Three Scientific Reasons to Eat Organic Food

If you have been thinking of going organic, science has your back.

In recent years there has been a huge uptick in the availability and popularity of organic foods. Especially in this country, where regulations are so relaxed that some of us literally pour poison into our coffee in the morning, its more important than ever to think about what you are eating.

When if comes to your overall health, what you choose to put in your body is one of the most important things to consider. Our diet effects every facet of our health, from how much energy we have, to the way our minds function. So while there are plenty of environmental reasons to go organic, for the purposes of this article we will focus on three important scientific reasons why organic food may be right for you.

The lack of pesticides and heavy metals. The biggest draw of organic foods is that they are grown without the use of artificial fertilizers, heavy metals, and synthetic pesticides. Many of the things that farmers spray on their crops have been deemed carcinogenic in recent years, and can lead to a slew of health problems with repeated exposure including developmental delays in infants.

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The lack of antibiotics and synthetic hormones. When it comes to meat and livestock, many farmers turn to the use of hormones and antibiotics to fatten up their herd, produce more meat, gain more weight, and produce more milk. I don’t have to tell you that anything you consume directly affects your own body, so consuming all these synthetic substances through the food you eat can lead to health problems such as cancer. Organic meat and dairy products cannot contain hormones and antibiotics like these, so they are inherently safer.

Healthy fats and antioxidants. Organic foods offer more healthy omega-3 fatty acids, with meat and dairy containing as much as 50% more of these fats than their non-organic counterparts. A recent study found that organic onions had about 20% more antioxidant content than non-organic options. While this is only one study, the argument for organic foods containing more antioxidants makes sense, and in no way detracts from the health benefits of organic food overall.

So, the moral of the story is that if you can afford to go organic (it is slightly more expensive), it can not only improve your overall health, but also help prevent diseases, especially those caused by the harmful chemicals we ingest.

With all the relaxed regulations of this current administration, there really has never been a better time to go organic.