Benefits of Organic Food

What are the benefits of organic food? Can eating organic food help you lose weight?Is it really more nutritious? What exactly does it mean when a food is labeled “organic”?

For Crops

When a food is labeled “certified organic”, it means that it passes governement standards for foods that are

grown without chemicals
processed without additives
no irradiation, biotechnology or sewer sludge

For Animals

All of the above
Reared without antibiotics or growth hormones

More and more, the scientific community is finding that organic food is healthier for you.

Risks of Eating Organic Food

But if contamination can harm the conventionally-farmed foods we eat, then there’s always the risk that it can happen to organic foods, too. It all depends on the farmer who’s taking care of the crops.

Organic farmers have to control the pests that come with crops. They rely on natural forms of pest control like microorganisms that come in and eat the pests and keep them under control.

They believe that healthy soil that’s free of pesticides and additives will provide the plants with whatever they need to grow and a natural defense mechanism from pests and harsh weather. But there is a health danger if they don’t balance the beneficial pests properly.

Another risk is that some organic farmers don’t properly harvest organic produce and this can sometimes cause food borne illnesses to happen.

Organic Foods – More Nutritious? Tastier?

People who believe in the benefits of organic food say that yes, it does taste better and is more nutritious. There was a study done in 2001 saying that organic apples tasted better than the conventionally grown apples.

In my personal experience, I buy organic milk for my family and everyone agrees that it tastes much better; like it was “straight from the cow”.

I also heard that hormones in milk can sometimes cause problems for developing girls so I feel good knowing my daughters are not being exposed to harmful hormones.

One thing I noticed after buying organic salad greens is that they last longer. I don’t understand how that can be right since it should be preservative free but maybe there is something else being added to the conventional salad greens that is causing it to go bad faster.

Can Organic Foods Help Me Lose Weight?

Whenever you eat a good diet rich in fruits and vegetables, you will have a better chance of losing weight. But you don’t necessarily have to buy organic fruits and vegetables to lose weight.

In my opinion, the benefits of organic foods outweigh the risks especially if you buy from an organic farmer or supermarket that you trust.

Share and Enjoy: