The best way to get the nutrients you need for good health is through food, and organic foods are a pesticide-free source of natural vitamins and minerals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture establishes the regulations for growing, handling and processing all types of foods, including organic foods. Many consumers now look for the USDA Organic Certification insignia when they shop.
Organic Food Regulations
To receive the USDA Organic certification, plants must be raised by organic methods using no synthetic chemical herbicides or insecticides. They cannot be modified or bio-engineered in any way. Producers may not use sewage-sludge fertilizers. Organic livestock must be fed only feed that was raised organically, with no animal by-products, and no antibiotics or growth hormones added. The animals must have outdoor access.
Nutritional Value
The nutritional value of organic foods has not been shown to be significantly different from conventionally raised food. The American Dietetic Association points out that the nutritional value of any crop depends on many variables, such as the mineral content of the soil in which it is grown or the mineral content of water used for irrigation.
Cost
Organic foods cost slightly more than foods raised conventionally. More intensive labor for growing and harvesting as well as attentive packing and storage techniques contribute to the higher cost. For peak freshness, organic foods must be moved quickly from field to table, because they do not contain preservatives. In contrast, the Helpguide website explains, traditionally grown, non-organic foods are often picked green, shipped and gassed to ripen later. Non-organic foods also may be chemically treated or genetically modified to appear fresh for unnaturally long periods of time.
Safety
Because they are raised without synthetic herbicides or insecticides, many of which contain known carcinogens, organic foods are safer for consumption than their chemically grown counterparts. Organic production methods are also safer for the environment, Helpguide reports. Organic methods include sustainable soil-building practices, wise use of resources, and they do not contribute synthetic, poisonous chemicals to the air, soil and water.
Organic whole-food supplements use natural vitamins derived from organically raised foods. The Natural Brands website notes that because the food sources are chemical-free to begin with, the nutrients they contain are safe, natural compounds of the highest quality, easily assimilated by your body.
Organic Vitamin Supplements
Synthetic vitamin supplements are chemicals manufactured in a laboratory to have molecular structures similar to natural vitamin molecules. The PhytoVitamins website explains that organic vitamin supplements are made from whole foods that contain the complete, natural vitamin compounds nature intended your body to use. Organic vitamin supplements are a good way to get the same natural vitamins you would get from eating organic foods, which may not always be available in your grocery.
Member Comments