Many people question whether it’s more beneficial to eat organic food and if it’s a healthier choice. After all, organic food is a lot more expensive, so is this extra cost worth it? In my opinion it is totally worth it. I would rather cut back on something else in order to afford the majority of our food shop as organic. If there is an organic option we will buy it. The only time I won’t purchase organic is if there is not the option for that food product there. If I had it my way we would be 100% organic.
Here are the reasons why buying organic food is the right choice:
Organic food is great for the environment
Most people focus on the personal health benefits of organic food, but that’s only a part of why it’s so great. Organic food is much better for wildlife, our water supply and soil. Oh and even the bees. We’ve all heard there is a bee crisis and populations are dying out. Part of this problem is due to the chemical pesticides killing off the bees. The pesticides are toxic, not only to us, but to animals too. If that’s not bad enough these chemical pesticides and artificial fertilisers end up in our water supply, polluting it for us, marine life and land animals.
In 2011, the slug poison metaldehyde was found in 1/8 of England’s sources of drinking water – Source
That’s one reason I’ve started distilling our water at home for drinking and cooking, but perhaps the problem would be solved if farmers were only allowed to use natural fertilisers and pesticides. If all farming was organic then we wouldn’t have to worry about toxic chemicals ending up in our water supply.
One of the most used pesticide ingredients globally, and the worst, is glyphosate. I’m sure you’ve heard of it, or as it’s more commonly known – Roundup. It’s been a topic of hot debate with the EU disputing over whether to ban it, which unfortunately they did not, though many countries are going to ban its use anyway. Though its manufacturer claims it is perfectly safe, there are numerous scientific studies and reports claiming otherwise. Of course its manufacturer who relies on its profits will claim it is safe or fund a study to prove it so. I see this time and time again in industry funded research, yet independent tests often prove the exact opposite.
New scientific studies link Roundup, the world’s most common herbicide, to a host of health risks, such as cancer, miscarriages and disruption of human sex hormones – Source was motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/hazards-of-the-worlds-most-common-herbicide
Pretty shocking, especially as glyphosate is found in urine of people across America!
If you care about the health of our planet, then choosing organic food is a no brainer.
Organic food is great for us
It makes absolute sense that organic food is good for our health, yet still so many claim there is no difference. How can eating food containing toxic chemical pesticides daily be good for us? I bet if the chemicals used on non-organic produce had to be listed (which I think they should), then everyone would choose to buy organic. It’s crazy we even have to label it as organic and make it seem like an alternative choice. It should be the normal choice and only choice. Chemical filled foods should be the alternative, not the norm!
Chemical pesticides are toxic. They are designed to kill things. Of course they are not good for human consumption. Have you seen people who spray the fields? They are covered head to toe in protective gear as what they are spraying is a poison. Yet we are covering our food in it and have somehow found it normal to then eat it.
Yes, you might wash your fruit and veg, but that’s not enough. According to this study you’d have to wash your Gala apples in a water and baking soda mix for FIFTEEN minutes to remove most of the phosmet and thiabendazole (a fungicide and insecticide). Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve never known anyone to wash their fruit and veg for more than a few seconds in cold water only.
They also say: ‘Some of the pesticide passed beyond the apple’s surface, with thiabendazole going four times deeper than phosmet. None of the washing methods could fully remove the residue.’
So yes, definitely wash your non-organic produce, but don’t expect that you’re then eating a non-toxic piece of food.
See also: Residues of 123 pesticides found in UK children’s school fruit
Organic food is also more nutritious. A 2014 study showed antioxidants were much higher in organic food, as much as 69% higher for flavanones. They also found non-organic crops to have substantially more pesticide residues and a much higher level of the toxic metal cadmium. Organic food is therefore less dangerous and contains higher levels of vitamins and minerals compared to ‘normal’ food.
The soil used in organic farming plays a part in this as it is nourished through sustainable practices such as crop rotation allowing nutrients to replenish, rather than some conventional farming methods that overuse the same soil, with the same crops, depleting it of its goodness and having to rely on chemical fertilizers for nutrients instead. Organic farming methods allow the soil to naturally replenish itself improving its quality and providing us with natural nutrients from healthy soil.
Organic food tastes amazing
Let me start by saying that even if it didn’t taste better, even if it tasted worse, I’d still choose to eat organic food for the above reasons. Now I’ve not done a blind taste test, so perhaps it’s a placebo effect, but once we made the switch to organic fruit and veg a few years back, we were amazed by the taste.
Our first introduction to organic produce was through signing up to a weekly organic veg box delivered to our home with a surprise content of fruit and veg. Not only did this introduce us to a variety of new vegetables we had never tried or thought to buy before, but it was also our first introduction to organic veg that supported local farmers. I highly recommend a local organic box delivery as it also reduces packaging production and waste, so is another great way to look after our planet.
But the taste! As soon as we started receiving our veg box we were amazed by the taste of our food. We started making lots of soups and roast dinners to use all the veg and would sit through each meal making lots of ‘mmmmm’ noises as we ate. We were so impressed with how good our food tasted. I’m certain there is a difference. It also started us on our path to eat a lot more fruit and veg.
Organic food reduces the use of GMOs and growth hormones
I no longer eat meat or dairy, but if you do then you should choose organic. Non organic livestock are pumped with growth hormones to make them grow faster so the farmers can make more money quicker. You then consume the growth hormones in the meat and dairy you eat, but we all have to consume them from our water supply.
Plus non-organic animals are fed non-organic genetically modified feed. Whether GMOs are safe or not is another hotly debated topic. Again, I don’t believe they are and it is often the companies that produce them that insist they are.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the biotech companies that engineer GMOs insist they are safe, many food safety advocates point out that no long term studies have ever been conducted to confirm the safety of GMO use, while some animal studies have indicated that consuming GMOs may cause internal organ damage, slowed brain growth, and thickening of the digestive tract – Source
Ultimately, you shouldn’t eat meat or dairy at all. It’s not good for health, terrible for the planet and cruel to animals. Regardless, crops we eat can be genetically modified too, so read labels and avoid at all costs! Don’t choose to support this industry. It’s not right.
If you are sceptical about the safety and chemical components of the food or produce found in the supermarket, perhaps you can grow your own food, like mushrooms, root vegetables, fruits, and leafy greens. There are lots of grow kits for sale online or in physical stores, and knowing the entire farm-to-fork cycle of what you consume will certainly help assuage your fears about the safety of your food.
Sadly we are the experiment for genetically modified crops. I can only imagine in years to come we will look back and realise how idiotic we were to mess with the natural food supply. Though the companies that claim they are perfectly safe have conducted research on millions of animals fed GMOs, they can’t possibly have studied a lifetime or long-term effect of humans consuming GMOs through crops, animals or dairy. We are that experiment. As it’s impossible to test a long term study on humans quickly, tests have been undertaken on rats and the findings are shocking. Rats fed a lifetime of GM corn grew humungous tumours and suffered liver and kidney damage as well as premature deaths.
Choosing organic food is not only great for our own health, but the health of the animals we share this planet with and the health of the planet itself too. It’s a no brainer.
