Health Hotline Magazine | July 2020

ORGANIC HEADQUARTERS SM CHERRIES FOR THE LOVE OF ORGANICS: By Charity Isely Sweet cherries—nothing says summer has arrived quite so persuasively! You lift one to your lips, your mouth watering for that divine flavor. It’s a moment when nature’s whims have aligned to deliver an unforgettable piece of fruit. In a word, it’s indulgent.

A LUXURY YOU DESERVE A heaping bowlful of cherries is an indulgence you owe yourself this summer! 2020 has been jam-packed with extra stressors, which leaves us more susceptible to oxidative stress and inflammation. Psychological and emotional stress cause oxidative stress because they trigger the production of hormones that generate free radicals that cause oxidative damage and inflammation. Furthermore, when we produce free radicals but don’t have sufficient antioxidants to keep them in check, they can damage healthy cells—and cellular damage is the first step in the development of poor health and multiple diseases. i ii iii That’s when we need to call on free-radical scavengers like the flavonoids found in cherries! These hard- working compounds also help to support a healthy inflammatory response—studies have shown cherries to significantly decrease markers of both oxidative stress and inflammation. iv v So go ahead and indulge! Life has been no proverbial “bowl of cherries” this year, but treating yourself and your family to a bowlful is one delicious way to make summer memories that are rooted in health. DON’T INDULGE IN A BOWLFUL OF PESTICIDE RESIDUE Cherries rank number eight on the 2020 Dirty Dozen list of fresh produce with the most pesticide residue, compiled by the Environmental Working Group; plus, they share THIS unappetizing statistic with several other fruits and veggies on the list: More than 90 percent of the samples tested positive for residues of two or more pesticides, and that’s after rinsing. vi You have enough stressors on your plate this season, why add unnecessary pesticide burden to the pile? Pamper yourself with organic. SAY NO TO HONEYBEE TOXINS! Remember the fascination of watching a buzzing bee in flight when you were a kid? What you probably didn’t know then was how vital these curious creatures are to our food supply, and cherries are a prime example. Without pollinators, the luxury of

sweet summer cherries ceases to exist. In fact, three percent is the maximum yield a cherry orchard can produce without bees, according to research out of Germany. And even cherry pie runs the risk of becoming obsolete. Studies from Michigan say the yield for tart cherries—a popular pie cherry—is down to ten percent without pollinators! vii So it’s NOT good news that there were residues of 14 different pesticides that are known to be toxic to honeybees found on conventionally grown cherries, according to routine USDA pesticide residue testing. viii Even more alarming is the global decline of pollinators. In the US alone, beekeepers have suffered an annual colony loss of 30 percent every year since 2006. ix Experts agree that widespread synthetic pesticide use, along with a loss of habitat and forage, are the main reasons for this loss, but there is another way. x xi CHOOSE ORGANIC FOR THE POLLINATORS—THEY DESERVE IT TOO! Studies show that organic farms support significantly more pollinators than conventional farms, and the following differentiators are key contributors: Synthetic pesticides, many of which persist in the environment and harm non-target species, like bees, are prohibited. Additionally, organic systems create habitats for beneficial insects and foster biodiversity, providing a broader range of forage options to attract a greater variety of wildlife, including wild bee species. xii A recent comparison study from Sweden is the cherry on top. As quoted in Science Daily , researcher Romain Carrié said of the project, “This is the first large-scale study over the course of several years to show that organic farming has a consistent, stabilizing effect on pollinator diversity.” xiii WE WISH YOU A VERY CHERRY SUMMER! Now we must go and find a bumblebee to wander after, so we’ll leave you with this suggestion: A bowl of cherries, a soft summer night, and you… go on and indulge yourself, in the name of good health, and make it organic, for love of the planet!

References available upon request.

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