Posted by viridis on November 21, 2002, at 3:34:55
In reply to Re: Levels of Contaminants, posted by Larry Hoover on November 20, 2002, at 21:06:25
I'm not a toxicologist, but I do have a reasonable understanding of these issues, and Larry's arguments are very sensible. PCBs and dioxins, in particular, are now ubiquitous, and it doesn't make much difference whether you're a vegetarian (even a vegan) or not -- you consume these substances every day just as everyone on Earth does.
Choosing organic produce and organically raised meats reduces your exposure to many pesticides, antibiotics, etc., which might be good and certainly can't hurt (my wife and I buy organic whenever possible and are totally organic gardeners), but there are certain contaminants that are now unavoidable if you live on this planet.
I take fish oil supplements because I think the evidence for their effectiveness is fairly convincing, but I accept that they contain unavoidable contaminants that I'm already consuming anyway, and the purification they undergo probably makes them safer than eating fish (which I also do anyway, because I like it).
poster:viridis
thread:128460
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021116/msgs/128577.html