Foods with Vitamin D and Vitamin B12 for those with Multiple Sclerosis

All nutrients have a role to play in health. When we are found to be deficient in particular vitamins or minerals, it could be that we are not eating enough foods that provide them or our state of health may be such that we are unable to properly metabolize and process them.

Many studies have shown that people with multiple sclerosis have lower levels of specific vitamins and other nutrients, especially vitamin D and vitamin B12.

The Vitamin B12 Connection

Those who have MS have low levels of vitamin B12 in their cerebrospinal fluid, blood serum, or both. A vitamin B12 deficiency is often mistaken for MS.

Studies have shown patients with MS given vitamin B12 supplements have experienced clinical improvements with symptoms. Those with MS are also likely to be low in other B vitamins and should consider a B vitamin complex with extra B12. It is always best to take a complex B rather than taking just one B vitamin for any length of time. B vitamins work together to perform many vital roles in the body.

Foods Rich in Vitamin B 12

Foods rich in vitamin B12 include:

  • Sardines
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Cod
  • Lamb
  • Shrimp
  • Scallops
  • Beef
  • Yogurt
  • Milk

If you are suffering from a digestive disease that inhibits absorption such as celiac disease or you are elderly, vegan, or vegetarian it may be difficult for you to reach your daily requirement of B12 without supplementation.

Even if you are not aware that you have a digestive disorder, chances are you suffer from leaky gut syndrome if you have MS or any other autoimmune disease. Elimination of gluten from your diet, treating Candida overgrowth, and repairing your gut will go a long way toward your recovery from MS.

The Vitamin D Connection

The farther away a person lives from the equator, the greater the risk of developing MS, which suggests vitamin D deficiency may play an important part in the development of this disease.

Study after study shows that when people are chronically ill they either are or they were vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D is a hormone our bodies produce after we are exposed to sunlight.

Vitamin D is stored in fat and released as needed, but this does not work right for particularly toxic people or overweight people and most of us in the modern world do not get nearly enough vitamin D in the summer regardless of our ability to store it. We certainly get enough in our diet to make up for our lack of outdoor life.

If you have MS you will likely feel an immediate improvement by supplementing with vitamin D. Avoid very high doses of vitamin D for long periods of time.

Foods Rich in Vitamin D

We can also get vitamin D from the following foods:

  • Fatty fish
  • Mushrooms
  • Beef liver
  • Cheese
  • Egg yolks

Conclusion

Vitamin D and vitamin B12 deficiencies play a role in MS, but they are not the only causes of this disease. A leaky gut is most certainly a big part of the problem, and diet management is paramount, not only to manage symptoms naturally but also to getting well. To learn more about MS, check out Naturally Treat Multiple Sclerosis – Therapies, Diet, Pain Management, Alternative Medicine.

 

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Consumer Reports Finds Hamburger from Grass-Fed and Organic Cattle Poses Fewer Health Risks

Consumer Reports tested 300 samples (458 pounds) of hamburger from 103 stores from 26 cities for bacterial contamination, comparing “sustainable” meat to conventional meat. (Sustainable, in this study, referred to beef from cattle that was not given antibiotics). What they found was both enlightening and truly disturbing.

Beef samples were tested for 5 types of bacteria:

  • Salmonella
  • Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  • Coli (7 strains)
  • Clostridium perfringens (CDC estimates 1 million cases of food poisoning due to this bacteria each year.)
  • Enterococcus

Consumer Reports published the following results:

All 458 pounds of beef we examined contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination (enterococcus and/or nontoxin-producing E. coli), which can cause blood or urinary tract infections. Almost 20 percent contained C. perfringens, a bacteria that causes almost 1 million cases of food poisoning annually. Ten percent of the samples had a strain of S. aureus bacteria that can produce a toxin that can make you sick. That toxin can’t be destroyed—even with proper cooking.

Just 1 percent of our samples contained salmonella. … salmonella causes an estimated 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths in the U.S. each year.

Consumer Reports then tested the bacteria they found and discovered that 18 percent of conventional beef samples were contaminated with superbugs—dangerous bacteria that are resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. While testing out to contain half that amount, 9%, sustainably produced beef also contained superbugs.

A full 97% of the beef sold is obtained from conventionally raised cattle that are crowded into feedlots and left to stand in their own manure. They are fed corn and soy (both of which are usually GMO), candy, slaughtered parts of pigs and chickens and dried chicken manure and litter rather than the grasses and other plants they were meant to eat. They are also fed plastic pellets for roughage and routine antibiotics.

Although sustainable beef is clearly better and cleaner, all of the samples, even organic beef samples, were contaminated. Consumer Reports strongly recommends cooking hamburger to an internal temperature of 160 degrees – medium, rather than rare or medium rare. Rare hamburger, it seems, is much more likely to cause disease than other cuts of beef due to the fact that it is ground up and the bacteria is inside as well as outside. With other cuts of beef, the bacteria would only be found on the surface, where it is more likely to be killed by the heat source. If you’ve been eating conventionally grown meat, consider a GMO detox.

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Six Foods That Naturally Improve the Health of Your Eyes

Our eyes are the key to our most important sense – our vision. They’ve been called windows to the soul, but more importantly, they’re our windows to what’s happening around us. As we age, our eyes age with us. While most of the degenerative processes are not reversible, nutrition is one of the key ways to prevent future problems.

You’ll want to eat foods that contain vitamin A, C, and E, as well as zinc and omega-3 fatty acids. Here’s a list of some foods that contain these crucial nutrients for good eye health.

Fish Like Tuna and Salmon

Research has shown that omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for the development of your eyes. They help prevent dry eyes, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

There are different ways you can get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. One way is by taking fish oil, why not try the old fashioned way – by eating more cold water fish.

Foods That Contain Astaxanthin

Astaxanthin is an anti-oxidant that has been shown to be extremely beneficial for eyes. It fights age related eye degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma. Astaxanthin is produced by a microalgae called Haematococcus pluvialis.

But this begs a key question – what foods contain astaxanthin?

There are really two categories of foods that can give you this powerful antioxidant: the algae that produce it and the animals that eat that microalgae like fish, shellfish, and krill. So in addition to the first point above, this is a whole other reason to eat more seafood.

Apricots and Blueberries

The eyes require vitamin A to repair damaged tissues and cells. However, the body cannot create vitamin A naturally; instead it must obtain it from other sources. Apricots and blueberries are rich in lycopene and beta-carotene that the body uses to create vitamin A.

