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07/12/2009: "The food chain link to ill health is not in your "5 a day""
everday we are bombarded with the latest report into [insert a reason for ill health in the public here] one consistant thing thats always missing is the food chain.
various reasons given for ill health are not getting 5 a day or a protein has been found which may cause... or that people are eating the wrong food... all of these are completely missing the point.
popular opinion is that not enough people exercise and/or eat their 5 a day - i believe this is clutching at straws, i am of the belief that there is a growing argument that shows the vital link in the nation's failing health, being as a direct result of what is being put into our food chain.
example 1:
a 70 year old man, who has never smoked, drinks only occasionally in moderation, walks everywhere (cannot drive) works out on his allotment at least 3 times a week, working to a sweat, suddenly keeling over because he has furred up arteries to his heart, to such an extent that all 4 serving the heart collapse and open heart surgery is required.
additional - he doesnt eat macdonalds, or processed ready meals, he buys vegetables and meat from his local supermarket, when he cannot grow it on his allotment and eat that.
eats plenty of fish, has no allergies, and leads an overall active and healthy lifestyle. his weight is comparable to his height so obesity doesn't come into the equasion and his blood sugars are normal so there is no diabetes.
the question is obvious, how has all his arteries "furred up"?
example 2:
always active playing sports at school and in personal time, a 12 year old girl who has always been a keen sports player, always running everywhere, very active with no illness.
at the age of 12, whilst continuing her sports and active lifestyle, starts to put on weight and becomes over weight despite all her activities.
there is no historical over weight problem in two generations of her family, she eats well, and remains very active, more so than the average child. she does not sit in front of computer games for hours each day, walks everywhere, to and from school etc.
the question again is obvious, if she leads a lifestyle that is considered by the official bodies as healthy, why is she now over weight?
those that tell us they know, those that do studies and lab testing, etc, tell us this protein causes this and these chemicals do that, are completely missing the point.
an apple - eaten in the 50s, 60s and 70s (even the 80s to some degree) contains different chemicals and additives than an apple we eat today!
everytime i see someones trolley at a supermarket, that contains all their families fruit and veg for a week, bundled up in plastic packaging, i feel like shaking them personally and pointing out that, yes you might be viewing this as essential 5 day shopping, but what is contained in today's fruit and veg, is very different from what is traditionally fruit and veg as we used to eat!
the common apple is just one example of thousands in our food chain, as business looks to find longer shelf life, bigger fruit, looking more appealing to the shopper, all for less cost
questions are many, yet official bodies are not looking at any of these:
- food standards in the UK are rigorous, why are supermarkets buying produce from countries that dont have the same or better regulations?
- why is it cheaper to put an apple on their shelf from china, than it is from say an orchard in bristol?
- what is being added to apples to make them look attractive, more than 3 weeks after they are picked from a tree?
- what allows them to be stored for weeks, when an apple picked from a tree in my garden only lasts about a week before it starts to become inedible?
- why does much of a supermarket/imported fruit and veg rarely form a root?
so what is known?
gas waxing - all kinds of "fresh" produce is sprayed with a wax chemical, which preserves the appearance making it look good to the consumer, for a longer period of time - this is despite scientific evidence that bruised fruit and veg can be dangerous to vunerable people and carry diseases affecting the person eating the produce, of which gas waxing can hide and is used to prevent.
natural wax protection produced in the growing process is washed off after picking, and various chemical versions are used to replace these raising obvious (to us consumers) health issues:
* petroleum-derived paraffin based waxes (the same subtance used for making candles) which is a major earth pollutant and contributes to co2 emmissions around the world
* the trapping of pesticides used in the growing process, between the wax applied and the skin of the produce that we buy
* persistant organic pollutants (POPs) - POP exposure has been associated with immune system suppression, nervous and hormonal system disorders, reproductive system damage, and various cancers, including breast cancer. (in studies carried out all over the world)
* various chemicals are used to preserve shelf life and appearance in these waxes - such as food-grade vegetable, petroleum, beeswax, or shellac based wax or resins
ethylene gas - many fruit and vegetables produce ethylene gas, naturally when they ripen.
producers pick the fruit and vegetables before they ripen, to preserve shelf life, then expose the produce (that we eat) to ethylene gas artificially, to induce ripening.
just have a read about ethylene gas here (scroll down to the bottom for effects on humans!
is it any wonder why we have so much pollution???
conclusions....
it is not the amount of fruit and vegetables or other food stuffs that we consume that is causing the problems for the nations health, it is the chemicals, additives and what is being put into the food chain thats doing the damage to all of us.
think about this:
in the example of fruit and vegetables, all over the world it is required BY LAW for supermarkets to label their produce clearly, showing what type of gas waxes have been applied to prolong the life of the product.... yet for the people of the UK, this basic law is not required.... why not?
