Episode 2 : Organic foods are healthier to eat aren’t they?

There is a growing common belief that organic food is healthier, despite the lack of any evidence supporting this. When you take the exact same strain of a plant and grow it in two different ways, its chemical and genetic makeup remain the same. One may be larger than the other if one growing method was more efficient, but its fundamental makeup and biochemical content is defined by its genes, not by the way it was grown. A blanket statement like "organic cultivation results in a crop with superior nutritional value" has no logical or factual basis.

Some supporters of organic growing claim that the danger of non-organic food lies in the residues of chemical pesticides. This claim is ridiculous: Since the organic pesticides and fungicides are less efficient than their modern synthetic counterparts, up to seven times as much of it must be used. Organic pesticides do, contrary to popular belief, contain a lot of harmful substances including toxins and pathogens. Supporters of organics claim that the much larger amounts of chemicals they use is OK because those chemicals are all-natural. But just because something is natural doesn't mean that it's safe or healthy — consider the examples of, mercury, lead, jellyfish toxins, snakes! — not to mention a nearly infinite number of toxic bacteria and viruses (including E. coli, salmonella). When we hear any product claim to be healthy because its ingredients are all natural, we need to be skeptical. By no definition can "all natural" mean that a product is healthy.

1. a growing common belief that

2. despite the lack of any evidence supporting this (in spite of Vs despite)

3. A blanket statement like "___________________" has no logical or factual basis.

4. Some supporters of organic growing claim that __________ .This claim is ridiculous

5. consider the examples of

6. we need to be skeptical

7. By no definition can "__________" mean “__________”