Kale and Spinach

Leafy greens – it seems like they’re the miracle food for everything, doesn’t it? These great foods are full of zeaxanthin and lutein, two key antioxidants for improving vision that help prevent macular degeneration.

When you eat them, try and eat them raw, in their natural form. The more you cook them, the more nutrients are depleted. That’s why salad is usually best.

Citrus Fruits with Vitamin C

Fresh fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and berries are some of the best when it comes to vitamin C.  Regular consumption of citrus fruits and berries will help reduce the risk of cataracts and other eye diseases. These fruits also provide a number of other health benefits.

Apricots and Blueberries

Our eyes require certain vitamins and nutrients to fix damaged tissues. Vitamin A is one of those important vitamins that our bodies need but can’t produce. Therefore, it must obtain it from other sources. That’s where apricots and blueberries come in (as well as any other foods that contain vitamin A components).

Apricots and blueberries are rich in lycopene and beta-carotene, which the body uses to create vitamin A. Consuming them will directly help your body fix damaged tissues and cells in the eyes.

Conclusion

Proper nutrition is just one component to eye health. Keeping up your overall health is also crucial. Avoid conditions like high blood pressure and high blood sugar to help keep your eyes strong and healthy.

Working the above-described foods into your diet on a regular basis will definitely help to improve the health of your eyes. More importantly, it will make them more resistant to some of the common degenerative problems with the eyes and keep you seeing 20/20.

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Things You Should Know About Garlic – DIY, Recipes, Other Tips

Most know about garlic’s antimicrobial properties. A healthy diet rich in raw garlic is the best defense against fungal, bacterial, viral, and parasitical infections. Garlic may also be used topically to treat vaginal yeast infections and athlete’s foot.

WWI soldiers used crushed garlic on infected wounds suffered in battle. Hippocrates, considered by many to be the “Father of Medicine,” also used garlic to heal cancerous tumors. Garlic’s history is as rich and plentiful as its benefits. It is a truly amazing herb and one that many naturally minded healthcare practitioners will tell you is one of nature’s most incredible plants.

Be forewarned, garlic does burn the skin. It’s not pleasant, but the results are amazing. Here’s a personal story about treating a spider bite with garlic:

In Los Angeles there was a spider with a bad attitude in our apartment. He bit me nine times over the course of four nights. I do not know what kind of spider it was, but he was nasty, and five of those bites got very infected.

I’m not one to get infections easily, but the spider that bit me was a potent little bastard! The bites were on my left arm near my elbow. I couldn’t move my elbow and I was starting to look like an Ebola virus victim. One of the bites was so bad that there was almost a third of a cup of green and greenish yellow, thick, oozing puss that I spent 5 hours carefully extracting, only to have it fill up the next day. I was taking tons of supplements and eating well; I was doing everything I could to ensure I did not get an infection, but this toxin the spider bit me with was unrelenting.

I was also using some of the most potent herbs I knew of, putting them directly into the huge hole left behind from the puss extraction. During the third time (seven days after the bite) of removing the puss (I was cutting open my arm and literally digging into the infection, scooping out this nasty pussy junk), I noticed streaking. Blood poisoning. So I decided to take drastic measures. I knew it would burn me badly, but I filled up the hole with garlic. I shoved a total of four large minced cloves into the infection, which gives you an idea of the massive size of the hole that was there on my arm just below my elbow. Then I bandaged the wound.

It itched so badly that night, but my whole arm hurt and itched so much already that the garlic itch didn’t matter to me. I taped my hands in my sleep so my fingers wouldn’t claw off the bandage while scratching in my sleep.

The next day I awoke to a huge purple welt. It was three times the diameter of a quarter, and it looked like something had eaten a huge chunk of my arm. It was ghastly! But it was also uninfected! I had no itch, and very little pain right there, unlike the other bites.

The other bites had to be drained for infection a few times, even well after the wound closed. I did not do the garlic trick with them, as the scar that I thought might be permanent was massive and disturbing to look at. It took a month for the other spider bites to heal, and it took 6 weeks for the garlic wound to completely heal leaving a very large scar.

But here is what I found most interesting. Today, one year later, every single spider bite left a scar, except the big one. The one I put the garlic into is less visible than the others. As massive and nasty as it was during the slow healing process, the permanent damage done was less than that of even the relatively insignificant other bites.

Garlic Potency – Allicin

A sulfur-based compound called alliin and an enzyme called alliinase are separated in the garlic’s cell structure when garlic is whole. Cutting garlic ruptures the cells and releases these elements, allowing them to come in contact with each other and oxygen to form a powerful new compound called allicin, which not only adds to the number of garlic’s health-promoting benefits but is also the culprit behind its pungent aroma and gives garlic its “bite.”

Allicin is garlic’s strongest antimicrobial component. This is also why researchers tell us that slicing, chopping, mincing or pressing garlic before cooking will enhance its health-promoting properties by releasing more allicin. Avoid boiling or cooking whole garlic cloves as this deactivates the enzymes.

By chopping garlic more finely, more allicin may be produced. Pressing garlic or mincing it into a smooth paste will give you the strongest flavor and may also result in the highest amount of allicin. Let it sit for five to ten minutes before eating or cooking. If cooking is required, do not expose to heat for longer than five minutes.

The processes used to create garlic tablets destroy allicin. Fresh garlic is best, but if you need to take it as a pill, don’t take garlic in tablet form. Use powdered capsules instead.

Garlic and Cancer

When garlic is a regular part of the diet, it has been shown in studies to help prevent cancer of the prostate, bladder, colon, stomach and breast.

One study of 40,000 postmenopausal women showed a 50% reduction in colon cancer.

Fingernails and Cuticles

Garlic strengthens nails and can heal cuticles. While ingesting garlic has a positive effect on skin and could, therefore, help cuticles, and possibly promote nail growth, people usually use garlic topically to enhance nail growth and repair cuticles.

Here’s a recipe for garlic infused nail polish.

Make sure to use nontoxic nail polish! Here are a few:

  1. Piggy Paint, non-toxic, odorless, kid-friendly, kid-colored, water-based formula.
  2. Honeybee Gardens, an alternative to solvent-based nail polish, water-based, odorless, removes with rubbing alcohol.
  3. No-Miss, does not contain the three-to-avoid above, and also does not contain camphor.
  4. Acquarella, water-based system of nail polish, conditioner, remover and moisturizer.
  5. Suncoat, water-based nail polish that has been recognized and honored from the Canadian Health Food Association Expo.
  6. Gaiam, created by New York City’s first organic spa, our non-toxic nail polish is free of known carcinogens.

