When you think about food and your health as it relates to cost; do you buy expensive organic food and get less or do you opt for cheaper food that may have a negative impact on your health. Is organic really worth your hard earned cash or is it all just some huge hoax made up by the food industry to make more money? Below are the pro’s and con’s of ‘going organic.’ You be the judge!
In a recent study done by The Swedish Environmental Research Institute, researchers tested a young family that had been on a typical diet that didn’t consist of any organic food. Samples were taken measuring the amount of pesticides already in their bodies before their food was replaced with organic food. The study found that when all of their normal food was replaced with organically grown food, the levels of pesticides in their bodies decreased by 90%. (source )
For many, this research would lead to ‘going organic’. But, there are some that say it doesn’t matter if you’re eating organic or not.
Let’s be clear and define the terms. What does organic really mean? When something is certified organic, that food is said to be, “grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms, or ionizing radiation. Animals that produce meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products do not take antibiotics or growth hormones.” (source)
The problem with food that’s not organic is that you’re ingesting harmful pesticides with every bite. We don’t know a lot about the long-term effects of pesticides, however, we do know the primary use of pesticides, which is to “attack, seduce, and destroy or mitigate any pest”. (source) So how could something so deadly to pests possibly be safe for us to eat?
On the flip-side, a new study published by the American College of Physicians reviewed over 200 studies regarding this matter, and concluded that “organic foods do not have higher vitamin or mineral content than the same foods grown using conventional methods.” (source)
*Keep in mind that this research doesn’t address any pesticides.
There is much debate over whether organic is the right way to go. What do you think? Have you ‘gone organic”? If so, how does eating organic food make you feel physically? Do you have more or less energy because of eating strictly organic foods? Do you even notice a difference? Let us know your experience!
Christina
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