don’t call these things poison fluid and turd burgers- but that’s what they are.
Likewise, many things labeled “certified organic” are really just mostly organic. You know, kind of like how the Earth was labeled “mostly harmless” in the movie The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
So, in the name of full disclosure, here are seven of the nastiest chemical you would probably never want to be in food labeled organic that are.
MSG
Some people laughingly refer to it as “super salt.” But there’s nothing funny about what monosodium glutamate can do to your health. MSG can be found in foods both labeled organic and otherwise. But there’s nothing organic about it. MSG is a modified salt designed to do what salt does but in a much more powerful way. It is also responsible for triggering monstrous headaches and can even damage the brains of infants.
Canola Oil
Canola oil has been pushed on us for years as a healthier alternative to fat-based cooking lubricants like butter. But it is anything but organic and totally unhealthy to consume in any quantity. Canola oil is notorious for causing dangerous blood clots which can come in the form of debilitating aneurysms or strokes and can also damage the digestive tract. We’re with Twisted Sister when they sang, ‘We’re Not Gonna Bake It!”
Rennet
Extracted from the stomach linings of slaughtered calves, this curdled milk product is rife with fungus and bacteria that will not play nice in your digestive tract. There’s nothing cruelty-free or even remotely vegan about it. It’s just plain nasty.
Cellulose
When was the last time your stomach started grumbling and so you sidled up to the nearest tree and started gnawing on the bark? Not recently? Well, that’s probably because cellulose is not food for humans. A form of wood pulp used to bulk up products like almond milk to give them a milk-like texture- this stuff is hell to digest and can cause all manner of digestive problems.
Ammonium Carbonate
We hope you’ve saved your appetite for this little charmer. Also known as hatshorn or baker’s ammonia, ammonium carbonate has been named a hazard by both the DOT and the EPA. It is colorless or white, comes in the form of a powder, and is a notorious respiratory irritant. It’s also a common leavening ingredient in cookies and bread. So, we’ve all probably eaten a truckload of this stuff. Yuck!
Chlorine Derivatives
There’s been a lot of confusion about these substances due to conflation with common household bleach. But variations on the chlorine molecule are used to clean the equipment used to process so-called organic foods. That means anything organic could have been tainted with some of the harshest chlorine variations known to man.
Heavy Metals
Even if you’re a head banger, these heavy metals will not be music to your ears. Heavy metals like aluminum, mercury, cadmium, copper, nickel, and several others are frequently found in so-called organic foods shipped to the US from China are a serious health hazard. Mercury, for a start, is the single most potent neurotoxin known to science. At present, the USDA does not test for any of these harmful substances which are linked to early onset dementia, autism, and all manner of cancers.
Yeah, well… sorry to break it to you. Still, if you’re insisting on eating only organic foods, you are still eating fewer of these nasty substances than people who don’t. That’s saying a lot. The good news is, if you’re eating organic- and still not enjoying perfect health- there’s more that can be done to improve your diet.
~ Health Scams Exposed