Check out more nontoxic nail polishes at care2.com.

Alternatively, you can also soak nails in garlic oil, or apply garlic oil to nails regularly.

For damaged cuticles that don’t want to heal, take crushed garlic, apply to the cotton of a Band-Aid and wrap the finger. The way to do this is to open the Band-Aid wrapping, place the Band-Aid on a table or counter, place garlic in a “U” pattern to lineup with the cuticle line, and then put the finger, nail down, onto the Band-Aid and wrap the finger. It’s a little easier with help, but it’s not too difficult to do alone. It will itch for about 20 minutes. One finger is pretty easy to manage the irritation, but multiple fingers can get pretty difficult to bear. Leave it on for a minimum of 3 hours – 8 hours max. Once the Band-Aid is removed, let the skin air out for a few hours at least, but if there’s the potential to damage the cuticles again, wrap them up in new Band-Aids.

Different Kinds of Garlic

Garlic can be broadly classified into two groups known as hardneck and softneck. Hardneck garlic may be broken down into three types,  the purple stripe, porcelain, and rocambole. Within the softneck classification there are artichokes and silverskins. Hardneck varieties tend to grow and thrive better in regions with colder winters.

Hardneck cultivars tend to have are richer, spicier, and generally have a more complex flavor. Hardneck varieties, due to their plumpness and fairly regular clove shape and thicker skin, are considerably easier to peel. Softneck garlic is usually milder. Much of the softneck garlics are used in processed products and for garlic powder for seasoning. The cloves of softneck cultivars are also more difficult to peel due to irregular shape and tight, thin skins.

Pest Control with Garlic

Germs, parasites, and most animals don’t like garlic. If you have a garden that you want to protect or a pet you need to keep flea free, it’s easy to make a garlic spray that you can apply directly to plants and animals.

Garden Protection Recipe

  • 1 whole bulb of garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper
  • 1 quart of water
  • 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap

Chop all ingredients finely (or crush, or use a food processor), and put in blender with water. Blend at a low speed until well mixed and then strain. If you blend at too high a speed, you may have nothing to strain, and the mixture may be too thick for a spray bottle, but it depends on the sprayer.

Put liquid into a spray bottle and add dish soap. Mix well.

Use a spray bottle to liberally apply to plants, all over, including the top and underside of leaves.

Flea Control Recipe

  • 1 whole bulb of garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 quart of water
  • 10 drops of peppermint oil clove oil or any other essential oils that pests don’t like.

Chop all ingredients finely (or crush, or use a food processor), and put into a blender with water. Blend at a low speed until well mixed and then strain. If you blend at too high a speed you may have nothing to strain, and the mixture may be too thick for a spray bottle, but it depends on the sprayer. Spray pet before it goes outside, and regularly if there are fleas in the house. Avoid spraying near the pet’s eyes.

Other Garlic Health Benefits, Tips, and Tricks

  • Garlic might help prevent hair loss! Massage garlic oil into scalp.
  • Garlic is definitely a low calorie food with 4 calories per clove.
  • If you put a slice of garlic over a splinter and cover it with a bandage, it will help the skin push it out.
  • Garlic has its own day of recognition! April 19 is National Garlic Day.
  • Garlic is rumored to ward off mosquitoes and other vampires.
  • Garlic helps babies gain weight while they are in the womb.
  • Rub garlic on a cold sore to get rid of it.
  • Put a slice on a skin tag and cover with a Band-Aid to get rid of it.
  • Garlic is high in iodine – good for the thyroid.
  • Garlic is high in vitamin C.
  • Garlic doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
  • Avoid CHINESE GARLIC!
  • Garlic helps to regulate blood sugar.
  • There are 300 varieties of garlic grown worldwide.
  • Garlic has been grown for more than 5000 years.
  • To quickly peel an entire head of garlic, put it in a jar and shake until the cloves come loose and the skin comes off.
  • Grow a new bulb from any clove that sprouts.

Shillington’s Total Tonic, and Blood Detox are two of my favorite garlic recipes.

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Garlic is my go-to herb for many ailments, and I eat it every single day. I put it in my salads and in the foods I cook. I eat it raw and cooked, but more often raw. I use it to reset my gut flora, I use it to detoxify my body, and I use it to make food taste better, but it does so much more.

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5 Things Everyone Should Know About Wheat & Gluten

Although wheat is a staple food in the human diet, gluten proteins are associated with three well-known pathologies that affect a significant portion of the human population: gluten allergy, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and celiac disease. More and more people are having trouble digesting wheat. Today, approximately one in every 133 Americans have celiac disease, the least common of the three gluten-related pathologies. Let’s look at a few likely reasons as to why.

Wheat Has Changed

The wheat we have now is very different from what our ancestors consumed. Modern dwarf wheat is hybridized. That isn’t a GMO, but the genes of our wheat plant have been modified to grow faster and to be more resilient. Nearly all of the wheat consumed today is dwarf wheat, which has shorter stems and offers greater yield.

We used to eat a wheat variety called einkorn, which was actually one of the first grains that humans cultivated more than 10,000 years ago. When the Bible tells us to eat bread, einkorn is the wheat it refers to. Einkorn is lower in starch and higher in protein, essential fatty acids, phosphorous, potassium, pyridoxine, and beta-carotene.

More & Different Gluten

Modern wheat has much more gluten than einkorn. Modern wheat has a different gluten-protein structure. Einkorn has 14 chromosomes, and modern wheat has 42 chromosomes.

Gluten is actually not a single protein, it is a family of different proteins. One of the gluten proteins that scientists believe is causing much of the problems is called Glia-α9. A study found that Glia-α9 is significantly higher in modern wheat.

Wheat Processing Has Changed

Modern techniques in grain processing make it possible to create massive amounts of refined wheat for much lower cost than before. These modern processing techniques separate the nutritious bran and germ from the starchy endosperm. This process increases the shelf life of wheat but removes B vitamins and other nutrients.

These more refined flours started to be widely used around 1880. Soon after the world experienced epidemics of pellagra and beriberi.

Bread Making Has Changed

Most commercial bread contains bromides, added starches, refined sugars, added gluten (vital wheat gluten), preservatives, artificial flavorings, leveling agents, and stabilizers. Baking Soda, baking powder, and cream of tartar are often used in place of yeast or in addition to rapid rise yeast to make the bread rise quickly and more uniformly. Modern bread rises for a couple of hours or less, whereas homemade bread traditionally takes at least 12 hours to rise.

