I believe in eating whole foods. I also believe that following a regulated – healthy diet filled with fresh fruits & vegetables, following the guidelines of the food pyramid and eating little to no processed foods will lead me to a strong & healthy body.
Organic foods have been the recent trend in shopping the past few years and there is a lot of speculation on whether or not it’s worth it. I sought out some answers on the net and this is what I’ve found:
On BreastCancer.org :
Marisa Weiss,, M.D., president and founder: The word “organic” can mean so many different things. When I shop for organic foods, what I am looking for is foods free of preservatives, hormones, pesticides, and other additives.
Ronda Gates, M.S., R.Ph.: The word “organic” doesn’t guarantee anything, because the industry is poorly regulated. If you buy organic, be sure to look for the words “certified organic” to insure there is no fraud. That’s the only regulation that guarantees that the foods are grown without pesticides, antibiotics, or any other medications that are added to the feed…. Read More…
On Environmental Working Group (www.ewg.com)
People eat organic foods for better health, environmental concerns and
because they taste better. Eating organic foods will reduce your exposure to
pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. These chemicals have been linked with
an increased cancer risk, Parkinson’s disease, infertility problems, hormone
imbalances and growth and mental impairment in children. Some foods have
much higher pesticide residues than others and should be eliminated or
restricted. Read More…
Additionally, organic food production bans the use of artificial food additives such as hydrogenated fats, phosphoric acid, aspartame and monosodium glutamate, which have been linked to health problems as diverse as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines and hyperactivity [1]. Furthermore, while plants extract a wide range of minerals from the soil, artificial fertilisers replace only a few principal minerals. There is a clear long-term decline in the trace mineral content of fruit and vegetables, and the influence of farming practices needs to be investigated more thoroughly.
The Soil Association review [1] found that on average, organic food has higher vitamin C, higher mineral levels and higher phytonutrients plant compounds that can fight cancer (see later) than conventional food. Conventional produce also tends to contain more water than organic produce, which contains more dry matter (on average, 20% more) for a given total weight [1]. Thus, the higher cost of fresh organic produce is partly offset by purchasers of conventional produce paying for the extra weight of water and getting only 83% of the nutrients, on average, available in organic produce. The higher water content also tends to dilute nutrient content.
Free From Chemicals and Pesticides
One of the most attractive qualities of organic food is that it’s grown without the use of chemicals and/or pesticides. This means that you won’t have to worry about the long-term effects of ingesting pesticide residues. Your food will be clean and natural, just the way it should be.Organic Food Is More Nutritious
In addition to being chemical and pesticide-free, organic food is more nutritious. Due to the way organic farmers farm their land, the soil is more nutrient dense and the organic food that grows on it is packed with the nutrients found in the soil. So by consuming organic food, not only are you losing the harmful effects of chemicals and pesticides, but you’ll be gaining the benefits of naturally-added nutrients.
Make sure you see this label when selecting Organic foods:
What is your opinion on eating Organic Foods?
What information have you found on Organic Foods?
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