Group items tagged

Questions our assumption that there's a healthy or natural diet that humanity needs to return to. Another example of where we may be creating false divides between nature and culture.

The theme of our symposium seemed to be: eat regionally, not locally. This article reiterates that with a particular focus on urban agriculture. What seems like a uber-progressive change, may not be the best for farmers and land use, and (this article claims) it wouldnt even work, regardless.

The chemical DDT was banned in the 1970's, therefore there is no way it is still effecting plants and animals today, right? Well this NY Times article on California condors, a species battling against extinction, discusses a possible link between thing-shelled condor eggs and DDT. Condor's diets often include sea-creatures, such as California sea lions, which have high levels of DDT in their blubber. Could eating sea lions cause condor eggs to be abnormally thin?

This is an example of the kind of food advice I feel good about listening to. These guys have taken the time to look at the big picture, crunch the numbers, and take more into account than their initial assumptions. It's just a preliminary study for the New York area, but it's a good example of the kind of research we need for informed decision making.

This article discusses the possibility that food additives and chemicals have played a leading role in the increase of ADHD in children ages four to 17 in the United States. It cites several studies that indicate diet in a large role of ADHD development. "One study found that the depletion of zinc and copper in children was more prevalent in children with ADHD. Another study found that one particular dye acts as a 'central excitatory agent able to induce hyperkinetic behavior.'"