Why Eat Organic Food

I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright. Henry David Thoreau

Indeed, the closest we take our health related habits to what Nature intended them to be, the healthier and fitter we are likely to become! I know, I know, now you'll say that you follow a strict diet of healthy foods like fresh greens, dietary fibers, necessary vitamins, minerals and proteins and low fats and carbs, religiously follow a 30-minutes-everyday workout regime, etc. etc. etc. - how much more healthy can you get? Well, let's talk about the aforementioned healthy food items for the time being - it's true that they are healthy when you look at their nutritional face value.

However, what would you say if I told you that there is a way you can get more health out of these very same food items? Hell, no! That's not a rhetorical question, mind you! You REALLY can get more health out of what you eat by choosing their organic alternatives! Why eat organic food? What additional good can they possibly do that the regular non-organic stuff doesn't? Curious questions and justified skepticism - scroll down for rational elucidations.

About Organic Food

Let's begin with what organic food really means. Contrary to what most people think, organic food is NOT unprocessed food alone! Organic food is any food which is produced - food grains, vegetables, poultry, meat cattle, dairy, etc. - by using inputs that are natural and not artificial. In other words, any crop that is grown or food article that is produced using industrially produced chemical fertilizers, man-made pesticides, genetically engineered organisms or exposure to any sort of radiation is excluded from the purview of organic food. Therefore, organic food is the closest we can get to what nature intended for us to derive nutrition from! The organic food industry is tightly regulated by very stringent standards concerning methods of food production and the categories and quality of inputs used for the same. The methods and inputs themselves are stringently regulated by various quality control measures to ensure that the resultant produce retain as much of their natural properties as possible without coming in contact with any sort of contamination caused by man-made chemicals and artificial interference.

Advantages of Going Organic

Is organic food better for you? Well, considering that you don't run the risk, irrespective of the magnitude of such a risk, of consuming or being exposed to artificially made chemicals and synthetically modified particles and objects, it can safely be said that organic food is definitely better than non organic food. The benefits of organic food do not just add to your own health and longevity but also positively affect the environment. By not using chemical fertilizers and pesticides, soil and water pollution are avoided which, in turn, reduces the overall environmental pollution by a significant proportion. It improves soil quality by retaining the natural minerals and soil erosion is also checked to a great extent. Organic farming and organic food production saves a lot of energy and costs as natural fertilizers and pesticides are cheaper than the chemical ones as most of them are naturally occurring and require minimum processing to make them suitable for agricultural purposes. Also, lesser processing means lesser energy consumption and that automatically translates into lesser energy subsidies to be borne by the government!

Now, coming to the health benefits, the fact that most of the natural minerals and vitamins are retained due to the exclusion of artificial chemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers and preservatives, food is healthier and tastes better! Secondly, unnecessary exposure to genetically modified ingredients is ruled out, preventing a lot of health risks associated with their consumption. Due to absence of exposure to harmful chemicals, the farm workers are also safe from chemical reactions and unnecessary exposure to radiations. Therefore, toxin free food, a less polluted environment and significant savings in terms of energy and costs are reasons good enough to consider switching to organic food. Still wondering why eat organic food? It's time you started wondering "Why not?"!