Eating cleaner enhances our health

Your most controversial columnist? No, but in his Jan. 21 column, “Benefits of organic foods unproven,” Dr. K stepped on his keyboard. For Komaroff to parrot the industry line published by the USDA is a disservice to his readers and erodes his credibility.

Hundreds of studies have shown the persistent damage caused from endocrine disruptors, found in many nonorganic foods These compounds, like DDT, continue to wreak havoc on natural systems, including ours, for decades after being banned, largely by being bio-accumulators. So, the “safe” level of use on our crops accumulates in the fat of our fish and farm animals, which we eat, leading to tumors, birth defects, cancers, nondeveloping sex organs and diabetes.

Ammonium nitrate came to agriculture at the end of WWII as munitions plants needed a new market. Still used as an industrial explosive, it is also a synthetic fertilizer that can lead to birth defects, hypertension and damage to blood and gastrointestinal systems.

The prophylactic use of antibiotics in our feed stocks, used to keep animals from dying from the synthetic food they eat in factory farms, has birthed a new family of “superbugs.” Resistant to any antibiotics, they maim and occasionally kill people.

It is abundantly clear that eating cleaner enhances our health, extends our lives and helps our planet. Buy organic food and use nontoxic cleaners and care products always.

This story was originally published February 13, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Eating cleaner enhances our health."