RoundUp

Eager to sell more of its flagship herbicide, Monsanto has encouraged farmers to use their glyphosate as a desiccant. Wheat can be harvested quicker and easier if you dry it all out ahead of time with Roundup. It’s also used in this way on barley, oats, canola, flax, peas, lentils, soybeans, dry beans, and sugar cane.

My Two Cents

I believe that much of our problems with wheat digestion stem from the changes in our gut bacteria due to the increase in antibiotic usages, antimicrobial toxins chemicals (from pesticides to hand sanitizers), increased vaccines, and most importantly, our ever-increasing consumption of refined sugars. The result is a gut full of candida with little beneficial bacteria to help properly digest food, and this leads to a body full of fungus, parasites, and other pathogens.

An abundance of candida in the gut will cause the gut lining to be more permeable which allows for gluten proteins to pass into the bloodstream undigested. I believe this is a major cause of the increase in food allergies and digestive issues and gluten problems we are experiencing today. For more on that, I urge you to check out Best Supplements To Kill Candida and Everything Else You Ever Wanted To Know About Fungal Infections. It’s a must-read for anyone with chronic illness.

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The Dangers of Industrial Vegetable Oils

There are many fallacies that guide our beliefs in human nutrition today and often prevail until long-term studies indicate otherwise. Here are just a few:

  • If vegetables are healthy, anything that comes from a vegetable is nutritive.
  • Fats are linked to obesity and disease; therefore all fats are bad and should be avoided.
  • All calories are created equal.
  • Nutritional supplements are not necessary if an individual eats a healthy balanced diet.

About Vegetable Oils

Vegetable oil is a product consumed worldwide. Production skyrocketed with advances made in agricultural farming from the industrial revolution. Soybeans, palm plant, and corn are just a few crops that have since been mass produced.

Vegetable oils are popular in modern cuisine because they can be used in different techniques in restaurants and home cooking. Oils are utilized based on smell, color, taste, and the potential stability at high cooking temperatures. Vegetable oils dominate an overwhelming amount of processed foods found in dressings, marinades, spreadable cheeses, packaged baked goods, and the list continues.

Statista collects information from over 18,000 studies worldwide. Data collected reveals that there has been a steady increase in the consumption of vegetable oils from 2005 to 2015. Currently, people are consuming 172.99 million metric tons of vegetable oil a year. Most popular in demand is palm oil followed by soybean, canola, a generalized “other” category and lastly sunflower oil. (1)

Heart Healthy Myths

Food manufacturers deserve most of the blame for such faulty thinking. Health-conscious consumers are targeted by the vegetable oil industry. For example, canola oil is advertised as a good source of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and a nutritive food source for frying or other cooking purposes. Health-conscious consumers are targeted in this marketing approach because omega-3 fatty acids are typically deficient in the average American diet.

Nutritionists and dieticians recommend the consumption of plant sterols (cholesterol-like structure) daily to help regulate cholesterol levels. When healthy plant sterols are provided in vegetables and nuts, the body’s cholesterol has to compete for recognition that ultimately leads to a reduction in harmful low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hopping on the pro-plant sterol bandwagon too quickly, food manufacturers created a new booming product in the form of margarine. (20)

False Marketing

False marketing stimulated a lure from individuals trying to eat nutritiously. “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” products were advertised as free of cholesterol. According to the product’s label, ingredients contained liquid and partially hydrogenated soybean oil amongst several other ingredients known to raise human health concerns.

“I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” products have been redesigned and relabeled today to no longer include partially hydrogenated oils and trans fats. Unfortunately, the product is still produced from health hazardous vegetable oils such as canola and palm (21).

Learning the Fat Terminology

The term “fat” has received a blemished reputation across most cultures in the world. Rising obesity and heart disease rates provoked the assumption that fats consumed equals pounds added. This belief is indeed misunderstood. Without a solid understanding of nutrition, consumers remain susceptible to manipulative food industry claims. It is as if the blind is leading the blind.

Fat is essential for brain function and overall health and well-being. Generally speaking, fats are categorized based on their chemical structure and their physical appearance at room temperature.

Saturated Fats: Naturally found in meat, dairy and coconut products. Solid at room temperature. Looks like a straight chain linked fence. Contains as many hydrogen bonds as it could possibly hold.

Monounsaturated Fats: Examples are olive oil, lard, and canola. Typically liquid at room temperature but possibly solidifies when cooled. Looks like your bicycle chain when it has a kink in one link that causes the chain to bend. Has just a slightly bit fewer hydrogen bonds structurally attached.

Polyunsaturated Fats: Found in several plant-based oils including flaxseed oil and also found in fatty fish such as salmon. Remains liquid at cold temperatures. Looks like your bent gold chain with multiple kinks after you untangled it from the jewelry box. Has the least percentage of hydrogen bonds attached to the chain compared to saturated or monounsaturated fats. (4, 20)

Vegetable Oils Are a Source of Trans Fats

As a result of their structures, straight chain linked saturated fats are readily available to link up with other biological compounds. Increased saturated fat consumption promotes a greater concentration of fat storing triglycerides harmful to the body. So what does the structure of the fat have to do with trans fats?

Trans fatty acids are artificially created when the saturated fat structure is altered to resemble the chemical composition of unsaturated fat. Even though a few hydrogen bonds are removed from the chain, hence the name “partially hydrogenated”, the problem remains because the chain remains straight. As a result, only 20% of trans fats in an individual’s diet is sourced from nature whereas 80% originates from these man designed and technology produced partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (4).

A lax standard from food regulating agencies, especially in the United States, allows food manufacturers too much wiggle room for vegetable oil use. Despite having been entirely banned in other countries, foods loaded with trans fats flood the American food supply. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) did, however, pass a regulation in 2003 requiring food labels to disclose trans fats as an ingredient that has been in effect since 2006. (4, 5)

What Are Hydrogenated Oils?

Partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats) are a cheap and effective tool to increase shelf life and melting temperatures of food products (20). As exemplified over and over again, food companies are intelligent, manipulative and always a step ahead of you to bulk up their wallets.

Margarine and vegetable shortening are engineered foods that have increased melting points. Remember what types of fats remain solid at room temperature because of straight linked chains? Genetically modified and mass produced soybean or safflower oil are chemically made into these solid fats and have been marketed since the 1930s (4).

