Should You Go Organic?
By Sara Butler
Eating in a healthy way is about more than simply setting junk food aside, it's also about getting the most nutrition you can from the foods you eat. After all, you need high-quality food in order to build a healthy body. Your food choices impact your body and the world around you, which is why going organic may be the right choice for you. Here's what you need to know!
What does it mean for something to be organic anyway? Well, an organic product is one that is grown and processed without using synthetic herbicides, fungicides, hormones, antibiotics, and fertilizers. Only food producers who follow the organic standards set by the USDA can certify the things they produce as organic -- and that is verified by an accredited third party. That's how you know that anything you buy that has the certified organic seal is the real deal.
Food that is grown conventionally, without organic practices, has been found by some studies to be less nutritious than food grown 30 or 40 years before. Organic food doesn't suffer from that problem. Studies have found organic foods to be higher in nutrients such as magnesium, calcium, and iron than their non-organic counterparts. Organic foods are also lower in mercury.
Aside from a possible bump in nutrition, organic foods are also higher in flavonoids. Flavonoids in foods are full of antioxidants that can help humans fight disease. It's thought that organic food is higher in these flavonoids because they are subject to more natural stresses in their environment. When conventional foods are grown with herbicides and pesticides, they simply aren't exposed to as much stress and therefore don't produce as many of these protective compounds.
Why You Should Buy Organic
When it comes to the health of your family as well as the planet, there are plenty of reasons to go organic. These include:
- Protecting your health - Don't expose you and your children to pesticides in foods since they can have a big impact on your overall health, especially in kids
- Protecting your drinking water - Pesticides can get into drinking water and that can cause the rapid growth of algae in a way that destroys the natural environment by pushing out plants and animals
You can buy conventionally grown produce and take extra time to wash and trim it in order to minimize your exposure to residue left behind by pesticides and herbicides. If organic foods simply don't work for your budget or lifestyle, then you can still get the nutrients you need from conventionally grown foods, so don't worry. But if you can go organic, there are plenty of reasons to do it!
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Buford, Ga.