“Organic” literally took the country by storm a few years ago and became the fad. Celebrities espoused the organic diet, while designers used organic materials in creating their designs, and farm markets became the favorite shopping destinations.
There are those who agreed that it is correct to follow this new fad. There might have been, to others, grave experiences that prompted them to adopt an organic lifestyle. It is also possible that some were interested enough to want to know more. Anyway, a large segment of the population is influenced enough to shift to what they thought as living a healthier life, which benefits the suppliers in terms of higher sales as well as the consumers who are willing to pay a little more in exchange for a healthy diet.
Thus, why choose organic and is it the correct way?
Organic means that food is not genetically altered by man-made preservatives, chemicals, fertilizers, colorings or additives. Concerning meat, the animals are not given antibiotics or growth hormones and are instead bred the natural way.
Organic diet is beneficial in many ways. These are:
The use of pesticides in organic food production is largely prohibited, so it contains as much as 70% less than what is found in conventional food.
Organic food does not contain any artificial substances like food colorings and flavors, preservatives, nitrites and sulphites, sweeteners and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Organic food is improved with the use of natural substances like honey and grape juice.
Salicylic acid, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus can be found in higher concentrations in different organic foods.
In the production of organic livestock, antibiotics or growth boosters are not used, whereas non-organic livestock makes intensive use of artificial substances for larger and fatter meat products. Cattle for example are grown and developed naturally without infusion of synthetics in their systems.
Another advantage of organic food is that there are no Genetically Engineered (GE) components present and neither are GE seeds or irradiation system are used. As an alternative, the farmers rotate their crops and use natural composts to improve the soil nutrients of their farms.
So, given the choice, would you prefer organic? Yes, without any hesitation and doubt. Because organic products are comparatively costlier, the financially challenged consumer should limit his consumption to a few items (milk, eggs, fruit, vegetables and the likes) until such time as he is in a better financial shape.
Author bio: Sheryl Sandidge is a researcher and author for the food calorie chart and unhealthy food websites.