The FDA considered the product Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) in 1977 due to the lack of scientific evidence correlating trans fats to human health problems (4). Isn’t it interesting how the lack of information could be used to justify rationale?

Trans Fats Found in Tissue Samples

Costa Rican studies have since shown insight on the relationship between vegetable oil consumption and trans fat accumulation in the body. Costa Rica serves as an ideal location for nutrition based experimentation because of low dairy and meat consumption which may influence saturated fat levels.

Trans fats were calculated from tissue samples taken from the Costa Rican population. Researchers concluded that the primary sources of trans fat was soybean oil. Popular in cuisine to prepare beans, rice, eggs and fried foods, soybean oil accounted for 30% of sourced trans fats followed by margarine and baked goods. (4,17)

If enough supporting evidence did not exist in the 1930s when the product was introduced or in 1977 when the FDA ruled that trans fats were safe for human consumption, there is clearly enough evidence today for the FDA to readdress the safety of vegetable oils in food.

Avoiding Vegetable Oils

In 2014, The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) recognized that artificial trans fat in food has declined by approximately 75% since 2005. A few popular examples of products that remain on the market and contain trans fats are:

  • Turkey Hill Party Cake ice cream
  • Sara Lee Classic New York Cheesecake
  • Pop-Secret Kettle Corn
  • Betty Crocker Pie Crust Mix
  • Popeye’s breakfast hash browns (5)

Despite this seemingly optimistic statistic, the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan are consuming more canola oil than they have in previous decades (12). For a culture with everything but time, the dinner table has become a staple for prepackaged, processed foods fortified with vegetable oils.

Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Dietary recommendations promote consuming a greater intake of omega-3 fatty acids found in marine life, eggs, plants as well as vegetable oils. One might assume that the benefits from the omega-3 content alone make vegetable oil worth consuming. However, the idea that vegetable oils contain healthy omega-3s is also misunderstood.

Beneficial omega-3 fatty acids contain alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and have heart protective properties (6). The problem with getting the recommended requirements of omega-3 fats from vegetable oils is that there is an even higher concentration of omega-6 fats available. Although omega-6 fats are an essential dietary need, the balance between the two types of fatty acids is delicate.

Problems With Omega-6 Diets

Omega-6 fats contain linolenic acid (LA). Scientific evidence reveals that the two fatty acid types biologically compete for metabolism. With the average human’s diet now deficient in omega-3s and overloaded with omega-6 fatty acid sources, the healthy ALA simply cannot compete with our rich LA diets. Resulting health consequences are glycemic problems in individuals with diabetes, cholesterol issues, inflammation and cardiovascular related degeneration and disease. (6, 11)

The average American diet now has a ratio of 10 omega-6 fatty acids for every one omega-3 fatty acid consumed and vegetables oils are certainly a major culprit (6). A better source to get ALA for health benefits is from salmon, flaxseed, chia seeds, or whole English walnuts.

Refinement Is Not Always a Good Thing

The question then remains, where did all of the heart healthy promoting factors go? Refining vegetable oil is required to remove compounds not safe for human consumption. A series of high temperatures and chemicals are used to extract, bleach, and deodorize vegetable oil. Avocados are a great source of healthy fat, and we don’t have to bathe them before consumption. (20)

The entire refinement process is responsible for destroying and depleting the oil of its beneficial omega-3 content and antioxidants. The result is a legally marketed biological poison with concentrated amounts of trans fats and an unbalanced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acid ratio.

Environmental friendly researchers don’t even suggest the use of these same vegetable oils in engineering. Due to the same reasons that contribute to inadequate chemical stability when influenced by raising temperatures, biolubricants such as vegetable oil increase corrosion and acidity when used in engine oils (15). If it isn’t recommended for engine use, how can it be recommended for human use?

Vegetable Oil: A Toxic Source of Chemicals and Pesticides

The danger of pesticides and other chemical food contaminants is becoming increasingly unavoidable and does not exclude vegetable oil. Cold-pressed is considered the “healthier” form of refined vegetable oil. With no added heat, liquid is isolated and the chemical properties of oil are not structurally altered. (14)

In 2012, researchers in Poland published their findings of known human carcinogens and common pesticides in refined and cold-pressed vegetable oils (14). Levels of the following synthetic compounds were discovered.

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs): Associated with hormonal defects and disease. Researchers identified 18 types.

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs): Known to cause skin, lung and stomach cancer. Researchers identified 15 types.

Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (BPDEs): Flame retardant chemicals known to cause birth defects, cancer and neurobehavioral changes. Researchers identified 14 types (16).

As if these chemicals listed are not harmful enough, 74 classifications of pesticides were also measured. The Stockholm Convention sets guidelines for the allowance of persistent organic pollutants in food. The chemical levels measured exceeded the maximum permitted concentration under the guidelines of the Stockholm Convention. (14)

If fallacy originates from the concept that anything comes from a vegetable is nutritive, whatever happened to if you cannot pronounce what is in your food, don’t eat it?

Freshness Counts

The development of hypertension is linked to the oxidative (chemical altering) process of heating vegetable oils. Fast food chains most especially are known for their use of reheating vegetable oils simply because it is a cost effective approach in food production. With repetitive heating, the chemical structure of the oil ages and eventually depletes the antioxidants available such as vitamin E. As a consequence, free radicals increase in concentration, the toxicity of the oil increases and any possible health benefits are destroyed. (13)

Compared to fresh vegetable oil, heated vegetable oils have been indicated to raise blood pressure and promote various factors which increase the risk of hypertension. Researchers believe that part of the problem is because the networks for blood travel are altered.

Changes have been observed in the concentration of biological compounds that affect these pathways. Free radicals produced from heated vegetable oils not only causes disturbances in blood regulation but this oxidation process contributes to pathogenesis, or the development of disease. (13, 20)

Vegetable Oil Increases Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

Changes in the biological concentration of lipids, nitric oxide, nitrite and acetylcholine from vegetable oil consumption require long term human testing. The following factors contribute to an increase risk of coronary heart disease (11,18).

Cholesterol: In a Nurses’ Health Study, researchers concluded that trans fatty acids increase the ratio of harmful low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and decrease beneficial high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) concentrations (9). The study analyzed results collected from over 85,000 women. Women whom consumed margarine and other food sources containing trans fats had a significantly higher risk of coronary heart disease.

