Organic food is no healthier, study finds

[Yojimbo]

yeah, at that store i worked at, they had "organic laundry soap", which cost about twice as much as normal stuff, only in a much smaller bottle, so actually, it was almost 4x the price...and stupid shits buy this stuff to feel good about themselves. WTF is "organic laundry soap"? Dehyrated cat urine? Here in Los Angeles we have "waterias" which is spanglish for "water market" which are meant for that niche market of folks who grew up over the border in Mexico where the municipal tap water is not potable so folks get their purified water from vendors like this. Of course, here in Los Angeles, our municipal water is potable and is tested and retested so that it meets stringent safety guidelines (unlike the water sold in bottles which are not held to any guideline.) I pointed out to a "green" obsessed friend who liked to purchase water at the "wateria" that in fact the water purchased at those shops here in Los Angeles is actually municipal tap water filtered to remove the chlorine (which, BTW, is put there for the safety of the consumer) and that bottled water, with some execeptions, is also the same. The friend insisted that the water from bottles and the "waterias" is more healthful all the same. Now I can grasp wanting to remove chlorine at the last minute before drinking water, though it is harmless, but what I don't understand is the ignorance behind the idea that a particular product is safer just because it is more costly or says that it is safer on the label. People are just too stupid for their own good.

[slickwilly13]

I am watching Penn and Teller: Bullshit. The subject is organic food. They will set me straight. *S*

[krakenslayer]

Just like bottled water being viewed as a healthier alternative to municipal tap water. There are a lot of folks that buy into this crap without thinking about it, and continue to do so even in the face of evidence to the contrary. I once dated a hardcore "vegan" but it was obivious to me that our differences in opinion were irreconcilable when she insisted that humans were not meant to eat meat. She also insisted that organic produce was not only more nurtitious and healthful but morally superior to non-organic produce (???). Likewise, she felt that eating meat, and commercial farming was immoral. We really had our last date when I pointed out to here that the majority of the producers of organic produce were, in fact, large commercial conglomerates, and that organic farms do not produce the same amount of food (hence the higher price to make up for the loss in potential revenue) which I felt was decidenly immoral in a world where people die from starvation every day, and that humans are omnivourous and therefore are meant to eat meat in addition to non meat edibles. I think I ordered a rare ribeye steak that evening much to her horror and enjoyed it tremendously in front of her which made her even more angry. I would like to say that I refused to sleep with her too, but it would be a lie since she despised me so much at that point that getting lucky that evening was simply not an option. Playing devil's advocate here, but in defence of your date: it takes many, many, many times the amount of food (beans, grains, etc.) to raise a cow than is produced by slaughtering it. I'm not saying we should all go veggie but, based on your (perfectly agreeable) logic, if we did eat less meat in the western world, we could feed a lot more mouths. In a lot of ways, meat is the ultimate luxury consumer product, when you consider the huge amount of meat produced, almost none of it is consumed in countries where there is high poverty is a problem - in these countries almost everyone is virtually vegetarian by necessity. Also the fact that a lot of good crop-growing land (and rainforest) is being taken over to supply the meat industry in parts of south America, it kind of brings it home. I'm not a veggie by the way, but the economics and environmental factors of the meat industry are something I've read up on a lot.

[EvilNed]

While I like to practice a bit of moderation in pretty much everything I do, I slap myself silly for not being able to eat less meat. I just like it too much.

[DeadJonas190]

WTF is "organic laundry soap"? Dehyrated cat urine? Here in Los Angeles we have "waterias" which is spanglish for "water market" which are meant for that niche market of folks who grew up over the border in Mexico where the municipal tap water is not potable so folks get their purified water from vendors like this. Of course, here in Los Angeles, our municipal water is potable and is tested and retested so that it meets stringent safety guidelines (unlike the water sold in bottles which are not held to any guideline.) I pointed out to a "green" obsessed friend who liked to purchase water at the "wateria" that in fact the water purchased at those shops here in Los Angeles is actually municipal tap water filtered to remove the chlorine (which, BTW, is put there for the safety of the consumer) and that bottled water, with some execeptions, is also the same. The friend insisted that the water from bottles and the "waterias" is more healthful all the same. Now I can grasp wanting to remove chlorine at the last minute before drinking water, though it is harmless, but what I don't understand is the ignorance behind the idea that a particular product is safer just because it is more costly or says that it is safer on the label. People are just too stupid for their own good. And that is why I use my Brita water filter. It's like $10 every 3 months for a new filter and I get so many gallons of delicious water from it. I do notice a taste difference between the tap water and the filtered water, but I do live in an old house so it's definitely the pipes that makes the difference. I honestly see no point in buying bottled water when I can make it at home for much cheaper, but every once in a while I'll grab one when I'm out. As far as buying organic... that's why I have a garden out back. Grow your own veggies and save a ton.

[EvilNed]

Just so you guys know, Bottled Water is made from "Water from a Municipal Source". Translated: Tap water.

[blind2d]

Yep. Therefore it's no cleaner or tastier than water from your kitchen sink. Why buy plastic in a funny shape? Convenience. People are some of the laziest things... no, THE laziest things around. I blame McDonald's.

[DubiousComforts]

Just so you guys know, Bottled Water is made from "Water from a Municipal Source". Translated: Tap water. Right, which is why you buy distilled water. Of course, then you'll have to listen to some other genius claiming that drinking "distilled water can kill you." (Yes, that is a real claim.) Btw, last time I checked, chlorine was a poison, and there was plenty of documentation showing the ill-health effects of drinking chlorinated water including greatly increased chance of bladder, rectal and colon cancers. One that indulges in the typical American diet needs no help in this area. Explain to me again why just because one group of dummies jumps on the pretty-labeled bottle water bandwagon that it then becomes A-OK to stop thinking for oneself and maintain the equally-ridiculous status quo?