Is Organic Food Better than Non Organic Food

Organics and the Environment

Is organic food better than non-organic food for the environment? The answer to this question is a pretty resounding yes. Limiting the pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals that get into the water and soil is certainly a good thing for protecting the delicate balance of nature.

If you can combine eating organics and eating locally produced foods, you're also limiting your carbon footprint, because your food didn't have to travel thousands of miles to get to you. Reducing carbon emissions helps protect the ozone layer and slow climate change.

Organics and Workers

Choosing organic food is also better for the workers who tend the fields. Farmers who inhale the chemicals used on food tend to have more asthma and breathing problems. They can also be putting themselves at higher risk for developing cancer.

Working in organic fields means they don't have to touch or breathe those harmful chemicals, which improves their health and the health of people who live near the fields. If organic farming is combined with fair-trade practices, farmers and their workers might also make more money than they would farming a conventional field.

Is Organic Food Better than Non-Organic Food for Me?

Is organic food better than non-organic food for you and your family? The answer isn't clear, but there are certainly some people who would benefit from eating an organic diet or more organic foods.

Pregnant and nursing women, as well as babies and children, should probably have an organic diet if you can afford it. Limiting exposure to chemicals and toxins when children are young can make them grow up healthier and may reduce the risk of premature birth.

For other people, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The nutritional content of organic foods has not been shown to be significantly better than that of conventional food, except in the case of some vitamins. That doesn't mean you won't think it tastes better or that paying more for organics won't encourage you to eat more fruits and vegetables.

It should be beneficial to eat foods without pesticides, because again you're not exposing your body to toxins that then have to be gotten rid of, but there are no studies showing that people who eat organics are healthier than people who don't.

Should I Go Organic?

The question of whether to transition to an organic diet and buying more organic products is a very personal one. Your own personal health, the health of your children, the treatment of workers, the environment, the cost, the convenience or lack thereof and many other issues may come into consideration.

In the end, it is as much of a gut decision as it is a logical choice. If you believe that organics are better for your body, better for the planet, or better for your children, you are more likely to buy them than if you think organics are a marketing tool designed to get more money out of consumers.

It's a much easier choice to pick organics when you can afford them. Your financial situation may make it difficult for you to choose organics all the time. Still, buying organics when you can and especially focusing on those fruits and vegetables that are most heavily sprayed, such as apples, bell peppers, celery, cherries and grapes, will limit your exposure to chemicals and give you at least some of what health benefit can be derived from eating organics.

Making the transition to organics is a personal choice, but it is important to remember that what you eat has implications beyond what happens inside your home. Choose wisely and eat well.