Organic Health Food - Great Taste And Good For You
Why is organic health food so important, because in your quest to give your family the best diet possible, you often include a plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables. Did you know some of them aren’t as healthy as they should be? Many studies have concluded that the growing conditions of the vegetables and fruit, makes a difference in not just the health benefits, but also the potential for toxins in the vegetables.
Studies done in Van, Turkey and West Bengal, India found that high levels of heavy metals like lead and zinc were present in the water system. When vegetables received that water during irrigation, they contained an abundant amount of the same metals. The study’s goal was to find out why there was a higher rate of upper GI cancer in the region and the conclusion was that the heavy metal concentration might be the cause.
Studying the ground contaminants and composition isn’t new. In the 1920’s, a small town in Indiana had a high incidence of tooth decay and loss among its young men and women. The agriculture teacher investigated and found that the soil contained very little calcium. When that was added, not only was the produce improved so was the dental health.
If, the addition of important minerals to the soil improves the quality of the produce, the alternate conclusion is just as viable. Toxins, pesticides, bacteria and pathogens also can find their way into the food system if good sanitation, abuse of chemicals and impure irrigation water is used. This brings us to the conclusion that organically grown vegetables and fruits may be the answer to the new dilemma of eating.
Organic farmers have stringent rules and regulations that they have to follow before they can identify their produce as organic health food. These processes involve inspections that check the management and cleanliness of the farm. They look for signs of chemical pesticide and herbicide evidence and good organic practices that work with Mother Nature, rather than against her. Organic farmers use only organic feed for animals, don’t give growth hormones, antibiotics and medications to spur growth but use practices to prevent disease. Some of the preventive measures are simply clean housing, organic feed and access to the outside.
If the fruit, vegetable or meat has the label, USDA Organic, it means that not just the farmer, but those that handle and process the food later in the chain have passed rigorous tests and inspections. The product they produce is at least 95% organic. If the word organic appears on the product anywhere, then it has to be at least 70% organic.
The farming methods used not only reduce the potential of harmful bacteria and toxins, but it also is an earth friendly method of growing. While no studies show that organically grown food contains more nutrients, the knowledge necessary to be an organic farmer, and methods of creating good soil conditions, offer a potential for more nutrients and fewer undesirable materials.
You could purchase any type of fruit or vegetable and feel safe if you peel it and wash it well before consumption, or boil it clean, but that defeats the purpose of eating fresh. Many of the nutrients are just below the skin’s surface and easily peeled away. Not all fresh fruits and vegetables lend themselves to cooking, or lose valuable nutrients when they are cooked.
Choosing USDA Organic vegetables costs a little more, but you guarantee that the level of cleanliness deters the potential of food poisoning and toxic ingestion of chemicals and heavy metals. This is what organic health food is all about.
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