There are many benefits to both eating organic foods, and to organic gardening. In addition to the mental and emotional benefits of growing and eating organic food, there are also the physical benefits. These physical benefits can be boiled down to nutrients present in organic foods that are not in commercial foods and toxins not in organic foods that are present in commercial foods. A recent article in the Journal of Applied Nutrition gave credence to the notion that organic foods have higher nutrient levels that non-organic food. In this study the mineral content of organic apples, pear, potatoes, wheat, and sweet corn were compared to commercial varieties. Overall the organic foods showed much higher levels of nutrient minerals and much lower levels of heavy metals.
First, lets look into the benefits of organic foods. Some are nutrients are found to be in higher levels in organic foods than in others.
- Chromium’s deficiency is associated with the onset of adult diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Chromium was found to be higher in organic foods by an average of 78%.
- Selenium is one of the antioxidant nutrients that protects us from damage by environmental chemicals. It is protective against cancers and heart disease. It was found to be an average of 390% higher in organic foods.
- Calcium, needed for strong bones, averaged 63% higher in organic foods.
- Boron, which has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis (along with calcium), averaged 70% more.
- Lithium, which is used to treat certain types of depression, was 188% higher.
- Magnesium, which reduces mortality from heart attacks, keeps muscles from spasming, and eases the symptoms of PMS, averaged 138% more.
Now lets look at the disadvantages of having organic food:
- If you look at it from a farmer’s point of view, they do not grow as in large quantities, hence resulting in lower or no profits. Therefore, farmers raise prices, and consumers have to pay more for organic food
- Organic is approximately 40% more expensive than normal food
- There are critics who claim that the soil and water are already contaminated through years of manipulated farming, the organic food grown on these soils is likely to be contaminated as well.
- Ploughing or tilling the farm has more damaging effects than employing herbicides, like glyphosphates
- Organic farming avoids the use of synthetic pesticides, but allows the use of pesticides derived from certain plants which comprises of ‘questionable’ chemicals
- Critics claim that conventional farming makes use of only specific chemicals as fertilizers, while organic farming employs manure and compost, which leads to a wide variety of chemicals being unnecessarily introduced into the soil
- Several ‘organic’ farms use manure derived from animals, raised and fed in a non-organic fashion. Besides, manure is also a rich source of biological contaminants.
- Recent controversies include, using so called ‘organic’ products from cloned animals. The majority of these animals have been derived from animals raised non-organically.
Critics are still put off by the high pricing and feel that there is a lack of evidence to prove that organic food is good, or has substantially higher amounts of benefits that is worth the money they pay.
The arguments from both sides rages on, which side do u stand on?
First, lets look into the benefits of organic foods. Some are nutrients are found to be in higher levels in organic foods than in others.
- Chromium’s deficiency is associated with the onset of adult diabetes and atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). Chromium was found to be higher in organic foods by an average of 78%.
- Selenium is one of the antioxidant nutrients that protects us from damage by environmental chemicals. It is protective against cancers and heart disease. It was found to be an average of 390% higher in organic foods.
- Calcium, needed for strong bones, averaged 63% higher in organic foods.
- Boron, which has been shown to help prevent osteoporosis (along with calcium), averaged 70% more.
- Lithium, which is used to treat certain types of depression, was 188% higher.
- Magnesium, which reduces mortality from heart attacks, keeps muscles from spasming, and eases the symptoms of PMS, averaged 138% more.
Now lets look at the disadvantages of having organic food:
- If you look at it from a farmer’s point of view, they do not grow as in large quantities, hence resulting in lower or no profits. Therefore, farmers raise prices, and consumers have to pay more for organic food
- Organic is approximately 40% more expensive than normal food
- There are critics who claim that the soil and water are already contaminated through years of manipulated farming, the organic food grown on these soils is likely to be contaminated as well.
- Ploughing or tilling the farm has more damaging effects than employing herbicides, like glyphosphates
- Organic farming avoids the use of synthetic pesticides, but allows the use of pesticides derived from certain plants which comprises of ‘questionable’ chemicals
- Critics claim that conventional farming makes use of only specific chemicals as fertilizers, while organic farming employs manure and compost, which leads to a wide variety of chemicals being unnecessarily introduced into the soil
- Several ‘organic’ farms use manure derived from animals, raised and fed in a non-organic fashion. Besides, manure is also a rich source of biological contaminants.
- Recent controversies include, using so called ‘organic’ products from cloned animals. The majority of these animals have been derived from animals raised non-organically.
Critics are still put off by the high pricing and feel that there is a lack of evidence to prove that organic food is good, or has substantially higher amounts of benefits that is worth the money they pay.
The arguments from both sides rages on, which side do u stand on?