The society of today is one that struggles to find its balance when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle. We are bombarded on a daily basis with the newest and best products on the market all designed to help us achieve maximum health. But for many who have traveled this road many a time, the answer is simple; a healthy lifestyle begins and ends with a nutritious diet rich in whole foods. But while we may know the types of food we should be eating – fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains – we are now faced with another choice – that of organic food.
Ask any organic food enthusiast and they will happily tell you the health benefits of organic food. And when faced with the information it’s difficult to ignore the substantial differences between organic food and that food that is grown or produced in a traditional environment.
Organic food is grown and raised by a group of committed organic farmers working within strictly enforced government guidelines. Produce that is grown organically is done so without the use of pesticides or chemical additives. Chemicals and pesticides are, however, used on traditional farms. And while not much thought is given to additives when we encounter fruits and vegetables in the grocery store, the truth is that insufficient research has been done regarding the long term effects of these chemicals on the human body.
The same holds true for agricultural and dairy farming practices. While agricultural and dairy farmers traditionally feed their livestock supplements and hormones to speed their growth and milk production, organic farmers do just the opposite. Animals are given only organic feed and are not subjected to chemicals or hormones of any kind.
Organic food has benefits that extend to the environment as well. Organic farming means that the ground is not subjected to chemical or pesticide run-off. Organic farmers are strongly committed to the environment and their product is only considered certified organic food if they adhere to strict government regulations.
Organic food can mean significant benefits for your health and that of those you love. Additionally, it shows a dedication to the environment and the future of the planet.
Michelle Bery
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-health-benefits-of-organic-food-124435.html
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September 10th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
What are the health benefits of eating organic food?
Yahoo! Answers staff note: This is an official Yahoo! Answers Brain Bus question. Look here for more details:
http://uk.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-qT1KKPQoRKdVT4lowpJCljbFokkuIzI8?p=869
September 11th, 2009 at 7:00 am
The main benefit is the lack of artificial pesticides and fertilisers, so you are eating less chemicals. Other than that Organic food is also supposed to be more ethical in its treatment of livestock etc. It tastes better as a rule.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:02 am
these days we don’t know what the farmers are putting on the ground or in it..did you know the government thinks its alright to put plup sludge into farm ground and call it fertilizer?
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:04 am
none because you’ll feel sick knowing you just paid double for what you could have got in the supermarket a lot cheaper.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:06 am
obviously, there are no pesticides. the varieties of vegetable are also often chosen for taste rather than appearance. with the box scheme, such as riverford, you get more locally grown seasonal vegetables. this reduces transport and protects local jobs.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:08 am
Organic foods should be free of any chemical traces such as pesticides and man made fertilisers. The health benefits are supposed to be that you do not ingest these trace elements of chemicals that have been used to ensure that the food is not effected by insects and other pests or fertilisers that were used to ensure a good crop.
In meat it means that the animal is free from drugs such as antibiotics, steroids etc.
True organic food is required to be certificated by the soil association and it is illegal to sell food as organic unless certificated.
So the health benefits are long term as you will not ingest these small amounts of chemical that may be retained in you body and accumulate.
The downside is much of the food is visually not as attractive and although you may be eating organic foods if you live in a city your probably inhaling far more worse substances as you walk down the street.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Organic food is supposed to not have pesticides and fertilisers. Natural extension about organic food are within a gray area, once organic food should not contain chemicals to stabilize, give color or better taste? (Butter, conserves, etc) Organic Food today is a great label and it will takes longer time to stabilize.
Following its answer idea, you are exposed to a lower quantity of chemicals.
Controversial about it is that actual food is already carring chemicals (even into a "controlled" level) and we did accept it until these days? How dangerous were?
Another interesting aspect is GM (Genetic Modified) can be organic food, but also, perhaps dangerous…….
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No research done. Just Ideas about this subject, giving hints to start a natural and healthy discussion.
Labels are always dangerous!
September 11th, 2009 at 7:12 am
Organic food does not contain chemicals/pesticides and poison materials.It should be certfied organic food.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:14 am
Those leading the organic movement want to make food production more sustainable; take more care of the environment; give more consideration to animal welfare; and make food more natural, tasty and nutritious. These are very general aims that have led into some specific concerns from consumers.
Possibly the biggest worry is the extensive use of pesticides, genetically modified substances, and trans-fats. All of these have been linked, though not conclusively, to increasing rates of heart disease, cancer, and some specifically ‘modern’ diseases.
The Soil Association (one of the biggest organic pressure groups in the UK) has evidence to show that organic food IS better. It shows that organic vegetables include more vitamin C, magnesium and phosphorus. Animals have increased living space, while using natural fertilisers and pesticides saves £120 million every year from having to remove those substances from the water system.
