Naturopathic Source

Although I am a believer in only concerning yourself with the things you are able to do something about, I also think it is important to be aware (not worried about, but aware) of the things you are not able to do anything about....I personally think that being aware of what we can not change gives us greater perspective on what we can change and why it is so important to change the things we can.

I have often said to patients that we have, in many ways, messed up both our water and food supply, so just do the best you can and don't worry about the rest.

A recent study (Gupta et al, Sulfamethazine Uptake by Plants from Manure-Amended Soil, J Environ Qual 36:1224-1230, 2007) has shown that plants are able to uptake antibiotics from the manure used to fertilize the soil. The antibiotics were in the manure in the first place because the animals were fed antibiotics during farming. A small quantity of antibiotics ended up in the manure, the manure was used to fertilize the soil and as the crops absorbed nutrients from the soil, they also absorbed a portion of the antibiotics. The plants tested were corn, potatoes and lettuce.

The implications of this are not known, but speculation included allergic reactions in sensitive people and the furthering of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Unfortunately, organic foods are not immune to this because they are often fertilized with manure because synthetic fertilizers are not allowed on organic foods. There is, so far, no regulatios concerning the manure used to fertillize however ie. nothing to keep organic farmers from using manure with antibiotics.

So why am I writing this?  Not so you can be worried about this or stress about it. But I think it is important for us to realize just how many chemicals and toxins come into our bodies on a daily basis. It is important to realize that we need to take care of our body in whatever way we can and this includes simple things like drinking enough water, getting enough sleep and not choosing foods that are unhealthy and laden with synthetic chemicals. By this I do not mean the above mentioned vegetables, but I am talking about things such as fast food and other junk foods filled with artificial flavours and colours. Treats are good sometimes, but not all the time. We need to make the healthiest choices available to us whenever we can, because there are so many unhealthy factors that we can't do anything about.

TC

tinachristie.com