Eating Organic Food Will Make You Healthier
Organic foods have become more popular and easier to find in recent years. Still, many consumers wonder if organic food is worth the often extra cost. Many of the benefits of organic foods have come to consumers through greater availability, lots of word of mouth exposure, and the promotions put on by advocates of eating organic food. Fortunately, there has been numerous research projects, and several solid arguments supporting the use of organic foods in everyday eating.
Several recent studies on farms which produce organic foods determined that organic farms don’t release chemical pesticides into the ground, the air and, most significantly, the water table. Some of the inorganic, synthetic pesticides are known to be harmful to man and wildlife and the earth.
Organic farms also are superior to conventional farms when it comes to maintaining surrounding natural ecosystems. This includes, maintaining healthy populations of natural plants, insects and indigenous animals. They also rotate crops more often to maintain a healthy soil. Organic produce provides you with healthier, chemical free, and far better tasting vegetables than you have ever had.
When researchers measured the energy use of organic food producing farms, it was found that organic farms used less energy and generated less packaging and chemical waste than conventional produce farms. The yield in organic produce farms is nearly 20 percent less when those farms used half the fertilizer and 97 percent less pesticide than conventional farms. And the cost savings, and the benefit to the environment has an effect of offsetting the decrease in yield.
Others feel that organically used soil is of a higher quality and maintains higher water retention than farms that raise produce conventionally. This factor may improve the yield of organic farms during years when rainfall is less than average.
In one study on organic agriculture techniques, compare an organic farm and a conventional farm during a drought season, the yields of soybeans were between 50 and 90 percent better than traditional farms. Organic corn yields were mixed but, on average, the farms were on par with conventional farms.
Count the risk of pesticide exposure on farm workers. Farm workers on organic farms are spared the health risks of being exposed to pesticides, which are great, even when used correctly. Pesticides made from organophosphates, in particular, can cause serious acute health problems with over-exposure. Long term exposure, unfortunately, is associated with breathing problems, memory problems, skin conditions, cancer, miscarriages and birth defects.
To make matters worse, those who eat food not grown in an organic way can be exposed to both pesticides and herbicides
that persist on the food. This is why all produce from conventional farms should be water-washed carefully, but it still can’t be eliminated entirely?. Exposure to certain herbicides is known to cause birth defects, even in small doses. Sadly, one recent study showed that the largest source of pesticides in babies is through the dietary intake of food not grown in an organic fashion.
On a happier note, another study found that a grouping of children who were switched from a regular diet to an organic diet dramatically decreased their levels or organophosphate pesticide exposure. In addition, studies have shown that organic food actually tastes better in taste tests than conventional food.
If you want to keep your family as healthy as conceivable, consider making the switch to organic foods. The benefits to the
environment and likely to your family’s health are considerable.
Related articles
- Why Are Organic Products So Expensive? (lifegoggles.com)
- Consuming Issues: Is organic food worth the extra money? (independent.co.uk)
- Are Organic Foods Really Better? (everydayhealth.com)
- Why Organic Food is a Viable Option for Consumers: The Benefits of Organic Farming (socyberty.com)
- Eating Organic Food is The Right Choice (socyberty.com)
- What is Organic Farming? (socyberty.com)
- How To Be Sure You Are Eating Organically Grown (glenns-garden.com)
- Organic Raw Foods (brighthub.com)
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