Q&A 2:
Why Are Organic Foods Important to Healthy
Weight Loss?
As you know, I am a big proponent of organically grown foods. I be-
lieve that they remain your best bet for avoiding food contaminants
and optimizing your nutrient intake. But what about weight loss?
Are organically grown foods better not only for nourishment, but
also for losing or managing weight? While there are no research
studies comparing weight loss on an organic food diet versus weight
loss while consuming non-organic food, there are bits and pieces of
evidence in two areas that have convinced me that it is important to
pay increased attention to the benefits of organics when you want to
lose weight healthfully.
The first area of evidence involves food contaminants. During periods
when we are trying to lose weight, some health risks that would
ordinarily not be bothersome can end up posing a significant risk.
Toxicity risk from environmental pollutants and food contaminants
falls into this category. Research studies have shown that levels of
toxins in our bloodstream and tissues can increase during periods of
weight loss. In addition, normal metabolic patterns used to detoxify
pollutants can become challenged during these periods of time.
The strict rules that apply to production of organic foods dramatically
reduce levels of food pollutants, including pesticides, solvents, and
heavy metals. These substances can be especially risky when we are
following a weight loss diet. During weight loss, we borrow more
heavily upon our body stores of nutrients. We use fat in our fat cells
for energy—that’s one of the primary ways we lose weight (and
body fat). But we may also move more minerals in and out of our
bones, or more amino acids in and out of our muscles. Even though
our body may be getting smaller in dimension and weight during
weight loss, the load upon our metabolism can increase greatly. If
we’ve stored up any heavy metals (like lead) in our bones, or fat-
Healthy Weight Loss Q & As