Do you select organic food over regular produce? Are you aware of the benefits of organic products? Organic products can be very beneficial to your health and well-being.
Buying and eating healthy food has become more popular and almost trendy. Organic labels can be seen on many products in different stores. Children are also being catered for such as organic baby milk formula that’s now available as an alternative to chemically filled milk formulas.
Consumers have turned their focus to clean eating and clean living, but what does it really mean to follow a clean lifestyle? Let’s start right at the beginning. Organic farmers take extra care to offer consumers products free of harmful chemicals such as synthetic pesticides and irradiation.
Animals sold as organic, live off food grown organically on the farm. Animals on organic farms aren’t exposed to synthetic growth hormones, making them a healthier food option especially for children.
What Are Pesticides?
Farmers often have a difficult time getting rid of insects and weeds destroying their produce. Pesticides are used on vegetables and fruit to kill these pests.
There are two main types of pesticides:
- Biological: Living organisms that thrive on eating or killing insects. Examples of biological pesticides include fungi or viruses.
- Chemical: Pesticide compounds are carefully formulated and sprayed or dusted over plants.
Why Synthetic Growth Hormones Are Bad for Your Health
Do you know why hormones are placed in food in the first place? Hormones injected in for instance chickens can make them grow twice or even three times as fast in size as they normally would. This is a very unnatural way to get more meat out of the animal. Some dairy cows are also injected with hormones to produce more milk.
Hormones such as oestrogens and testosterone are naturally produced by the body and necessary for healthy development. But when your body receives an additional dose of these hormones over a prolonged time period, it might put you as risk for health problems including:
- Cancer
- Rapid and abnormal growth in children
- Enlarged organs in children
- Skin concerns such as acne
Organic products offer a natural alternative to synthetic products. There are many benefits when you’re selecting organic food and products. Let’s look at some of them.
Happy Soil
The chemicals farmers use to kill insects or pests do more than that. It kills all living organisms except for the fruit or plant that’ll be sold to consumers. This means the natural fertilisers in the soil are also removed & replaced with synthetic fertilisers.
Worms need dead plants and organisms to be able to live, whereas birds need the worms in the soil to live. Killing the organisms and worms can lead to a shortage of food for the birds, thus breaking the whole food chain cycle.
Because organic farmers don’t use chemicals, the soil stays healthy and full of oxygen and organisms. The healthy balance in the soil plays an important role in keeping the food chain balance normal.
Love Your Neighbours
Chemicals used in farming cause air pollution and contaminate water. When you support organic farming, you’re also supporting healthier lifestyles for the farmers and surrounding communities.
Cost Less on Tax
If this doesn’t change your mind about organic products, I don’t know what will! Your tax money is given to large farming industries yearly as subsidies to support the harvest of produce, maintenance & cleaning of farms.
These subsidies are millions and sometimes close to billions of dollars in tax per year. Organic farmers don’t form part of the larger scale farming so you’re not wasting money on unnecessary used chemicals when you’re buying organic products.
Taste Bud Pleasers
Chemicals remove healthy nutrients and vitamins which are found in natural soil. Apart from the vegetables and fruit being healthier, they also have more flavour; in short, it tastes better. Organic fruits and vegetables are also fresher as they don’t contain preservatives.
An animal in stress secretes hormones and can turn a tender steak into a tough & tasteless piece of meat. Free range animals are naturally less stressed and therefore produce tastier, healthier food. Organically produced products such as organic health bars and organic baby milk formula also tend to taste better.
Lower Allergy Risk
Chemicals are not just found in your food but are also added to cosmetics, cleaning agents and daily essentials such as body lotions.
Children are at high risk for allergic reactions to chemicals as their skin barriers and digestive systems aren’t fully developed yet. Some marketers have formulated organic, child friendly products such as organic readymade food and top organic formula to avoid allergic reactions.
Eczema and related skin conditions have been on the increase in the last 10 years. Consumers blame the chemical quantities in pharmaceuticals and basic products such as soap.
More or less 30% of infants might have an allergic reaction to normal household laundry powder or detergents due to the chemicals and unnatural ingredients it contains.
Selecting organic products such as organic lotions or organic soap will minimise your family’s risk to exposure to harmful compounds and also limit risks of allergic reactions.
Let’s Talk About GMO’s
Genetically modified organisms is a term used when the DNA in plants or animals are changed unnaturally. Organic farming is naturally GMO free so you don’t have to worry about man made DNA that can be faulty.
You’re Most Likely Supporting a Small Business
Supporting small scale farmers is a great way to influence the economy positively. Small businesses most often than not offer quality products than can be trusted and linked back to the origin should there be any concerns.
What Will You Do Now?
You are exposed to millions of chemicals a day without realising it. Changing to an organic lifestyle—and even starting early by teaching good habits to your children with organic milk for babies—can help minimise the amount of unnatural and harmful substances your household gets into contact with.
The change to a healthier life, mind and body starts with the label on your products. Make the right decision for your family.