Blood Pressure: A study released in 2011 brought further attention to risks for cardiovascular related illnesses. Experimental rodents that consumed heated vegetable oils exhibited a significant increase in blood pressure. After only 24 weeks of consumption, blood pressure increased by over 25%. (13)

Nitric Oxide: Nitric oxide helps blood flow by expanding blood vessels. This mechanism is especially important during exercise when the brain and heart require an increased oxygen supply. The same experimental rodents had less nitric oxide available. Instead, an altered form of nitric oxide increased by up to 23.1% (13). Nitrite poses a health hazard; it is usually found in deli meats and bacon.

Acetylcholine: Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter involved in biological functions such as stimulating nervous system activity involving arousal and learning. The reduction of acetylcholine levels were measured and correlated to the increase in heated vegetable oil consumption (13).

Vegetable Oil Elevates Risk of Cancer & Other Illnesses

In 2004, another Nurses’ Health Study performed an experiment analyzing the intake of trans fatty acids in a group of 823 women (7). A linear association was found between increased trans fatty acid intake and higher risk of coronary artery disease and diabetes.

Higher than normal biological compounds correlated to increased cancer risks, heart failure mortality, insulin resistance, lipid abnormalities, increased inflammation and immune infection.

Gut Changes Promote Inflammation

Researchers analyzed the effects of oil on metabolism in a study released in 2011 (11). They observed an altered gut environment with increased intestinal permeability as well as high concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines associated with cancer. The study concluded that vegetable oils have varying degrees of inflammatory properties on the body.

One inflammatory response includes an increase in endotoxin metabolism (11). Endotoxins are known to cause botulism. Until more human intervention studies are performed, it is too risky to assume that vegetable oils are safe for consumption because of the lack of supporting data accepted by the United States FDA.

Vegetable Oil Increases Women’s Risk for Infertility

The Department of Nutrition, Brigham Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA underwent a study that assessed the relationship between ovulatory infertility and risks factors such as fat, cholesterol, and fatty acid intake. A high BMI is often associated with infertility issues in women. Researchers in this study concluded that most fatty acid types are actually not related to ovulatory infertility but rather a significant correlation exist with trans unsaturated fats. A 73% greater risk of ovulatory infertility was recorded for every 2% increase in trans unsaturated fats compared to other fat sources. (8)

Researchers dating back to 1999 understood the risk associated with vegetable oil and disease. An article published in Plant Foods for Human Nutrition warned of dangers linked to vegetable oil, specifically palm oil. Associated risks included toxicity in the kidneys, lungs, liver, heart, and even disorders such as Tay-Sachs and Gaucher’s disease (2, 3). The FDA no longer permits the use of vegetable oil in infant formula because it has been linked to inhibiting growth and vitamin E deficiency amongst other health risks (20).

Revoke Authority from the Food Industry

Dr. Michael Jacobson, Executive Director at CSPI, petitioned the United States FDA in 2004 to revoke any authority given to the food industry to use partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. In the request, CSPI urged the FDA to encourage the use of the healthiest ingredients possible in replacement of partially hydrogenated oils from food manufacturers and restaurants. Cited research includes studies from health councils in other countries and research on the correlation of heart disease from the Institute of Medicine. An overwhelming amount of evidence from the most recent studies was also provided refuting the FDA’s previous comments from 1976 that:

“There is no evidence in the available information on hydrogenated soybean oil that demonstrates, or suggests reasonable grounds to suspect, a hazard to the public when it is used as a direct or indirect food ingredient at levels that are now current or that might reasonably be expected in the future.”(4)

Now, in a full reversal, the FDA has finally announced new regulations to prohibit trans-fats in processed foods beginning in 2016.

Recommendations & Alternatives to Vegetable Oils

By removing sources of vegetable oil in food, human health and wellbeing will improve. The following is a summary of foods containing vegetable oils that should be avoided:

  1. Cooking foods with vegetable oils like canola, palm, peanut, sesame, canola or shortening.
  2. Processed goods such as coffee creamers, canned frosting, pastries and frozen meals.
  3. Fast food chains like McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts and Burger King.
  4. Alternative fat sources such as margarine.
  5. All products containing trans fats or partially hydrogenated oils.

If vegetable oil cannot be entirely avoided, The Heart & Vascular Team with the Cleveland Clinic does not recommend deep frying for any oil including those with a high smoke point (19). It is also best to purchase organic oils whenever possible and reduce the intake of GMOs and chemical pollutants.

A more nutritious alternative to vegetable oils is organic coconut oil. Studies currently attribute several possible benefits to consuming coconut oil such as providing protection from Alzheimer’s disease and heart-related illness.

Recommended Reading:
Sources:
  1. That Statistics Portal Link Here
  2. Ebong PE, Owu DU, Isong EU. Influcence of palm oil (Elaesis guineensis) on health. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 1999 Jan;53(3):209-22. PMID: 10517280
  3. Edem DO. Palm oil: biochemical, physiological, nutritional, hematological, and toxicological aspects: a review. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. 2002 Sep;57(3-4):319-41. PMID: 12602939
  4. Petition for Rulemaking to Revoke the Authority for Industry to Use Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils in Foods Link Here
  5. Center for Science in the Public Interest Link Here
  6. Penny M, et al. Fish Consumption, Fish Oil, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, and Cardiovascular Disease. Circulation Journal of the American Heart Association. 2002 Jan;106:2747-57. DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000038493.65177.94
  7. Mozaffarian D, Pischon T, et al. Dietary intake of trans fatty acids and systemic inflammation in women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Apr;79(4):606-612. PMID: 15051604
  8. Chavarro JE, Rich-Edwards JW, et al. Dietary fatty acid intakes and the risk of ovulatory infertility. Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jan;85(1):231-7. PMID: 17209201
  9. Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, et al. Intake of trans fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease among women. Lancet. 1993 Mar;341(8845):581-5. PMID: 8094827
  10. Laugerette F, et al. Oil composition of high-fat diet affects metabolic inflammation differently in connection with endotoxin receptors in mice. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Nov;302:374-386. DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00314.2011
  11. Ghosh S, Novak EN, and Innis SM. Cardiac proinflammatory pathways are altered with different dietary n-6 linoleic to n-3 α-linolenic acid ratios in normal, fat-fed pigs. American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. 2007 Nov;293(5):2919-2927. DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00324.2007
  12. Ratnayake S, and Lewandowski P. Rapid bioassay-guided screening of toxic substances in vegetable oils that shorten the life of SHRSP rats. Lipids Health Dis. 2010 Feb;9:13. DOI: 10.1186/1476-511X-9-13
  13. Jaarin, K, et al. The effects of heated vegetable oils on blood pressure in rats. Clinics. 2011 Dec; 66(12), 2125–2132. PMCID: 3226610
  14. Roszko, M, et al. PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs and Pesticides in Cold-Pressed Vegetable Oils. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society. 2012 Mar;89(3), 389–400. DOI: 10.1007/s11746-011-1926-5
  15. Salimon J,et al.Synthesis, reactivity and application studies for different biolubricants. Chemistry Central Journal. 2014 Mar;8: 16. PMCID: 3995787
  16. Shao J, et al. The Role of Mitochondrial and Oxidative Injury in BDE 47 Toxicity to Human Fetal Liver Hematoietic Stem Cells. Toxicological Sciences. 2007 Oct;101(1):81-90. DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfm256
  17. Baylin A, et al. Adipose tissue biomarkers of fatty acid intake. Am J Clinc Nutr. 2002 Oct; 76(4):750-7. PMID: 12324287
  18. Kabagambe EK, et al. The Type of Oil Used for Cooking Is Associated with the Risk of Nonfatal Acute Myocardial Infarction in Costa Rica. J Nutr. 2005 Nov;135(11):2674-2679. PMID: 16251629
  19. Cleveland Clinic Heart-Healthy cooking: Oils 101 Link Here
  20. The Weston A. Price Foundation: The Great Con-ola Link Here
  21. “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” Ingredients Link Here
Additional Sources Include:

