Any advantage to eating organic foods?

1. 60

   lizmoss71posted 14 years ago

   I understand that organic foods are thought to be better for our environment, through not using harmful pesticides etc.
   
   But I was wondering if there was any health benefit to eating organic food? Does it actually make any difference to us whether we eat an organic apple or a normal one, for example?
   
   I have never bought organic food, it seems like an extravagant waste of money at a time when money is tight, but I would love to know if there are any good reasons for me to change my ways.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      nlowmanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I wondered this as well. Info I received was from "Healing and Preventing Autism," which I read to get a better understanding of some things I could do to help my brother. Anyway...there's a whole discussion about different diets as therapy for the young-uns, and organic diets were among those touched upon.
      Other than being environmentally sustainable, an argument for our own health is that the veggies and fruits themselves may actually contain higher levels of the nutrients we need. Reason being that because there are no such pesticides, the plants have to be stronger to survive the elements and thus maintain a higher level of healthful goodness.
      I, myself, don't eat organic, nor am I a scientist or doctor or anything. Just something I read written by Dr. Jerry Kartzinel, who worked with Jenny McCarthy on the book I mentioned above.

      replyreport
   2. 76

      sarovaiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      What about the price of organic food?

      replyreport
      1. 66

         edguiderposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         I would go only organic if I can afford it. the fact is that all organic food I find is much more expensive

         replyreport
         1. 54

            joemerintposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Most consumers can afford organic, but they choose not to. If you can afford bottled water, soda, candy, alcohol, cigs, dunkin donuts... etc, then you can afford organic. Its just a matter of choice. Not to mention all the other material goods we spend our money on. Nothing is more important than your health, and the health of the environment. Not everyone agrees, which is fine, but unless you actually live below the poverty line, you can afford organic food.
            
            Also remember that organic is not subsidized by the gov't. Conventional crops receive subsidies to the tune of $20 billion.

            replyreport
   3. 82

      kerrygposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Organic food has several health benefits.
      
      First, you're not eating pesticide residues and other harmful and potentially harmful chemicals. This is pretty straightforward.
      
      Second, some organic food is more nutritious. This depends much more on the farm, since the nutritional content of the food depends a lot on how good the soil is.
      
      Organic food grown in depleted soil will be less nutritious than conventional food grow in good soil, and you will find a number of studies online claiming that organic foods are less nutritious because they tested foods grown in fields that had recently been switched to organic after years of conventional cultivation.
      
      However, because organic food in general puts more emphasis on improving soil for the long term rather than using quick-fix fertilizers, organic food in general is likely to be more nutritious. Again, though, it depends on the farm, and you do get industrial-scale organic farmers who exploit every possible loophole to take advantage of the organic label without actually producing better quality food. Some of the big organic dairies and egg farms are especially notorious for this, which is sad because milk and eggs are two of the foods that have the biggest improvement in nutritional quality when they are raised using true organic techniques.

      replyreport
   4. 77

      psycheskinnerposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      No studies so far have shown organic food to be more nutritious in any measureable way.

      replyreport
      1. 59

         TVTopTenposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Exactly. Plus, think about something like a banana. The only part of it that would have pesticides is the skin...But you do not eat the skin correct?
         
         Also, thinking about the environment. You know how much more food goes to waste when you grow organic food? Plus, since you need to have a piece of land that is pesticide-free many are cutting down old forests to grow organically on them.

         replyreport
2. 60

   katiem2posted 14 years ago

   Funny you should ask, I'm just working on a Diet Detox Hub which talks about the vital importance of organic foods.
   
   I'll go finish it and come back posting it here as it has the answer to your question.
   
   I'm a long time fan and believer in all things Organic

   replyreport
   1. 60

      katiem2posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Here's the link ... http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Detox-Diet- … ox-My-Body

      replyreport
      1. 60

         lizmoss71posted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Thanks Katie, that's a really useful hub:)

         replyreport
         1. 60

            katiem2posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Your very welcome do be sure to watch the video at the end, it's all about what's organic and why!  Much Health to you! 

            replyreport
      2. 0

         Home Girlposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         My problem with "Organic": who is the judge? Who can prove that this stinking carrot is organic? P-r-o-v-e-e-e, please!!!! Anybody can write organic and charge you twice, can't they? That's my point. Seriously, it's very hard to prove. Nowadays everything is contaminated. You have to go to Amazon jungles to get some organic.

         replyreport
         1. 60

            katiem2posted 14 years agoin reply to this

            That one idea and we can only hope that as it gains in popularity it will be as close to organic as it gets.   Bottom line is chemicals are bad and the more of them we remove from our food process the better.
            
            You do make a good point.  As people demand better hopefully we'll get better.

            replyreport
         2. 80

            classicalgeekposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            If you buy food at the farmers' market you get to know the farmers. I grow part of my own food, so I know for a fact it's organic; and I have been invited out to the farms to tour them, too, after talking with the organic farmers out there.
            