But of course, manufacturers and retailers have jumped on the organic bandwagon, and as a result the movement’s aims have been diluted. What’s labelled ‘organic’ on supermarket shelves does not necessarily taste better, have more nutritional value, and may still include many artificial substances that are ‘allowed’ by the Soil Association.
There is also a premium charged which means that to eat organically, you also have to eat less fruit and veg for the same amount of money. This is hard for those on low incomes, who are therefore forced to eat ‘inferior’ quality food.
The even bigger question raised by organic food is the cost of air miles. To produce some food organically, it has to be flown around the world. Many environmentalists argue that the true way for the ‘neo-hippies’ to love the world would be to only eat locally produced food.
The renewed aims of the organic movement are therefore that all food should be handpicked, fresh and have been produced in the local area. Many in the UK are turning to ‘box schemes’ where local farms bypass supermarket shelves and deliver directly to consumers’ doorsteps.
So to specifically answer the question – the health benefits depend on whether it is really organic food, or just the same old food with a pretty label on it and a higher price. If it is locally produced, fresh, and without artificial additives, pesticides, genetically modified substances, etc, then the health benefits should be that there is less pollution generally (including the need for less transportation), fewer unhealthy substances in the food itself, and more vitamins. Plus, if the food tastes nicer and is cheaper (as real organic food should be), we’re more likely to eat it.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:16 am
We are not tampering with the natural occurrences in nature. In today’s social climate, what could be healthier than that?
Organic food is clynically proven to be heathier to eat than the GM stuff in the shops.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:18 am
The main benefit is to the vendors….they charge the earth for something that is perfectly natural.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:20 am
you have to work harder to pay for it! keeps you fit
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:22 am
More vitamins in your system, which means that you will be bright-eyed and bushy tailed.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:24 am
. . . true organic foods are so pure and fresh that they’re still moving – so you lose weight trying to catch them so you can eat them . . .
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Blowski has given a good overall indepth answer. The problem with eating food which has pesticides, medications (animals), additives, manmade preservatives, colourings, chemicals and the like, is the hidden danger that they build up in the human body system. I am not sure if it is the liver the toxins build up in. Some sensitive people are affected more than other, others are affected badly, making eating a minefield – because you can become off-colour, ill and very very ill. I am one of those, who now has a rigid, boring, diet, because of manmade interference. Dangers now come from spraying foods with chemicals for transit purposes and feeding animals, with additives in their food. Worse still are the insidious symptoms, where a person may not realise why they "feel off" some days, tired when they shouldn’t be, swollen, bloated abdoment, irritability if there is no reason for it. Always look what you ate the night before. I can’t afford to eat organic all the time, but I don’t eat food out of tins, frozen packets and have not been able to eat meat, turkey, chicken or duckling in England since 1989. I eat fish (also expensive) – but it is possible to find cheap, yet nutritious fish. Energywise, I have loads, don’t need a lot of sleep, endless enthusiasm for things, but eat something which has any of the aforementioned, I can not only feel rough, but really bad attacks, put me in bed for a week. It is horrendous. It can also affect my co-ordination, even my eyesight. I am not the only one like this, we are just hidden statistics. They are not allergies. Milk is an allergy, for example These come under Multiple Chemical Syndrome. Called MCS for short. It is illness caused by the environment foreign substances. If you check the websites, you will find food intolerances actual come under Multiple Chemical Syndrome – as does Gulf War Syndrome & perfumes! You may find it is written that MCS was determined in 1989 but it emerged in the early 1980’s. They have been studying this problem for a long time now, in America. A book written in the 1960’s, now regarded a classic, and even recommended for studying by degree students; It is how DDT (I think it was) got into the food chain, plus the animals, fish, rivers, etc. It was written by Rachel Carson. Some books are below. Asthma doesn’t have to be caused by cats, pollution, etc. – it can also be caused via these MCS foods. Hence, to me, why so many children now are asthmatic.
So – the benefit of eating organic whenever you can, is that you will be far healthier, not just today, but also in the long run, than your contemporaries. I go for foods which are from "poorer countries" – my GP told me long ago, that the poorer countries cannot afford to "doctor" the foods, animals and earth.
Basically, the Government believe in allergies, but not MCS – it would affect commerce large scale. So it is purported "its probably in the mind". Perhaps someone else answering this question, may suffer from these reactions & could put their experience in writing.
References :
"The Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson (1960’s 1st published
Chemical Victims – Dr Richard Mackarness
Not all in the Mind – Dr Richard Mackarness These were published in the 1980’s. ISBN 033025937 7.
Probably your library is the best bet – if the bookshops can’t trace.
http://www.mcsrr.org/factsheets/mcsdisorders.html
http://www.healthline.com
September 11th, 2009 at 7:28 am
There was an "Organics" section in yesterday’s "Independent".
One of the interesting claims was that organic milk has higher levels of omega-3 oils.
