Facts Behind Organic Foods

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Organic Food:

With the many diseases that have struck people from different parts of the world, more and more people are becoming more conscious of their health and this all starts with the kind of food that we eat. Thus, organic food has become popular but we have noticed that organic foods tend to be a bit pricey compared to other food products that have been grown the conventional way. 

One way to find out if such food is organically grown is if it was grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides or livestock disease prevention. Because of the lesser use of chemical involved in cultivating or growing such foods, organic foods has been widely known to be healthier which explains why it has that kind of price target but actually, the price we have to pay is small compared to how much it can help us health-wise.

What are Organic Food?

According to Wikipedia.com, organic foods are foods that are made without the use of modern synthetic inputs and examples of these are synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers which do not really possess genetically modified organisms and do not undergo any process which makes use of industrial solvents or chemical food additives and do not undergo irradiation.

Health Benefits We Get from Consuming Organic Foods:

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There is still no scientific study that supports that organic foods tend to have higher nutritional value compared to those grown the conventional manner. In fact, a study was done to review organic foods to the non-organic ones but the results showed that in terms of the nutrients they contain it came out with similar results. Up to this time, there is still no definite study done to safely that there is a difference between the nutritional values but even if there was the difference are only little or not that significant. But nonetheless, there are other things that we should consider as to why eating organic foods is still better.

• Pesticide residue

One of the things that people go for organically-grown foods is because they are safe from pesticide residue. Foods that organic happen to be healthier when it is pesticide exposure we are talking about. The conventional way of growing crops makes use of pesticides which are sprayed to the plants leaving chemical residue on the exterior of these fruits and vegetables. According to the USDA, those that are organic produce definitely have lower levels of pesticide residue in them compared to those grown the conventional manner.

• Nitrate levels

Vegetables that were conventionally cultivated have been tested and shown that they are often found to have high levels of nitrates compared to those that are organic. The difference between them is marked in the leafy vegetable products. Nitrates will not put our health in peril when consumed in small amounts but if these nitrates are consumed through ingestion of food or water they can be converted to nitrites in the body. Nitrite in the body can affect the body’s ability to absorb and transport oxygen in the blood. This leads us to the fact that eating organic produce keeps us away from health problems that are associated with nitrates.

• Vitamin content

Although there is much study that needs to be done, one significant research done by Christine Williams indicated that the vitamin content of organic foods happen to be higher to its conventionally-grown counterparts. The research has shown that the vitamin C is consistently found in organic foods which are higher compared to the non-organic ones. This has been significantly found in green leafy vegetables.

More Health Benefits: Organic Foods vs. Non-Organic Foods:

According to the US Department of Agriculture, organic foods are foods that are grown or produced without the use of chemicals that come in the form of pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. Thus, farmers who grow organic foods make use of natural methods to fertilize their soil and manage insects that affect their crops or control the growth of weeds.

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There are certain organic foods that tend to have more vitamins in them compared to the non-organic foods. Organic milk, for example, has more vitamins in it because the cows that are the main source of it actually have a better diet and this includes grazing during most of the day.

Antioxidant content:

Foods that have been grown the organic way happen to have more antioxidants. A study was done by the University of California which centered on tomatoes and found out that tomatoes that are grown organically have higher levels of antioxidants quercetin and kaempferol which are both essential in protecting the body from certain types of diseases by means of promoting the health of the cells. The study also showed that foods that are organic have more antioxidants which they produce as a natural reaction to defend themselves from insects that will feed on them where as plants that are grown the conventional way do not have as much antioxidants because they insects that eat them are controlled with the use of insecticides.

Safety of Organic Foods:

Because organic foods are not grown the conventional way, farmers make use of methods that the US Department of Agriculture has regulated in order to make sure that they product food products that are also safe to eat. The animals that are organic are also fed with organic food and allowed to roam freely outdoors rather than being kept in cages. Instead of using chemical insecticides, they actually prevent the animals from diseases by using birds, traps and even other kinds of insects that help protect their animals. As for fertilizers they use the natural ones and compost.

Cost of Organic Foods

A downside to buying organic foods is its cost. Most consumers often complain about the price tag that goes with these organic foods because they are more expensive to the non organic ones. The reason for this is because organic farming is more costly to the conventional farming methods. Other factors that attribute to its quite expensive price tag is because government regulations that are required for organic foods have higher costs in terms of certification and other factors include high costs of labor hours and shipping as well.

Make sure that when you buy organic food, check for the nutrition label especially the sodium content, fats and calories that it has. Do not confuse natural with organic as the two are different, in addition to that, the term natural is not regulated by the US Department of Agriculture.

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