Food/Health & Wellness
Are Organic Foods Healthier?
There is always a controversy about whether organic foods are nutritionally better or not.
It is important to note that the term, ‘ORGANIC’ refers to agricultural feed and farm practices in food production, and nothing more. Hence organic is defined by the UK Department for Agriculture & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) as:
‘Organic food is the product of a farming system which avoids the use of man-made fertilisers, pesticides; growth regulators and livestock feed additives. Irradiation and the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) or products produced from or by GMOs are generally prohibited by organic legislation.
Organic meat or poultry and dairy is from animals that are therefore without growth hormone, artificial food colouring in their feed or antibiotics.
GMOs on the other hand are organisms which have been artificially made in labs and have had their DNA altered.
Three Main Reasons Why Organic Foods Are Healthier
Organic produce is naturally free of chemical fertilizers and pesticides which in the long run are dangerous to the body, in that these chemicals can cause chronic illnesses.
Most organic foods contain up to 50% higher nutrients than non-organic ones.
Organic foods contain live enzymes, thereby aiding digestion and gut health. Annelise Lords, wrote about finding hope in a brown leaf:
The Takeaways
- The best way to eat organic is to grow your foods, especially leafy vegetables, salad leaves and herbs. You can also buy seasonally from your local farmers’ market.
- There are some reasons why it is better to buy organic such as the taste, one’s health and the fact that organic farming supports the environment because it prohibits the use of insecticides, rather weeding is done by hand or via machine or crop rotation.
- Whether it is organic or not, it is important to eat ‘the rainbow’, that is various fruits and vegetables for a balanced diet.
- Do not confuse free-range, natural and fresh with organic. They might not necessarily be.
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