5 Ways Organic is Better for Your Body
Organic is an increasingly popular choice for consumers all over the world. In fact, since the 1990s, sales of organic have grown by double-digits almost every year, and organic is on track to hit $50 billion in the US. That’s a huge leap.
At this point, organic is no longer a trend and is a full-on movement. Yes, eating organic is more expensive, but here are five ways organic is significantly better for your body, and worth the cost.
1. Fewer Toxic Pesticides
According to the Organic Trade Association (1), the number one reason why people choose to purchase organic food is to avoid toxic pesticides. This reason alone makes the higher price tag for organic completely worth it.
That’s because food that’s not organic is often riddled with toxic pesticides which have been linked to a host of health concerns including:
- Increased risk of cancer
- Reproductive harm
- Developmental damage
- Hormone disruption
- Neurological (brain) problems
Furthermore, pesticides can also destroy the healthy bacteria in your gut. This can lead to a weak immune system, chronic inflammation, and nutrient deficiencies.
Organic food, however, is free of harmful pesticides, herbicides, and other chemical residues.
2. Organic Food Has More Nutrients
It’s no secret that our food has become increasingly less nutritious. And that’s not just because of the increase in ultra-processed junk food on store shelves.
Fruits and veggies being grown also have fewer nutrients today than they would have had in your grandparents’ day. That’s because industrial farming practices, and the push for quantity over quality, have led to a rapid decline in soil quality (2).
But organic food is different.
Farmers who use organic methods must steer clear of low-nutrient GMO crops, use environmentally safe practices, and they generally farm in a more sustainable way that nourishes the soil.
And it shows.
Studies have found that organic food contains significantly more nutrients than non-organic food. One study, for example, found that organic crops contain more vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus compared to non-organic crops (3).
3. More Antioxidants
Not only does organic food contain more nutrients, it also has more disease-fighting antioxidants.
In fact, one study found that organic foods contain up to 68 percent more antioxidants and beneficial phytochemicals than non-organic food (4).
That’s a substantial difference.
And the thing is, antioxidants are essential for your health. They protect your body from physical aging, disease, they protect your DNA from getting damaged, and keep your skin healthy.
The higher antioxidant content in organic food is by itself a strong reason to go organic.
4. Fewer Heavy Metals
Another huge benefit of buying organic food is that it contains considerably lower levels of dangerous heavy metals.
Farmers who don’t grow organic crops typically use pesticides and fertilizers that are contaminated with heavy metals. But organic farmers can’t use these fertilizers or pesticides.
This explains why research shows organic food has lower concentrations of heavy metals. The same study that showed organic crops had higher antioxidants also showed they had lower levels of cadmium, a heavy metal that can cause headaches, respiratory tract issues or kidney problems.
5. Clean Non-Toxic Ingredients
Ever look at the ingredients list of food in the grocery store? Chances are, the long list of ingredients contain countless items you can’t even pronounce.
Most of the time these ingredients are artificially produced in labs and factories and many of these substances are toxic.
But when you purchase organic food, you’ll notice there are fewer additives. And the ones that are added must comply with strict organic regulations. That means they are non-GMO and any colors are sourced from plants, not chemicals.
So buying organic food means you’re not consuming any questionable ingredients that may compromise your health.
What makes organic food even more amazing is that the benefits go well beyond your health. Organic farming creates a more sustainable food supply, is better for animal welfare, and is simply better for the planet.
But if you can’t afford everything organic, make sure to buy these 15 foods organic.
