Introduction
The controversial debate as to whether organic foods are healthier for human consumption has taken centre stage for the past six decades. The proponents of organic foods believe that organic foods have greater benefits as compared to conventional foods, while the opponents believe they have are unsafe. Under such circumstances, consumer research is paramount, as it is the one to establish what consumers say about organic foods.
Amazingly, numerous consumer reports confirm what the consumers have been saying right from the start – that organic foods are not only nourishing and harmless but also, contains more savor than non-organic foods. Perhaps the question that we might ask ourselves is the kind of savors that make organic foods stand out from non-organic foods. In this case, it is imperative to consider different examples of foods.
For instance, milk is richer, vitamins (fruits and vegetables) tastier, and cheese blurt out with extra cologne. Ironically, many people, especially those with old-school mentality, do not believe that organic foods have benefits unless and otherwise they taste for themselves. In fact, after tasting organic foods and finding how sweet they are, they find it hard to resume their earlier foodstuffs (Allen and Albala 288-289).
Today, more people are increasingly becoming consumers of organic foods. This is because many people have noted the benefits of organic foods. Firstly, it is imperative to note that many people opt for organic foods because they are free of hormones, preservatives and chemicals.
Secondly, people are becoming so much concerned with their health, and that produced and packaged foods are not good for the health of their children. The paper will examine various benefits associated with organic foods, which include better taste and health, environmental safety and animal welfare.
Higher Nutritional Levels
Researchers have conducted numerous studies in order to establish the difference in the nutritional levels of both organic and non-organic foods. Some of them have come out claiming that the two do not have any difference in terms of the nutrient content. The truth of the matter is these people are not saying the truth.
In fact, it has come to the realization of many researchers that some reports are inconclusive, incoherent, contain a number of agricultural and analytical flaws, and tend to obfuscate real facts. Undoubtedly, organic crops contains trace mineral, which are fundamental to the bodies of human beings.
Additionally, they contain vitamin C and antioxidant phytonutrients that acts as the body defense mechanism. According to statistics released by various research organizations such as the US Department of Agriculture, the mineral levels in non-organic foods such as meat, fruits and vegetables have considerably declined. Furthermore, with the earlier picking, a lengthy period of storage, and industrial processing, the nutritional levels in non-organic foods have dropped sharply over the last 60 years (Andre 1-2).
In the present technological world, even farmers have sought for new ways of enhancing the maturity of their crops. For instance, farmers apply the artificial fertilization on non-organic crops to lush their growth only for them to mature with swells and a lot of water.
Clearly, such crops will have less nutritive value as compared to organic crops that mature as dry matter. Another aspect to consider is the phytonutrients of both organic and non-organic crops. The level of phytonutrients in organic crops is higher as compared to organic-foods simple because, organic crops depend on their own protection in the dearth of habitual applications of chemical pesticides. A good example of this is organic tomatoes.
Under normal circumstances, tomatoes thrive well in soils characterized by lower nutrient supply. Thus, they do not require artificial fertilization. Consequently, the results will be organic tomatoes that are rich in antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol as compared to that of non-organic tomatoes. It is important to note that antioxidants pose a myriad of benefits to the body for example, dipping heart diseases.
Unquestionably, many farmers have now turned to sustainable organic farming practices, which do not require the application of chemicals and fertilizers. As time goes by, consumers, manufacturers and farmers now believe the benefits of organic foods and even prefer them to non-organic foods.
Organic foods have high nutritive values as compared to non-organic foods and seem healthier to the human bodies. For example, in organic tomatoes, scientist have found high levels of lycopene, and in potatoes, the story is the same with levels of polyphenols. Additionally, researcher have found out that organic apples and red wine have flavonols and resveratrol, hence, the confirmation that organic foods have higher phytonutrients as compared to non-organic produce (Sustainable Enterprises 1).
Lower pesticide residue
It is important to note that when people consume organic foods, it does not mean that they will definitely improve their individual nutrient intake.
Instead, they are enhancing their health status and making their bodies safer. Most food processing industries allege that the amount of pesticides found in conventional (non-organic) foods do not pose any dangers to human beings when consumed. Nevertheless, the established monitoring programs have found out substantive amount of pesticides that can cause harm to human beings.
On the contrary, these programs have also noted that organic foods have low levels of pesticides as compared to conventional foods. The truth of the matter is foods that contain higher levels of pesticides pose danger to consumers. Additionally, each pesticide contains different amounts of residue and sometimes the pesticide residues can be manifold. When the residues are multiple, the probability of combination is high, which can cause a “cocktail effect”.
In fact, the synergistic increase in toxicity can impair the reproductive, nervous and immune system hence, health failure. In Israel, medical researchers have associated headaches, nausea, shiver, ingestion, dermatitis, diarrhea, and many more with dietary intakes of foods rich in pesticides. In some instances, some researchers in Belgium and Hawaii have associated pesticide rich foods with breast cancer and Parkinson’s disease respectively (Jeantheau 1).
Children
Organic foods are paramount to child growth and development. Toxins emanating from non-organic foods have an effect on the growth and development of children especially, by detoxifying the immune system, denaturizing the developing of brains and other body organs, thus, lowering their safety levels.
In fact, household and dietary exposures have an impact the development of children. In areas where farmers use pesticides in their farming activities, children reared in those areas develop dietary, genetic, and lifestyle complications. Moreover, such children can develop aggressive behaviors due to inflicted mental and motor abilities. However, when these children take organic foods, their development will always be normal (Louise 1).
Conclusion
Organic foods have benefits as compared to conventional foods. These foods contain low levels of toxins and higher levels of vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and minerals, which have a significant effect on the health of human beings. People should take organic foods in order to enhance their safety and reduce the risk of diseases.
Processed foods, take-away, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes are dangerous to the body and can cause health problems as they contain many toxins. Besides, organic foods contain additional flavors, sweeteners, growth hormones and are free from pesticides. Thus, they are healthy to our bodies.
Works Cited
Allen, Gary and Albala, Ken. The business of food: encyclopedia of the food and drink industries. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. 2007. Print.
Andre, Leu. The benefits of organic foods: A Growing Body of Scientific Evidence. 2004. Web.
Jeantheau, Mark. Health Benefits of Organic Food. 2005. Web.
Louise, Virginia. The Advantages of Organic Foods. 2010. Web.
Sustainable Enterprises. What’s so important about Organic? 2002. Web.