            By the way, there is a certification, although it doesn't have much teeth. Your best bet is to build a relationship with a farmer. You could also try a CSA (community sustainable agriculture) co-op.

            replyreport
3. 65

   Mishaposted 14 years ago

   You are what you eat. Literally

   replyreport
   1. 76

      sarovaiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      salute.

      replyreport
   2. 57

      gcarswellposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Here, here!!!  You are so right, and I have been a strong believer of YAWYE for many years.

      replyreport
4. 85

   rebekahELLEposted 14 years ago

     if you live near a farmer's market, buying fresh and local makes a difference. often you can find an organic farmer. in the stores, you can start with the foods that have the highest amounts of pesticide residue. most people can't afford to buy all organic, so pick what your family consumes the most. I have a hub which may be helpful. http://hubpages.com/hub/-Important-Tips … ods-To-Buy
   
   some grocery stores are supplying more fresh organic food and it has to be labeled [US] with the USDA Organic seal. produce should have a 5 digit code starting with 9. non-organic has a 4 digit code.

   replyreport
5. 0

   girly_girl09posted 14 years ago

   Last month, I switched over to a 90-95% organic diet. I no longer eat any processed foods and basically shop at my local farmer's market, whole foods and other local health food stores.
   
   I have easily lost 10 lbs without any additional exercise and am a LOT less bloated.
   
   I feel absolutely amazing; my energy is absolutely unbelievable. It feels like I'm drinking coffee all day long, without the jitters. I sleep so much better, too. I also don't eat after 9pm and feel so well-rested and alert in the morning.
   
   My mental acuity is much sharper and overall, I have a better sense of well-being; I feel happier all the time, for no reason.
   
   Oh - and I no longer get intense food cravings like I used to (I think this is my favorite part of eating organic because I feel totally in control).
   
   Organic foods contain significantly higher amounts of nutrients as they are not genetically modified and sprayed with junk.
   
   Eating organic is expensive, but it is worth it. I no longer need 3pm lattes to keep me going.
   
   If you can't afford to go all organic (which I strongly recommend if you can find the means to do it! just think, you can't go out to eat as much unless there are organic restaurants around where you live), you most definitely want to replace your meats and dairy with organic kinds (they taste better, too!). Meat and dairy you buy at the grocery store is amped up with growth hormones and anti-biotics. This is why little girls are getting their periods at age 9 and our general population is starting to become resistant to anti-biotics when we actually need them!
   
   I know for certain that eating processed and hormone infused meat really affected by body - since switching over, I have been having changes in my menstrual cycle that can only be attributed by the hormones in my body finally regulating themselves naturally. I have only been eating this way one month, but my first period was "normal" in length and flow and I hadn't experienced that for probably a few years; I didn't even feel that I was anemic like I usually do. My hormones are still changing as I've been spotting A LOT, but I know this will eventually regulate itself. I feel weird writing about this online lol (sorry men), but for me, this obvious change in my hormones says a LOT about what "mainstream" food can do to your body!!!
   
   The sad thing is, people won't realize how food they eat at most restaurants and fast food joints and food they buy in the grocery store makes them feel sick, lethargic, depressed, etc., until they switch over to organic.
   
   You'll see a major difference!

   replyreport
   1. 57

      gcarswellposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I am certainly no expert on this subject.  I can only go on my own personal experience.  About 6 months ago after viewing the documentary film "Farm, Inc.", I was truly sickened by what is going on with the factory farms in this country.  Also, being an avid animal lover, it was very hard for me to watch.  However, I made a concious decision then and there to stop supporting the beef, pork and poultry industries and buy only organic meats, if I ate meat at all.  I have become very aware of who is producing my food and where it comes from.  This, in itself, led to a much healthier way of eating. 
      
      The point I am trying to make here is that after about 6 weeks, without conciously trying to diet, I noticed one day that I had dropped about 10 pounds with no effort whatsoever.  I was also much less bloated feeling, and had much more energy.  Not my imagination..........my husband said he had noticed the same thing with himself (and we had not even said anything to each other beforehand), which confirms to me the benefits of this much healthier way of eating.
      
      I could go on and on about this since I am now such a true believer.  I do think, however, that you must be careful about buying a product and shelling out much money just because it says it's organic.  I grow most of my own organic vegetables, so I don't worry about those so much, but organic milk is definitely worth the price.  It does taste tremendously better and lasts much, much longer than regular milk.

      replyreport
6. 56

   Sab Ohposted 14 years ago

   Biggest scam since hybrid cars.

   replyreport
   1. 60

      Seakayposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      In general, I eat very healthy.  I'm a vegetarian.  I don't eat meat but I do eat chicken. 
      
