Organic food refers to food products that are produced,
prepared, and processed without the use of any chemicals. It means organic food
production prohibits the use of chemical pesticides, chemical fertilizers, or
chemical preservatives. Consequently, organic foods are increasingly gaining
popularity because a greater portion of the population wants to know its benefits.
The general public belief is that organic food is healthier compared to the
conventional ones, and it’s the primary reason for its increased demand over
the past decade.
The choice of consuming organic foods is thus a growing
trend in the world of today following the realization of healthy self-improvement needs. However, finding accurate facts about organic foods has
always been confusing as people have varied opinions regarding its benefits as
a whole. This article defines the most accurate facts about the top 15
health benefits of eating organic food.
Top 15 Health Benefits of Eating Organic Food
- Better
overall health
Because organic food is not produced or processed by the use
of chemical pesticides or chemical fertilizers, it does not contain any elements of toxic chemicals and may not affect human
health in harmful ways. The use of natural techniques such as green manure to
fertilize the lands and crop rotation in pest and disease control work absolutely
well in producing safer, healthier, and smellier final food products. Besides,
healthy foodstuff simply means healthy people and better nourishment for a
better living for both people and animals.
- Antioxidant
content
The positive effects of antioxidants on overall health have
been established in a number of scientific studies, especially those derived
from organic foods. This is because organic foods are free of foreign chemicals
that normally react with vitamins, organic compounds and minerals thus lowering
the essential positive impacts of antioxidants in food products.
Latest studies propose that the consumption of organic food
can contribute to more intake of nutritionally advantageous antioxidants and
limited exposure to heavy metals. The positive impacts of antioxidants obtained
from organic foods include prevention of heart disease, cancer, vision
problems, premature aging, and cognitive malfunction.
- Improved
Heart condition
Exclusive grazing on natural grass increases the amounts of
CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) found in animal products. The suns energy is
well taken in by natural grass through photosynthesis and is converted into the
most desirable organic CLA by the herbivores that feed on it. CLA is a
heart-healthy fatty acid with the potential of bolstering cardiovascular
protection, and it is found in higher quantities in the meat and milk products
of animals that have been pastured in free range.
- Antibiotic
resistance
Humans are susceptible to various health issues and disease,
and most of the time they have to take precautionary measures to ensure they
remain healthy. This is achieved by getting a variety of vaccinations and
antibiotic drugs when a new strain of virus or bacteria is realized. Similarly,
non-organic food sources (especially livestock and feeds) use vaccines, growth
hormones, animal byproducts, and antibiotics to treat and feed the animals.
When humans consume the non-organic food products, they
indirectly consume the antibiotics, growth hormones and vaccines which weaken
immune systems on the account of antibiotic, vaccine, hormones, and animal
byproducts overdose. This may alter the immune system thereby rendering humans
unable to defend themselves against diseases. The benefit of organic foods is that their production
processes does not involve the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, animal
byproducts, or vaccines.
- Better
taste
Apart from nutrition, the mineral and sugar structures in
organic foods are tasty because the crops are given more time to develop and
mature. The use of natural and environmentally friendly agricultural production
techniques is revealed to be the reason for the better taste in organic food
products. It is commonly reported that the taste of organic vegetables and
fruits are of higher quality compared to those that are conventionally grown.
- Pesticide
cutback
Chemical pesticides consumption is linked to a variety of
diseases and disorders namely cancers, digestive dysfunctions, headaches, ADHD,
birth defects, weakened immune system, and even premature death. Organic foods
are free of pesticides and that is why they are preferable for attaining a
better overall health. As much as pesticides have the power of keeping certain
pests away from the crops, they also have potent chemicals like
organophosphorus.
These chemicals are unnatural and they are the mineral
compounds that bring about several health abnormalities in humans.
Organophosphorus, for instance, is associated with various developmental
disorders such as ADHD and autism. Organic food products therefore offer a
better healthy living, especially for children who are potentially affected by
the pesticide toxins during their developmental ages.
