Benefits Of Organic Food are related to the lack of GM (Genetic Modification)
Harmful Pesticides and Inorganic Fertilizers
Organic food, and other organic products have many benefits that you will enjoy once you have converted to an organic lifestyle. Organic is more than just a label, it's a lifestyle and it starts from the moment food products are grown or raised and when other items are made. You will get all the benefit of organic food, and many other products when you can buy certified goods. That means good that have no GM content, no harmful pesticides and were grown or produced without inorganic fertilizers.
Avoiding Harmful Residues In my opinion by far the major benefit of organic food is not the lack of genetic modification, but the lack of crop spray residue. As an example of why crop spray residue is a problem consider the recent study results from the Journal of Environmental Health that concluded that many pesticides registered for use in Europe may damage the human brain and urged European authorities to tighten pesticide restrictions. "Because many (pesticides) are by design toxic to the brain of insects, it is very likely that they are also toxic to human brains." Phlippe Grandjean of the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Southern Denmark told Reuters(2). Laboratory studies conducted by Grandjean suggest that pesticides commonly used in the EU can cause neuron-developmental toxicity and concluded that the developing brains of young children are far more at risk from chemical exposure. Organophosphates, carbamates, and pyrethroids were listed amongst the potentially damaging chemicals.
Benefits of Organic Food for Children Since children are developing and need a relatively large amount of food, they may feel the effects of harmful pesticides more than adults. A study in Mexico also suggested that intake of too many harmful pesticides could hamper development of children. Overall, organic food is better for us because of reducing the quantity of harmful substances that we ingest.
Average children in America are exposed to five pesticides daily in their food and drinking water. Switching to an organic diet for just five days virtually eliminates any sign of exposure to organophosphate insecticides among school-age children. Source: Reducing Pesticide Exposures Critical Issues Report, The Organic Center, August 2006
More than 25 percent of fruits, vegetables and cereals contain detectable residues of at least two pesticides, and according to a recent (2)PAN Europe study, nearly 5% of fruits, vegetables and cereals were found to contain dangerous levels of pesticides and more than 10% of the foods sampled contained four different pesticide residues.While these are usually in small quantities, other studies have also linked intake of these residues to symptoms such as headaches, nausea and skin conditions. Unless food is grown with organic pest control, it will contain harmful pesticide residue. Commercial pest control products leave traces behind. organic pesticide and organic insecticides do not. One Belgian study showed that women with breast cancer were more likely to contain traces of certain harmful pesticides in their systems. These are the by products of industrial food production One solution to the problem of pest control is to use organic pesticide and organic insecticide, and organic herbicides. These allow organic pest and weed control without diminishing the advantages of organic food.
More Nutrition is Better for Your Health One of the organic food benefits that is commonly cited is increased nutritional value. At first glance, it may often seem that there is little validity to this claim, but a recent in depth study has shown that it may in fact be true. One study of the health benefits of organic foods has found that organic foods contain more nutritional content compared to conventional foods, where the levels of vitamins and minerals have declined over the decades.
In addition, organic foods contain less water and therefore more food, than other food crops. Since organic foods have to fight pests on their own, they also tend to have higher levels of anti-oxidants, which are beneficial to human beings. "Why Hydrogenated Oils should be Avoided at All Costs" (1). If you have any lingering doubts about some of the food you are eating now, and why home grown organic food might be a better choice, read the article by Rich Stacel(1) In the article he says, "Most of your foods should be raw and as close to their natural state as possible. This means more fruits and vegetables including organic local meats as fresh as possible. The more real foods from nature that you eat, the less packaged and processed foods you'll consume. It's the packaged and processed foods that are most likely to be made with hydrogenated oils to help increase their shelf life." He also points out that people have to change the way they think of their food. True foods are those from nature, in their natural pristine state. Just because packaged food has the word organic on the box doesn't mean that it necessarily truly healthy. "To be truly healthy means that a food is full of enzymes, phytonutrients, and life force with all their natural vitamins and minerals present." You can get some of these true foods by growing them in your backyard, or by buying 'certified' organic produce at local markets or supermarket.
Articles referenced:
(1) http://www.naturalnews.com/024694.html.
(2) See PAN Europe's press release (PDF)
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