By: Barbara Hodal, DC
Organic products are sweeping the nation, and we're not just talking food.
Hardly alone in making this lifestyle change, I notice more people have
gotten used to the organic food movement, seeing how it makes sense to watch
what we put in our bodies, but what about on them? Allowing only the most
natural of fibers to surround us is a conscious decision rapidly becoming
the norm for many families.
It's not only about the health of it, it's also the comfort factor. Think
about it, close your eyes and feel it, to be wrapped in soft, silky organic
cottons. Being compromised and weakened by chemicals used in growing and
processing, conventional can not match the quality, softness or benefits of
organic.
Organic means growing fibers "naturally" in fields without synthetic
chemicals, for at least three years. Third-party certification
organizations verify that organic producers use only methods and materials
allowed in organic production.
Knowing our skin is the largest organ of our body, providing a huge
absorption area, we may want to take another look at alternatives to
conventional. Toxins used to grow, process and dye fabric are absorbed
through the skin, breathed in and in the case of little ones, ingested when
a baby chews on their clothing. Something to think about considering we
sleep about eight hours a day in chemically laden sheets.
Astonishing statistics on the detrimental health effects of chemicals,
especially where children are concerned, are cropping up everywhere. When
your realize that conventional cotton uses approximately 25% of the world's
insecticides and more than 10% of the pesticides (including herbicides,
insecticides, and defoliants.), you may start to pay attention.
The USDA reports that eighty-four million pounds of pesticides were sprayed
on the 14.4 million acres of conventional cotton grown in the U.S. in 2000
(5.85 pounds/ acre), ranking cotton second behind corn in total amount of
pesticides sprayed. Synthetic fertilizers applied to conventional cotton the
same year, were over 2.03 billion pounds (142 pounds/acre), making cotton
the fourth most heavily fertilized crop behind corn, winter wheat, and
soybeans. It takes roughly one-third of a pound of chemicals (pesticides and
fertilizers) to grow enough cotton for just one T-shirt!
To bring it all home, the Environmental Protection Agency considers seven of
the top 15 pesticides used on cotton in 2000 in the United States
as "possible," "likely," "probable," or "known" human carcinogens (acephate,
dichloropropene, diuron, fluometuron, pendimethalin, tribufos, and
trifluralin). So much for cotton being the fabric of our lives.
Before you invest your time and money in choosing the clothing and bedding
to surround yourself and your children, consider organic. Although, organic
clothes and bedding used to cost twice as much as conventional, over the
past few years that has come down to about 25 percent. Since going organic
is gaining in popularity, product sales continue to grow to the tune of
about 40 percent per year. This means the relative cost will continue to
decrease, a huge consumer benefit.
A win - win situation arises as we choose to support the organic farmer and
the industry as a whole. You don't need to jump in with both feet. Just by
making the choice to start introducing organic to your family will, in the
long run, give us better health, a less contaminated Earth and more
affordable products.
About The Author
Dr. Barbara Hodal is a chiropractor and owner of Crystal Baby Organics, an
on line baby store offering organic cotton and wool clothing, bedding and
gifts. Visit www.crystalbabyorganics.com
