Organic Foods and Benefits
If you ever open your refrigerator and wonder how to eat more healthfully, many possibilities come to mind, one of the first being organic grocery shopping. Organic grocery shopping can help promote improved farming practices as well as insure your family eats better. Consider the health and community benefits of organic grocery shopping.
What are organic foods? Basically, organic means foods that are in accordance with specific production standards. They don’t have regular pesticides sprayed on them, they have not been cultivated with manmade fertilizer or sewage trash, and they don’t have food additives also. Most countries will not allow growers to call genetically modified fruits or vegetables organic. You’ll also find that organic meats have not had antibiotics used on them or growth hormones.
A growing concern in non-organic foods is a substance called DDT, or hexachlorobenzene. DDT has been proven to cause cancer in humans, over time this substance breaks down to DDE (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene) DDE and DDD (dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane) they are chemicals similar to DDT that contaminate commercial DDT preparations. DDE has no commercial use. DDD was also used to kill pests, but its use has also been banned. Other minor symptoms linked to the consumption of pesticides are headaches, tremor, lack of energy, depression, anxiety, poor memory, dermatitis, convulsions, nausea, indigestion and diarrhea.
Where can organic foods be found? Your local grocery is the best place to find organic foods for your family. There is typically an area for organic foods. Community-backed agricultural programs which give you an interest in local farms and joining a co-op in your area are great ways to access organic foods. A farmer’s market in your area is also a good place to go to during the summer.
If you are worried about taste, a study done by Washington State University in Pullman, published in the April 19, 2001 issue of the journal of Nature, showed that an organic apples vs. a non-organic apples were more favorable due to being more sweet based on the ratio of sugar content to acidity
There are people who feel there is little to no benefit between organic vs. non-organic, please do your research and you will see a major difference. Take the next step to a healthier lifestyle and don’t forget to look for organic groceries when making your diet healthier. Be sure to take advantage of all options available in your local area.