Healthiest Cooking Oil Chart with Smoke Points – Baseline of Health Foundation

New Alzheimer’s Drugs Continue to Fail Where Coconut Oil Shines – Health Impact News



What Do Natural, Organic, and Non-GMO Actually Mean?

Food package labels don’t always mean what we think they mean. What is natural or all natural? Is organic 100% organic? What about GMO-free?

The All Natural and Natural Label

The terms “all natural” and “natural” are misleading. A Consumer Reports survey found that the average consumer thinks these terms mean the food does not have artificial ingredients, GMOs, or pesticides, and that artificial materials weren’t used during the processing of the food. Currently, the terms “all natural” and “natural” are not regulated in the United States except for rarely enforced rules within the meat and poultry industries.

To be labeled natural, meat and poultry is supposed to be minimally processed and not have any artificial ingredients; however, the term artificial is not clearly defined and the regulations are not well enforced by the USDA.

Outside of meat and poultry, there are no formal regulations for the use of the terms “all natural” and “natural”. The FDA does have informal guidelines. Products labeled as natural should not contain anything artificial or synthetic, but again, there is no definition of what qualifies as artificial or synthetic. This means that just about anything goes, when it comes to “all natural.” The question to ask is not, “What does all natural mean? ” but rather, “What doesn’t all natural mean?”

Is “Organic” Food Really Organic?

When you think of “organic”, many people think it means 100% organic, pesticide free, all natural, and better than conventional. This is not correct. Organic today means a number of different things, depending on the situation, and many, if not most, items that carry the USDA Organic seal are not 100% organic.

Over the years, big agricultural and food companies have slowly degraded the term organic. By buying up smaller organic companies and lobbying the USDA, they have managed to chip away at the definition of organic foods. As the Cornucopia Institute pointed out, “In 1995 there were 81 independent organic processing companies in the United States. A decade later, Big Food has gobbled up all but 15 of them.”

Buyouts and mergers of food companies usually do not result in a label change. Conscientious consumers who want to avoid supporting big food companies end up giving their money to them anyway, unless they do some serious research to find out who owns the company. Just looking at the labels on the boxes is not enough.

Origins of the Organic Label

In 1990, Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act. This law regulated the organic food industry and established standards for what could be considered organic. One positive of the act was the establishment of the National Organic Standards Board. This board was to have fifteen members elected from different parts of the organic foods industry including four organic farmers or growers, three environmentalists or conservationists, three consumer or public interest advocates, two handlers or processors, one retailer, one scientist from a related field (toxicology, ecology, or biochemistry), and one USDA accredited certifying agent. The make-up of the board was supposed to help avoid governmental bureaucratic appointees.

Organic Labeling With Packaged Foods

Packaged foods that carry the USDA Organic seal are certified by the USDA to have at least 95% organic ingredients in them. Any ingredient listed specifically as organic is certified organic. Another category of organic is “made with organic ingredients.” Any packaged food that lists “made with organic” for specific ingredients must have at least 70% organic ingredients. No genetically modified ingredients are allowed in these products or ones with the USDA organic seal. Organic ingredients are to be made without synthetic fertilizers, ionizing radiation, or sewage sludge. The goal for organic production is to use the most natural, environmentally friendly methods as possible. This is not always done in practice.

What Does Organic Mean These Days?

Organic does not mean pesticide free or chemical free. To be certified organic, a farmer must allow a previously non-organic field to be used without synthetic chemicals, pesticides, or GMOs for at least three years. Naturally based pesticides are used regularly. (A list of exempted chemicals is available on the USDA website). Though the USDA claims that these chemicals do not affect or alter the foods we eat, the fact remains that they are in many of our organic foods without our knowledge.

The list of approved pesticides and chemicals has grown over the years. With recent changes at the National Organic Standards Board, it is getting easier and easier for growers and producers to use more chemicals and pesticides in the production of organic foods. For example, Driscoll’s organic strawberries are not really organically produced.

Methyl bromide has been banned from agricultural use, with a few exceptions, due to its association with a rise in prostate cancer in farm workers. Yet, it is one of many chemicals approved for use in organic production by the National Organic Standards Board.

Since strawberries are extremely vulnerable to pests, methyl bromide is used as a soil fumigant to sterilize the soil before they are planted. While technically it’s not sprayed directly on the fruit, it can still be detected in the strawberries that are grown in the sterilized soil.

What Chemicals Are Allowed In USDA Organic Certification

Currently, the USDA has the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances that lays out which chemicals, pesticides, and other synthetic materials are or are not allowed in organic farming and production. In order for a company or farmer to use a synthetic ingredient in the production of organic foods, they have to petition the National Organic Standards Board for an exemption under what is called the Sunset Provision. This exemption would automatically run out after five years unless renewed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board. This has changed. The rules now state that the exemptions are automatically renewed after five years unless there is a vote to remove the exemption.

These exemptions were initially granted to give an organic food producer time to find a natural alternative to conventional synthetic methods. They were never meant to become a permanent solution. Ever since big food companies have been quietly buying up the smaller organic companies, they have been trying to relax the standards for organics as well. This latest turn of events with the exemption process is another step towards making the organic standards meaningless.

