50 SIMPLE STEPS to Save the Earth from Global Warming

STEP #29

Buy Organic Supplements

You may think of nutritional supplements, such as vitamins, as one of the last things to affect global warming. However, Americans are consuming a tremendous amount of supplements—almost $8.7 billion worth in 2005—as more of us are being proactive about our health. Buyer beware, however, as not all nutritional supplements are environmentally sound.

Many dietary supplements use ingredients derived from petrochemicals (chemicals made from petroleum) or grown using harmful pesticides and chemical fertilizers which contain petrochemicals, thus, adding considerable amounts of global warming-contributing gases to our environment.

By spending our shopping dollars on organic nutritional supplements, we avoid the production and use of petrochemicals, reduce greenhouse gases, and support fair trade organic agriculture that leads to the preservation of natural lands.

Petrochemicals are often used because they are less expensive than natural ingredients. However, if more consumer dollars were spent on organic supplements— including the $3.29 billion spent by Americans in 2005 on vitamins and $272 million spent on homeopathic medicines, as reported by Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.would make a huge impact on the nutritional supplement industry. More companies would be motivated to produce organically, and they would create less carbon greenhouse emissions overall.

Wouldn’t you much rather buy the neem (a tree product) you use as an antifungal from an organic farmer than from a company mass-producing it with chemical pesticides? Supporting the small organic farms that strive to make a difference keeps our planet healthier and fends off global warming.

Here are some great organic supplement companies to get you started:

New Chapter is a small, Vermont-based company providing food-based supplements made without synthetics or fillers. They grow their plants and herbs on an organic, sustainable farm in Costa Rica. Their lush acres provide a home for insects, butterflies, and monkeys that are never in danger of harm from inorganic farming methods; they even use oxen instead of emissions-producing machinery.
Flora, one of the premiere organic herb companies, is affiliated with Salus Haus in Germany which operates on virtually self-supplied renewable energy, producing zero waste and earning highest rankings in the European ecological directives.
Barlean’s Organic Oils is one of the largest purchasers of homegrown, 100 percent organic North American flaxseed in the United States today. This family run company buys at a fair price and delivers a superior tasting, organic, and fresh product.
Garden of Life is another excellent supplement company devoted to using organically grown ingredients and to ensuring that their products contain nutritious, easily digestible whole foods.
Gaia Herbs grows their plants and herbs according to the extremely stringent Oregon Tilth organic certification program requirements, on a 250-acre certified organic farm in North Carolina. Even the buildings on their farm property were built to be as environmentally friendly and non-toxic as possible.
Every time that you support supplement companies that use organic ingredients, you are contributing to the growth of organic farms that use growing techniques that don’t pollute or contribute to global warming. And the health-promoting products that you purchase, being free of petrochemicals, will be safer for you as well.

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