5 Benefits of Eating Organic Food

By on April 17, 2017 in Nutrition with 0 Comments

The popularity and adoption of eating organic food throughout the world have increased dramatically over recent years. The term organic refers to how agricultural crops are grown and processed. In order to label any product as organic certain requirements must be met by the farmer or producer.

eating organic food

What makes organic food organic?

Organic crops must be grown in good, clean soil, be free of genetic modification, and must be planted separately from conventional crops.

Farmers cannot use bio-engineered genes, synthetic pesticides, or petroleum-based fertilizers. Organic livestock, meanwhile, must be allowed outdoor access and be provided with certified organic feed. They also cannot be given growth hormones or antibiotics.

 Studies have indicated that organic food contains more beneficial nutrients, such as antioxidants when compared to their conventional counterparts.

5 benefits to eating organic food

Also, people with food allergies to preservatives or other chemicals find that their symptoms lessen when they include organic food in their daily diet.

Indeed organic food offers a variety of other benefits to people, some of which you may have already heard about, others you may not.

Reducing the Risk of Cancer

It is known that conventionally grown food contains fungicides. Fungicides are potential cancer-causing risk factors. The more toxins you have in your body the more likely your immune system becomes weakened resulting in a greater strain on your body.

Cancer cell formation is caused when healthy cells are duplicated with errors. It is possible that the consumption of harmful toxins can lead to such errors. Since such chemicals are not used when growing organic crops consuming organic food can lead to a stronger immune system, and a healthier body and can therefore also help to reduce the risk of developing cancer in the future.

Weight Loss

Organic food is ideal for those looking to lose weight. Organic living in general is the ideal lifestyle to opt for when it comes to slimming down. If you learn to improve your eating habits your body won’t store harmful chemicals in the form of fat.

People who consume conventionally grown food find it difficult to get rid of their excess fat because so many harmful chemicals are stored in the body over an extended period of time.

Organic food, on the other hand, has no such chemicals and so makes it easier to lose weight quickly. As organic food contains no pesticides or modifications it is easier for the body to digest. This results in a more efficient digestive system overall, allowing you to absorb vitamins and minerals easier and burn fat faster.

Nutritional Value

The modern world utilizes modern farming techniques and numerous chemicals to grow and produce food at a quicker rate. As the emphasis is generally placed on quantity, rather than quality, the nutritional value of foodstuffs suffers as a result.

Conventionally grown crops tend to lose many of the vitamins and minerals which are essential for the health of the human body. Organic food, on the other hand, is produced without any harmful chemicals and substances and, as it is unprocessed, does not lose any of the nutrients which are vital to your overall health.

The more nutritional value your diet contains the more energy you will have, the healthier you’ll feel and the likelihood you will remain robust and healthy and enjoy a long and happy life.

organic food choices

Fewer Artificial Additives

Non-organically farmed livestock is exposed to many artificial chemicals and additives, including growth hormones and antibiotics. Additional artificial additives are again introduced after slaughter in the meat preparation and packing stage.

When farmers employ such methods it can often mean that the conditions are unhealthy and overcrowded, allowing diseases to spread quickly through the herd. Hence the frequent use of antibiotics. Organic meat, on the other hand, is grown differently and the livestock enjoys healthy, free-range living conditions.

Therefore with organic livestock farming, antibiotics are used only to treat specific ailments. This is in stark contrast to the non-organic method where animals are pumped full of antibiotics as a preventive method. After slaughter, when the meat is prepared, the color, texture, and flavor are improved with the use of artificial additives.

Research has shown that many of these additives, including artificial coloring and sulfur dioxide, are harmful to one’s health. Organic meat, on the other hand, is reared naturally. The meat has a natural color, texture, and flavor and requires no artificial enhancers.

Better for Children

Children are constantly growing, they have developing and immature organs, brains, and an often-vulnerable immune system. This makes them particularly susceptible to toxins. Children reared on organic food have less pesticide residue in their urine compared to those eating non-organic foods.

A study conducted several years ago compared children living in two isolated villages nearby. One village routinely used pesticides in their farming, while the other didn’t. Aside from these farming techniques, everything else remained the same including genes, lifestyle, diet, culture, and climate.

What the study found was surprising. Researchers noted a significant difference in the mental and motor abilities between these two groups. The children exposed to harmful pesticides scored at a lower level and showed an increased aggressive behavior than children who were not exposed.

Similarly, in the west, both adults and children are exposed to various sources of pesticides. In an Australian study done on breast milk, statistics found that infants were exposed regularly to several sources of pesticides, which were far greater than the recommended exposure.

In Canada, it has been found that there is a direct correlation between breast milk contamination by pesticides, which increases infants’ risk of otitis media.

So is organic food better, healthier? The answer is yes! Decreasing toxin burden while increasing the intake of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants will have a beneficial impact on one’s health; especially if you are trying to restore health.

Cost v benefit of eating

Eating organic food is viewed as expensive.  So the question is can people afford organic food?

Official household spending in both the UK and Australia reveals that an average family spends exorbitant amounts on take-away, junk food, tobacco, and alcohol compared to money spent on vegetables and fruit. So what people really need is a little bit of encouragement and education to begin living a healthier lifestyle.

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