From avoiding harmful substances to taking a stance on sustainability, there are lots of reasons to consume organic food.
You Can Avoid Harmful Chemicals in Food
Much of the general public doesn’t realize how many unnecessary ingredients are added to their food so that it can have extra features such as a better appearance. For example, did you know that food coloring can actually increase a child’s hyperactivity? According to Web MD, it is thought to do just that, and the dye that’s called Yellow No. 5 is said to make your asthma worse than it already may be. Other additives they point out that are harmful to your health are high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium benzoate, and sodium nitrate.
You Will Get More Nutrients from Eating Organic Food
We all ultimately want to have an overall healthy lifestyle, but many of the foods in the grocery store and in restaurants today simply don’t give your body all that it needs naturally. This makes the average person feel as if they need to take all types of over-the-counter supplements and vitamins that they probably would not even need if they would eat more organic food. The LA Times reported on information that was gathered from well over 300 studies from the British Journal of Nutrition. They found that when it came to having the most healthy qualities such as lots of antioxidants, organic foods had way more than the conventionally-grown ones.
You’ll Enjoy Tastier Food When Buying Organic
The word ‘organic’ as defined by Merriam-Webster means “of, relating to, or derived from living organisms”. So, when organic food is being grown and the natural growth process is interrupted by things like pesticides, it will not taste as good as it should. Washington University’s Charles Benbrook explained this more clearly in one interview he had with National Geographic. “The concept of terroir (the combination of soil, sunlight, and climate that determines how good wine grapes will taste) can be traced to particular biological stresses in a region or soil types that impact how a plant responds to stress,” he explains. “The chemicals that a plant produces to respond to stress become part of that plant’s signature taste.”
You Won’t Ingest GMOs
As hard as many of us try to eat healthily, it is sometimes disappointing to find out that some of the foods we ingest all the time are genetically modified organisms or GMOs. For example, according to the Huff Post, corn is one of the most genetically-modified items in the United States, with over 80% of it being at least partially inorganic. In 2014, soy was the food in the United States that ranked number one for being the most genetically modified, and others on the list were crook necked zucchini/squash, alfalfa, canola, sugar beets, and milk.
You’ll Avoid Harmful Food Hormones
It is almost common knowledge nowadays that the hormones in everyday food items are making kids grow faster than normal. According to Alternet, there have even been cases where some children have reached puberty at ages as low as eight years old! Estrogen, for example, has been linked to many types of diseases in the past, including skin, lung, ovarian, and gall bladder cancer. This hormone is in the pesticides that food is sprayed with, and is a direct contributor to major health issues in our society such as obesity.
You’ll Avoid Antibiotics in Your Food
Antibiotics should only be used in scheduled, restricted doses to stop livestock and poultry from becoming sick as they are being raised. But, too many times they are used by farmers to simply speed up the growth process of the animals. This is why many popular food chains are now trying to make themselves appear to the public as places to eat that support and only buy their meats from non-antibiotic sources. Subway, for example, made this announcement about all of its stores in the United States back in the fall of 2015.
Your Organic Food Purchase Promotes Organic Farming
Folks who buy organic food on a regular basis normally are not only healthy but also environmentally conscious. They realize that purchasing these items at the grocery store represents that they know how important organic farming is for the planet. For example, The Balance noted in one article entitled ‘Environmental Benefits of Organic Farming’ how there were about eight more inches of topsoil on an organic field than a chemically treated one. This noticeable erosion of chemically treated farms is something that is getting worse day by day as pesticides are repeatedly used.
You’ll Avoid Drugs That Are Added to Food
Eating organically can also help you not to ingest the harmful drugs that are added to various foods. For example, Aspartame has long been known as one of the worst sweeteners ever. It’s found in all types of diet foods and drinks and is another name for Equal or NutraSweet. This drug makes bad diseases and conditions worse, such as Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Alzheimer’s. It can also cause symptoms in ordinarily healthy people, such as insomnia, irritability, fatigue, and anxiety attacks.
You’ll Be Promoting Long-Term Sustainability
If you have begun to eat organically, then you are a part of something much larger than yourself. It shows that you don’t only care about what is going on right here and right now, and that you are making a conscious effort to do your part in sustaining the earth’s resources. A good ecological balance is being met with organic agriculture, and the reduction of things like synthetic fertilizers will reduce the pollution in our soil, air, and water supply for decades to come.
You’ll Improve Your Children’s Health
When a child’s body is still growing, it is just smart to give them the most organically-produced food possible. Other than protecting them from consuming items that could contain cancer-inducing pesticides, you will be setting a wonderful example in your household. If they are made aware of the benefits of buying organic food early in their lives, then it will be second nature for them to continue those good eating habits when they are your age.
