30/7/09
Comparisons of Nutrient Content and Health Effects of Organic foods to conventionally produced foods*
UK Food Standards Agency Studies
Media Release - Jaine Kirtley PR -- NEW ZEALAND SOCIETY OF NATUROPATHS
The New Zealand Society of Naturopaths disputes the conclusions of the recent studies commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency into the Comparisons of Nutrient Content and Health Effects of Organic foods to conventionally produced foods. The conclusions of Food Standards Agency studies are that there are no differences between organically produced foods and conventionally produced foods in terms of beneficial nutrients and health.
The NZ Society of Naturopaths believes the FSA findings are likely to be incorrect.
The NZSN points out that the heath findings were based on only 11 studies, which the FSA authors acknowledge had a very small number of participants. The authors of the studies admitted that “conclusions relate to the evidence base currently available, which contains limitations in the design and in the comparability of studies” .
Neither FSA commissioned studies considered the levels of or effects on health of contaminants such as herbicide, pesticide and fungicide residues. The Naturopathic view is that the presence of such contaminants can have a detrimental effect on health.
The study admitted that some nutrients were found to be higher in organic produce such as magnesium, zinc and flavonoids. But the study stated that these had not been proven shown to have a positive effect on health and were unlikely to be low in a normal diet. However, many studies link low levels of these nutrients to poor health including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Some studies in the FSA research were not included including an important large study in Europe “QualityLowInputFood (QLIF)” which involved over 100 scientific papers. The QLIF study found levels of a range of nutritionally desirable compounds were shown to be higher in organic crops and levels of nutritionally undesirable compounds were shown to be lower in organic crops.
The FSA commissioned studies failed to highlight their findings that organic food contained higher quantities of many nutrients, for example
- Protein 12.7%
- Beta-carotene 53.6%
- Flavonoids 38.4%
- Copper 8.3%
- Magnesium 7.1%
- Phosphorous 6%
- Potassium 2.5%
- Sodium 8.7%
- Sulphur 10.5%
- Zinc 11.3%
- Phenolic compounds 13.2%
-Fatty acids, such as CLA and omega 3 were between 10 - 60% higher in organic milk and dairy products,
-Vitamin C were up to 90% higher in leafy vegetables and fruits.
-Polyunsaturated fatty acids in organic meat and dairy products (between 2.1% - 27.8% higher)
links:
http://www.naturopath.org.nz/about.html
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2009/jul/organic
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/organicreviewappendices.pdf
http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/organicreviewreport.pdf
http://www.qlif.org
Society of Naturopaths Comment on Health Targets
Friday, 8 May 2009, 4:25 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Society of Naturopaths
Media release from the New Zealand Society of Naturopaths
Re. Fewer more focussed targets
Health Minister Tony Ryall today announced a slimmed down set of Health Targets.
The new set of targets are : Shorter stays in emergency departments, Improved access to elective surgery, shorter waits for cancer treatment, Increased immunisation, Better help for smokers to quit, Better diabetes and cardiovascular services.
However the New Zealand Society of Naturopaths is very disappointed that the targets for improving nutrition , and increasing physical activity and reducing obesity have been dropped.
Naturopaths believe that nutrition and physical activity are important foundations for health, and are important in both prevention of and treatment of all illness.
The NZSN believes that to decrease diabetes and cardiovascular disease it is imperative to focus on better nutrition and greater physical activity.
ENDS
Traffic-light food labelling
Consumer
1-May-2009
We're calling for a mandatory and consistent food labelling system to show nutrition information at a glance.
Every time a consumer goes to the supermarket they are faced with thousands of products of varying nutritional quality. They don't have time to read the nutrition information on all products. What they need is nutrition information at-a-glance.
Read More.......
UK: Fast-food shop near school shut down
BBC News
Fight Obesity
A London council has shut down a new fast-food outlet because it was too close to a school. It is the first local authority in Britain to take such action. The outlet did not have planning permission - and would not get it.
A council officer told the BBC that “a lot of fast food outlets do their business with schoolchildren, in competition with the healthy schools agenda.
Read More......
NZ cautious as swine flu threat fades
9:55AM Monday May 04, 2009
Isaac Davison with NZPA
Nine days after swine flu was detected in New Zealand, the Ministry of Health believes the public are not at great risk of being infected, but it is remaining cautious.
Read More........
Politics, Profits & Pandemic Fear Mongering
Friday, May 01, 2009
from Vaccine Awakening by (Barbara Loe Fisher)
Are you grabbing your face mask, stocking up on food and Tamiflu, locking your doors and keeping your TV tuned to the news to find out just how bad the "swine flu pandemic" really is going to get?
While Americans are being scared to death, few are noticing how much of their tax money politicians are giving to drug companies and government health officials to grease the skids to create more experimental flu vaccines and drugs and more effective ways to quarantine or force their mass use whenever a "public health emergency" is declared in the future.
Read More .....
Schools ditch cervical cancer Immunisation
7:34AM Monday May 04, 2009
Source: ONE News
The Ministry of Health says dozens of schools have opted out of the cervical cancer immunisation programme.
Read More......
Report: Health food stores harmful advice
Published: 3:40AM Friday April 24, 2009
Source: NZPA
Health food store staff need formal training to ensure people with serious medical complaints are not given substandard advice, an article in the NZ Medical Journal argues
Read More........
TVNZ NEWS HEALTH REPORT
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