The National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances is rather extensive and covers synthetic and non-synthetic materials. Some of these materials have restricted uses that are intended to keep them from contaminating crops though this doesn’t always work in practice. For example, a USDA survey of pesticide use found that 20% of organically grown lettuce had pesticide residue on it.

A major type of pesticide found was spinosad, a pesticide sold by Dow Chemicals. This pesticide comes from a bacteria found in soil. Spinosad, along with pyrethin (which comes from chrysanthemums) and azadirachtin (which comes from the Asian neem tree) are classified as slightly toxic by the EPA. These ingredients are allowed because they come from natural sources. Other restricted ingredients are limited to cleaning irrigation systems or equipment. Acceptable synthetic chemicals for use in the production of organic foods are listed below:

  • Alcohols
  • Ethanol
  • Isopropanol
  • Calcium hypochlorite
  • Chlorine dioxide
  • Sodium hypochlorite
  • Copper sulfate
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Ozone gas
  • Peracetic acid
  • Soap-based algicide/demossers
  • Sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate
  • Newspapers or other recycled papers, without glossy or colored inks
  • Plastic mulch and covers (petroleum-based other than polyvinyl (PVC))
  • Biodegradable biobased mulch film
  • Ammonium carbonate
  • Aqueous potassium silicate
  • Boric acid
  • Copper sulfate
  • Elemental Sulfur
  • Lime sulfure- including calcium polysulfide
  • Oils, horticultural-narrow range oils as dormant, suffocating, and summer oils
  • Soaps, insecticidal
  • Sticky traps/barriers
  • Sucrose octanoate esters
  • Aqueous potassium silicate
  • Coppers, fixed – includes copper hydroxide, copper oxide, copper oxychloride
  • Hydrated lime
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Lime sulfur
  • Hydrated lime
  • Lime sulfur
  • Peracetic acid
  • Potassium bicarbonate
  • Streptomycin, for fire blight control in apples and pears only until October 21, 2014
  • Tetracycline, for fire blight control in apples and pears only until October 21, 2014
  • Aquatic plant extracts
  • Humic acids
  • Lignin sulfonate
  • Magnesium sulfate
  • Micronutrients, excepting those made from nitrates or chlorides
  • Soluble boron products
  • Sulfates, carbonates, oxides, or silicates of zinc, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, and cobalt
  • Liquid fish products- can be pH adjusted with sulfuric, citric or phosphoric acid
  • Vitamins B­1, C, and E
  • Sulfurous acid
  • Ethylene gas
  • Lignin sulfonate
  • Sodium silicate
  • Inerts of Minimal Concern from EPA List 4
  • Inerts of unknown toxicity- from EPA List 3
  • Hydrogen chloride

Do Companies Try To Get Away With Stuff?

As the organic industry slowly shrinks, the main players try to get away with more and more. Companies are petitioning to add more synthetic chemicals to the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances every year. Since the format of getting chemicals on the list has changed, it’s harder to get rid of them once they’re approved. Slowly but surely, companies are doing whatever they can to cut corners and get away with whatever they can in pursuit of profits.

A major lawsuit was filed in New York earlier this year against Abbott Laboratories. The recent lawsuit against the manufacturer of Similac Advanced Organic Formula accuses the company of using 26 ingredients in their baby formula, including GM ingredients, that are not allowed in organic foods.

Labels for the Cosmetic Industry

The organic and natural cosmetics industry is not regulated under the USDA Organic Program. As a result, there exists very little regulation and oversight. Some voluntary certification programs have been created, but these are not compulsory. The problem with these voluntary certifications is that the standards vary with each and they’re not regulated by the government like the USDA organic program. Some states, such as California, have implemented laws regulating the organic cosmetic industry.

Under the 2003 California Organic Product Act, any cosmetic sold in California that is promoted as organic must contain at least 70% organically produced ingredients. Consumers have the right to sue cosmetic companies under this Act. As of 2011, 34 cosmetic companies had been sued for false advertising.

Other Organic, Natural, Non GMO Labels

Because of the costs and burdens that are part of the process of pursuing official USDA organic certification, many farmers pursue other options. Alternative certifications are growing in popularity, especially among smaller farmers. Some of the more popular ones include the following:

  • Certified Naturally Grown
  • Food Alliance Certified
  • The Farmer’s Pledge
  • Certified Humane
  • Animal Welfare Approved
  • OWN Association- Organic, Wildcrafted, and Natural
  • Ecocert
  • Natrue

Certified Naturally Grown, Food Alliance Certified, and Farmer’s Pledge are grass-roots organizations that are direct alternatives to the USDA organic certification yet show that their products are free of pesticides and synthetic materials.

Nearly 500 farmers from 47 states are members of Certified Naturally Grown, a non-profit, alternative, organic certification program. This group strives to preserve high standards for organic farmers while removing the financial and logistical barriers small farmers can face with USDA certification.

Wildcrafted

Wildcrafted plants are uncultivated plants gathered from their natural habitat. Care is taken to ensure sustainability, to take no more than the plant can give, to scatter a plant’s seeds, etc. Wildcrafted is superior to organic if picked where there is no runoff from polluted water or contamination from exhaust. Unlike organic produce, wildcrafted produce is never sprayed—with anything. Wildcrafted foods are pure—as nature intended.

Kosher

Kosher is a certification that ensures foods follow Jewish dietary guidelines. Though opinions may vary among rabbis about what counts as kosher or a kosher environment, a handful of nationally and internationally recognized kosher certifying agencies exist.

Generally, kosher means that both the food and the preparation methods meet certain standards. Kosher certification has nothing to do with whether or not a food is organically grown or is genetically modified. Simply put, kosher certification means the food and its preparation methods followed Jewish dietary laws and nothing more.

Non- GMO

The Non-GMO Project is a program to label products that do not contain genetically modified ingredients. They are the only independent verification organization in North America and their symbol has become well known to those people who choose to avoid GMOs.

The Non-GMO Project uses the European Union measurement to determine if a product qualifies as non-GMO under program standards. If a product is found to contain 0.9% or less of genetically modified ingredients, then it is certified as non-GMO.

Conclusion

The various labels, while giving consumers some amount of assurance as to the quality of the product they purchase, are confusing. The only way to truly know the quality of the food you consume is to get to know your food growers at local farmers markets, or better yet, to grow your own food.

Sources: