Advantages Of Organic Food

With more people becoming involved and concerned with personal health and the health of the planet the demand for organic food is increasing. The dangerous effects of pollution in food, land, air and water resources, human health, and the biodiversity of the planet has people reexamining agricultural practices. The organic food movement is a successful solution that brings many health benefits to humans and the environment.

Organic food provides many health benefits over foods produced by conventional farming methods, mainly because they contain no food additives.

Standards for organic foods require that they are grown without antibiotics, hormones, or growth promotants; they are also free from synthetic chemicals and pesticides. This includes colorings and preservatives such as hydrogenated fats, artificial sweeteners, and monosodium glutamate. These food additives have been shown to cause health problems such as heart diseases, osteoporosis, migraines, hyperactivity, and cancer.

Studies have shown that most conventionally farmed foods contain pesticides and chemical residues. These chemical residues have been shown to disrupt the immune system causing numerous health problems when ingested. Studies have linked these chemical residues to certain types of cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases. Eating organic foods reduces the risk of chronic health problems and ingesting harmful chemical residues.

Many studies have been done to determine whether organic foods are more nutritious than foods grown by conventional farming methods. Some studies found they are higher in vitamins, antioxidants, and nutrients. However, these finding are far from conclusive. Scientists agree that more studies need to be done before concluding that organic foods have a higher nutritional value.

Organic food is also beneficial to the health of the planet. Organic farming methods protect and preserve both the environment and biodiversity. Organic farming doesn't use pesticides and synthetic chemicals which reduces toxic farming runoff and pollutants that contaminate the water, soil, and air. Animals grown organically are fed healthy diets free from antibiotics and chemicals. The animals are also treated humanely and are given access to the outdoors instead of locked in pens and cages.

Organic food and farming provides many health benefits to both humanity and the planet and is an ideal solution to promote sustainable living. Eating organic foods will decrease the risk of consuming chemicals, pesticides, and food additives and the health problems caused by them. Organic farming methods also keep the environment free of pollutants and protect the planet's land and water resources from further contamination.