Health Benefits of Organic Food

All over the world, with people becoming more aware of the dangers of pesticides, preference is being given to ‘organic’ food over the conventional kind, though it costs more. Organic food is grown in farms– grains, vegetables and fruits, and also comprises animal products– meat, fish, chicken, eggs and so on. Though in few studies conducted in the USA, findings pertaining to organic food being more nutritious than the conventional food have been unclear, these have revealed that organic food contains lesser harmful chemicals.
1. Lesser toxins

Organic food comes from crops grown in a ‘safe’ soil, untreated with chemicals including insecticides, fungicides or herbicides. Farmers are not permitted to use any kind of fertilizers– petroleum-based or sludge-based, synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms. The livestock in farms have access to outdoor space and given ‘organic’ feed– which rules out growth hormones and antibiotics. Animals are also not fed any kind of animal by-products, thus reducing the danger of their contracting ‘mad cow’ disease. So, eating ‘organic’ food means that you will be consuming lesser toxins, which means better health for you.
2. More phytonutrients and immunity

Phytonutrients contain antioxidants, which are required by the body to prevent changes being made to the DNA and, thus, help in building immunity and prevent diseases of the heart and cancer, and also delay aging. Some fruits and vegetables are a good source of these essential compounds.
3. More omega-3 fatty acids

A few studies in this sphere indicate that organic milk was found to contain a remarkably higher percentage of omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are known to boost the chemical, serotonin associated with happiness. Besides, serotonin also plays a role in sleep, appetite, memory as well as learning.
4. Avoid developmental disorders

When pregnant women are fed food that’s been exposed to pesticides, there is every danger that they will pass it on to the developing fetus, or their infant when they are breastfeeding. This exposure can lead to the baby suffering from developmental delays, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or lower IQ in young children. Sometimes, such an exposure can even affect the child’s nervous system, years later.
5. Organic food is fresher

Since ‘organic’ foods do not contain preservatives to make them last longer, they are usually more fresh than other food products. The Environmental Working Group in USA has found that fruits and vegetables such as: apples, bell peppers, carrots, celery, cherries, grapes, kale, lettuce, nectarines, peaches, pears and strawberries contain the highest amounts of pesticides; so it’s best to buy these fruits and vegetables when they are certified ‘organic’.
6. It lasts longer

A study has found that organic food decays later than the other kind.
7. Lessening of allergies

There’s good news for those of you who are allergic to certain chemicals, preservatives or foods, as some researchers say that people may find their allergies lessening, even vanishing, when they eat only organic foodstuff.
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