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See also http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4153951.stm
September 11th, 2009 at 7:30 am
They cause you stress due to the excess amounts of money being spent
. Joking….
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:32 am
what are organic foods?
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Your food is cleaner and better for your health
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:36 am
simple, the food is grown, teated and processed with no chemicals or pesticides.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Technically, by definition, all food is organic.
Without food, you die.
I guess that’s the main benefit of food.
Or course many solvents are organic, too.
Eat those and you die. (But they are not food, so don’t make that mistake.)
As for foods deemed Organic: Currently there are no long-term data to say diets rich in organic foods themselves lead to healthier lives. In general, people who eat only organic foods lead more active, healthier lifestyles which confounds the outcomes of such investigations. However, it makes rational sense that organic foods should be healthier for you. Certainly pesticides have an adverse effect on sperm counts– if consumed or inhaled in large doses. Men in rural communities have lower sperm counts than men in urban centers, and the counts trend directly with pesticide exposure.
So in the end, maybe those who use lots of pesticides will be eliminated by infertility and leave the world to the organic farmers.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:40 am
The benefits of eating organic are many and various – the key ones being:
1. The food is guaranteed GM or GE Free, so there is no risk of artificially inserted genes from unexpected species being used in the item being consumed.
2. The food, if certified will contain no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides or other toxic spray residue. This has immediate benefits to your immune system and also reduces the chance of triggering a wide range of cancers that can be stimulated by many toxic chemicals used in horticulture. e.g. Lindane is clearly linked with Neuroblastoma, a rare but fatal type of cancer.
3. The produce certified organic will be free from any ‘post harvest’ synthetic contaminants, packaging additives, or appearance enhancers that are often used to ‘doctor’ produce and make it look good and tasty.
4. Organic Produce has much higher nutrient levels than conventionally grown crops. For example the mineral levels of Calcium in organically grown lettuce are 4.5 x higher, Magnesium is nearly 4 x higher, Potassium is over 3 x higher. In Tomatoes organically grown ones contain on average 5 x more Calcium, 13 x more Magnesium and 2.5 x more Potassium. Why would you want to eat anything else ?
5. Value for money! Organic is far superior because of the above reasons, also you will not be visiting expensive doctors and specialists as often as you age, and will not suffer diseases of aging as severely as your contemporaries who continue to eat de-vitalized conventionally grown food. This is because modern research has shown that nutrient deficiencies play a much larger role in the development of chronic diseases of aging than previously thought. You will also be able to reduce the amount of dietary supplements used because you will be getting more nutrition from your food.
6. It tastes better! Why do you think expensive restaurants are now turning to organic produce for their dishes if they can ? Because customers comment how much tastier and ‘real’ the food tastes. If you don’t believe me try it for yourself and taste the difference!!
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:42 am
no msg. free for pesticides, all natural
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:44 am
There are many advantages in consuming Organic foods, but the important features are Organically grown foods higher in cancer-fighting chemicals than conventionally grown foods.Fruits and veggies grown organically show significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods, according to a new study of corn, strawberries and marionberries. The research suggests
that pesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production of phenolics chemicals that act as a plant’s natural defense and also happen to be good for our health. Fertilizers, however, seem to boost the levels of anti-cancer compounds.
The findings appeared in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Chemical Society, The essense of the article is -
Flavonoids are phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant activity. Many are produced in plants in response to nvironmental stressors, such as insects or competing plants.
"Bitter or harsh phenolics guard the plant against these pests."
The need for these natural safeguards decreases with the use of herbicides and pesticides in conventional agriculture. This decrease is reflected in the total amount of antioxidants the plants produce. "This helps explain why the level of antioxidants is so much higher in organically grown food,"
By synthetically protecting the produce from these pests, we
decrease their need to produce antioxidants. It suggests that maybe we are doing something to our food inadvertently."
The investigation compared the total antioxidants found in foods grown organically (using no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers) to foods grown sustainably (in this study fertilizers but no herbicides or pesticides were used) and conventionally (using synthetic chemicals to protect the plants and increase yield).
The results showed a significant increase in antioxidants in organic and sustainably grown foods versus conventionally grown foods.
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:46 am
being healthy…w/e blahahahahahhahaa
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September 11th, 2009 at 7:48 am
It may reduce allergic reactions to the chemicals used to aid in preservation of the food item. For example, one may not be allergic to apples; however, one may be allergic to the wax coating added to preserve freshness and appearance of the apple.
See the sites below for additional information about allergies and organic food advantages…
References :
http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec16/ch185/ch185d.html?qt=allergic%20reactions&alt=sh
http://www.organic.org/
http://www.essential-organic-living.com/organic-and-natural-food.html
http://tiki.oneworld.net/penguin/food/organic_advantages.html