Top 5 Reasons to Choose Organic Over Conventional Foods
Today, people are increasingly looking for solutions to eat better. They want to know where their food comes from and how it is processed. As a response to the increasing demand, the market for organic food has expanded rapidly.
But what makes organic food the preferable choice over conventional food? Organically grown products offer a multitude of benefits, and this article will highlight 5 of the biggest advantages of organic produce. But before we get into the fine details, it’s important to understand what organic really means.
What Does “Organic” Mean?
Organic refers to the production of food items without using the different components that constitute conventional farming. Think synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, artificial chemicals and additives, and growth regulators.
The produce can only be labeled organic if the soil on which it is cultivated shows no recorded use of pesticides and other chemicals for three years prior to the current harvest. Organic produce should also comply with the standards of organic farming.
What Is Organic Food?
In today’s world where pollution, environmental hazards, and questionable farming practices abound, the term “organic” has come to mean something much more than just a healthier alternative to conventional food items.
In the debate ensuing organic vs conventional and the health effects and benefits of each, organic or “healthy” food is bound to come up as a clear winner.
Why Is Organic Food Better Than Conventional?
Organic food was initially considered to be just a dietary requirement or a choice of health-conscious individuals. This healthy choice has now, however, become a movement toward consuming organic food.
The question, “is organic food better than conventional?” is one that is widely debated. But as people continue to learn the extent of the potential long-term effects of conventional food, they have begun exploring and accepting the organic food territory.
People opt to eat organic for a variety of reasons. This includes reduced pesticide exposure, health advantages, and concerns about the environment and animal welfare. Let us dig deeper into why organic food is better than conventional food.
1. Tastes Better
For most of us, taste is a defining factor in our food choices. We steer clear of a lot of healthy things because they don’t taste good and eat a lot of unhealthy ones because they do. The good news is, you don’t have to skip out on organic food because of potentially questionable taste.
As the soil used to grow organic food is well-maintained, balanced, and nutrient-dense, it adds to the taste of the food. The cultivation of organic food is thus often focused more on the taste than the appearance.
There are two main reasons that are believed to result in organic food tasting better than conventionally grown food. One is that organic food is devoid of chemicals. And the other is that the plants are allowed to grow at their own pace, without using synthetic fertilizers for speeding up the process, thus allowing for a healthier yield.
Research suggests that organic food contains significantly higher levels of antioxidants, which contributes to the outstanding flavor of organic food.
2. Contains More Nutrients
The soil used to grow organic food is well-maintained and nourished according to the criteria set for sustainable practices. It eliminates the need to add synthetic fertilizers.
This means, as opposed to their pesticide-laden counterparts, organic food will contain more enzymes, minerals, micronutrients, and vitamins, among other beneficial nutrients.
On average, the nutritional benefits of organic food include 21.1% more iron, 29.3% more magnesium, 13.6% more phosphorus, and 27% more vitamin C than their conventionally grown counterparts.
People who exhibit allergies to the chemicals and preservatives found in conventionally grown food may find their symptoms reducing when they switch to organic foods items. If the allergy is mild, it may even go away with time!
3. Fewer Pesticides
Conventionally grown food items contain a plethora of pesticides. Pesticides are chemical substances used to kill or repel rodents or anything that can be considered a “pest.”
The National Academy of Sciences claims that 90% of the chemicals applied to food are yet to undergo any tests. This means that even if your conventionally grown food is deemed “safe to consume” by the FDA, it may still negatively affect your health.
Eating organic is thus the safest way to ensure your food is not laden with chemical poisons as their use is strictly monitored during production. Of course, this does not mean organic food is completely devoid of pesticides. Some farmers do use pesticides, but as they’re primarily derived from natural substances, there are little to no side effects involved.
4. Better For The Environment
Chemicals and pesticides impact our environment, and not in a good way either. Conventional methods of farming and production can pollute our environment, downgrade the value of fertile soils, and poison the water supplies — all the essentials we require to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Organic farming standards eliminate the use of toxic chemicals, thus helping reduce pollution and protecting soil and water. Organic farming also supports biodiversity and contributes toward preserving our ecosystems by giving wildlife, birds, and microorganisms a healthy, chemical-free environment to thrive in.
By indulging in farming techniques such as crop rotation, organic farming can also help preserve agricultural diversity. It allows us to retain different varieties of a single crop without losing them to droughts, pests, and pesticides.
5. Helps Support Farming Directly
There is no question that farming is an extremely difficult job. It requires months of toiling in the field under the blazing sun to achieve the desired plant growth. Pair this with the puny profit margin it offers, and it’s understandable why a lot of farmers look for alternative means of livelihood.
For years now, farm bills involving an inordinate amount of money have been favoring commercial agribusiness to keep this important venture running. Eating organic can drive this needless expense away. It not only benefits your health but also saves billions of tax dollars.
Additionally, agricultural pesticides can pose adverse health effects to the farmers and other farm helpers working and living in close vicinity to the agricultural lands. Organic farming can reduce this risk substantially.
Choose Better
With so many organic brands on the market today, it can be pretty intimidating to make decisive healthy choices. Luckily, here at California Ranch Market we make it easy for you by meticulously selecting the best organic products and making them available to our Los Cabos community.
California Ranch Market offers a wide range of organic foods, including Better Booch Kombucha Ginger Boost that improves digestion and brain function; The Cabo Coffee Co Medium Roast Ground Organic Beans that start your mornings off right; Vizania Chia Seeds renowned for its natural properties inclusive of dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals; and Horizon Whole Milk Organic that contains no added hormones, antibiotics, persistent pesticides, and GMO’s. It’s a one-stop shop for all your organic needs.
Wrapping Up
Knowing what we know today about the extent of benefits of organic farming, there should be nothing stopping us from making the switch to organic food.
It’s time we make sustainable, responsible, and healthy choices today.
References:
https://www.viralspices.com/blog/5-reasons-on-why-you-should-start-preferring-organic-products
https://www.onlyorganic.org/15-reasons-to-eat-organic/
https://www.naturespath.com/en-ca/blog/11-reasons-why-organic-food-is-better-for-you-the-planet/