ASK THE DOC Why is Organic Important? - by Dr. John Tickell
Organic is a whole system approach to the growing, gathering, production and delivery of basic, healthy products. Organic links together soil, plants, animals, food, environment and the generation and sustainability of healthy people and planet.
A century ago, all foods, drinks and products for human usage were organic. Then there came the introduction of man made synthetic chemicals, pesticides, fertilisers, and the addition of hormones, antibiotics, as well as the laboratory interference to normal, healthful plant genetics - known as genetically modified organisms (GMO).
Does it make any sense to spray plants, foods and natural products with toxic poisons, and feed animals foods adulterated with unnecessary antibiotics and hormones to improve their profitable growth?
As the World Health Organisation reports, “Highly hazardous pesticides have acute and chronic effects and pose particular risks for children.....their widespread use has caused health problems and fatalities in many parts of the world”.
Dr John Tickell is an Australian doctor, author, former athlete and speaker who graduated from the University of Melbourne with a degree in Medicine. Dr Tickell later became a general practitioner, obstetrician and a specialist practitioner in sports medicine. He has written several books, the most notable being The Great Australian Diet and Laughter, Sex, Vegetables & Fish - and survived brain cancer. Dr. Tickell is now an advocate for organics.
Examples of poisonous chemicals guaranteed “safe” by chemical companies during the last century include DDT, Agent Orange, and the glyphosate product “Roundup”. These have contributed to many thousands of illnesses, nerve diseases and cancers. All laboratory synthetic pesticides must be toxic to be effective - they act by poisoning the nerve system, not only of insects and pests, but humans too.
Whether it’s food, drinks, body care and home cleaning products, you get what you pay for. The extra cost for regulated organic produce, for reasons of health and safety, is necessary to protect us from the exposure of toxic chemicals.
Here are a couple of points to note -
1. Any word with “cide” eg. pesticide, insecticide, herbicide, homicide, suicide - means “to kill’!!
Why are we taking this risk?
2. “Safety testing”-any so called “safety testing” for poisonous chemical pesticides, is done on young animals, which are slaughtered for analysis of the damage, and because they don’t survive, this does not take into account the tragic bio-accumulation, the continued build up of toxins, over time, which occurs in humans, with potential disastrous effects.
WHAT ARE OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY OPTIONS?
It’s your choice an informed choice, a responsible choice for self, for family, for environment, for our planet. Avoid anything exposed to man made synthetic pesticides, avoid added hormones, avoid added antibiotics, avoid genetically manipulated organisms in foods and products. Chose certified organics, as often as possible. If it’s not certified, no guarantee it is truly organic. Your life, your choices - be happy and healthy !