      I am leary about eating organic food.  I believe I must agree with Sab Oh.  However, if you believe it is better, and you feel it is the best thing since sliced bread, that's great!  I'm just not at that point yet.

      replyreport
   2. 54

      joemerintposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      As humans, we have been eating organic food since the beginning of time. Synthetic chemicals, artificial ingredients and genetically engineered foods were not introduced into our food system until the 20th century.
      
      If anything the processed food of the last century is the scam.

      replyreport
7. 62

   Lisa HWposted 14 years ago

   To me, it stands to reason that not eating anything with chemicals in it/on it has to be a healthier way to go (from that standpoint).  There's another standpoint, though:   Two weeks ago we had a news report about Black Widow Spiders showing up more and more on produce, because growers in California aren't using pesticides.  I, personally, think I'd rather potentially knock a few years off my life than be dealing with Black Widow Spiders showing up on my grapes and heading off into my closet to lay a nest somewhere.  It's not just things like spiders, though.  I won't buy things like organic fruit juice because I want to feel safer when it comes to bacteria and whatever else some non-organic processing usually takes care of.
   
   When my kids were little I was more cautious about chemicals; but even then, there were some foods I wouldn't have wanted organic.  Of course, I don't think people ought to be eating animals anyway; so if they get sick from chemicals or whatever else might be in animal products maybe there's a message to be taken from that.
   
   So, is organic food worth the price?  I think it is, if someone doesn't mind paying the price of getting rid of chemicals that once eliminated a lot of other kinds of health disasters.  My personal preference is that I'd be willing to pay more money for food that isn't organic (call me, "ignorant" or "wacky" or whatever - but I still prefer my contaminants to be of the chemical variety, rather than the biological variety).  Life wasn't all that great when all foods were organic.

   replyreport
8. 29

   max-gxl1posted 14 years ago

   I am around farmers all the time. I have observed a few things over the years. One they do use chemicals to kill weeds and to kill bugs. The chemicals used to kill weeds is put on before the crop even comes up, and on average only lasts about 30 days.
   
   Organic farmers do not use these chemicals. They also have smaller crop yields and sometimes loose the whole crop. If they don't spray imagine all the little pests in the food. I find it absolutely nasty. I would rather eat food thats been sprayed, just wash it off good before eating it. The chemicals farmers use are heavily diluted with water anyway. I don't see that the chemicals are that harmful to us. Most people breath in smog that is worse than the chemicals farmers use.
   
   Im not against healthy foods and drinks this is just something I have observed. <snipped link - do not self-promote in the forums>

   replyreport
9. 49

   inkspotterposted 14 years ago

   Organic foods are more expensive. It is usually a smaller farmer that is not subsidized by the government and so it takes more money to produce. Did you know a lot of the foods are irradiated that we eat? You lose a lot of the nutritional content in the food when that is done. People are not in the news getting sick all the time from bugs crawling on organic food. What is in the news is ecoli and other bacteria making people sick from non-organic foods. Would you grow a garden of fresh beautiful vegetables in your back yard and then spray Roundup on them to kill the surrounding weeds and then...put them on your table to serve? I won't. I take the time to weed knowing the only thing on my veggies are maybe a bug or two that I can wash off. If spraying these pesticides are not harmful, how come they have to wear protective clothing and gear while doing it? It is harmful people. It's done because it makes farming cheaper to do than paying people to weed. In doing so, we have also created weeds that are now immune to Roundup and bugs immune to pesticides. We also get a lot of our fruit from other countries whose standards are not even close to ours. Do you really know what you are eating?

   replyreport
10. 0

    wademcmasterposted 14 years ago

    Organic Food is a healthy option due to the fact that most food these days is produced to sell, and therefore certain ingredients that dont do our bodies much good, that we cant notice, go in as a side effect of that (eg preservatives, colouring, etc).  The food business is exactly a business, fined tuned products.  Food grown naturally and sold as is is free of all the artificial chemicals and addins that cause these problems.  but it goes further, even when fruit  or veges are picked, there is a certain amount of tie before the nutrient start to disappear, so frozen vegetables and the way to go there.  I go go on for hours but bascially, if its natural, the body can handle natural food. If its contains artifical ingredients, its like mixing a little softdrink with your fuel, and running your car on it - not ideal.

    replyreport
11. 90

    gracenotesposted 14 years ago

    I like to buy organic, but really prefer it be locally grown.  That way, I can be sure of its freshness.  The certified organic stuff at the supermarket -- who knows how long it took to get here?
    
    The little gardening that I do is all organic.
    
    If you can find an organic farmer to trade with -- great!  We used to have one that wasn't too far away.  At one point, she detected some soil imbalances, and did not want to sell her produce again until the problems were corrected.  She had integrity, and harvested your custom order the same day that you picked it up.  Wish she still lived around here.

    replyreport