- Stronger
immune system
The traditional or industrial farming practices aim at
enhancing production and farm output by all means necessary. For example, the
notion of producing more cereals, more meat and bigger fruits through genetic
modifications and use of growth hormones seems to solve some of the world’s
food insecurity concerns. The effects are not yet visible, but in the
long-term, the consequences are sensitivity to allergens and a major reduction
in immune system strength.
By eating organic foods, the risks of decline in immune
system strength are significantly reduced because organic foods are not altered
at all. Furthermore, organic foods have quality and higher vitamin and mineral
contents that help to strengthen the human immune system.
- Organic
products are poison-free
Organic farming does not use any kind of dangerous
chemicals to keep away pests and diseases. All the practices are natural and
thus do not harm the consumer. Aspects such as biomagnification are lessened
via the practice of organic farming as chemical pesticides,
fertilizers, herbicides, and artificial growth hormones are all prohibited on
an organic farm. Therefore, organic food products are free of contamination
with health harming chemical substances.
- Consumption
of highly nutritious food products
Organic food products such as organic meat, organic milk,
organic fish, and organic poultry contain very high nutritional content because
they do not contain modified ingredients compared to the conventional
agricultural food products. Another factor that makes them highly nutritious is
that they are given time to develop and are provided with the best natural
conditions for growth. The vitamin and mineral contents of organic food
products are always high as the soil life and health offers the most suitable
mechanism for crops to access soil nutrients.
- Organic
foods are not genetically modified
Organic foods are GMO free, that is, they are not
genetically engineered in nature. Genetic engineering of food products is a
huge concern in the current era. They are foods or plants with altered DNA in
manners that do not take place in nature, usually to enhance resistance to
pesticides/herbicides. While there is lack of conclusive evidence of its
dangers, food safety advocates are concerned that long-term research has not
been conducted to confirm their safety.
The food safety advocates believe GMOs are a leading cause
of slowed brain growth, internal organ damage, gastrointestinal disorders, and
the thickening of the digestive tract. Thus, the health benefit of consuming
organic food is that they are free of GMOs, a very common component in
non-organic foods.
- Environmental
safety
Organic foods are locally grown and pose very minimal
interference to the environmental resources that support healthy living. Since
harmful chemicals are forbidden in organic farming, there is minimum water,
air, and soil pollution, therefore, ensuring a healthier and safer environment. To be precise, organic farming lessens
the long-term human health implications caused by air, water, and soil
pollution.
- You
have the certainty you are consuming fresh food
Organic food products are guided by very strict standards of
production, processing and preparation. Not at any time will you find chemical
preservatives used in organic foods. As such, organic food is often
fresher and full of flavor since it doesn’t make use of preservatives to make it
have a longer shelf life. Majority of organic food products are sold or availed
locally next to where they are produced.
- Lessened
chances of food-borne illness
There have been several reported cases of food-borne illness
outbreaks. Eggs, spinach, peanut butter, melons, and foods from fast food
restaurants have topped the list as their production is primarily centered on
agribusiness gains. Even the animals are sick as a big percentage of them are
drugged, vaccinated, and fed on animal byproducts to enhance their productivity
so as to meet the ever growing agribusiness demands.
This practice is known as concentrated animal feeding
operations (CAFOs) and it causes deadly drug-resistant infections which are
acquired by the end consumers when the food products are eaten. The best way to
prevent the food-borne illness outbreaks is to opt for organic food.
- Consumption
of higher quality meat and milk
Organic meat and milk is of the highest quality. There are
claims that meat is not good for human health. However, it is the CAFOs that
normally worsen meat and milk quality by introducing foreign and unhealthy
antibiotics as well as other drugs in the final food product.
When you consume milk and meat that is organically produced,
prepared and processed, you are guaranteed of products with higher quality
vitamins and minerals. For instance, organic milk is proved to have 60% more
omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, vitamins, and CLA than non-organic milk.
Also, organic cows are pasture grazed which results in the better meat quality.
- Lower
levels of toxic metals
By now, it’s clear that whatever we ingest indirectly comes
from the soil together with other physical environmental interactions. So, the
fact that organic farming doesn’t use agrichemicals for crop production means
minimized consumption of toxic metals. New studies confirm that organic crops
have 48% lower levels of the toxic metal cadmium than conventional crops.