What are the benefits of organic foods? Why do so many people talk and promote organic products?  Why eat organic foods? For most organic foods only denote ‘expensive’ food. The most common statement that people make is:

“I cannot afford organic foods”, even though the price difference between organic and non-organic foods may be as little as a dime or so.

If my grandparents could read this article, they wouldn’t understand the concept of ‘organic foods’. Neither modern pesticides, nor growth hormones, existed 50 years ago. Only organic compost, as fertilizer, was used. All farm animals were grass fed. Weeds were picked by hand and insects were killed by natural substances.

As a result, our ancestors consumed only pure organic foods.

According to the Organic Trade Association, organic production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and/or other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation.

Contradictory to organic production, commercial farming today uses many toxic chemicals – inorganic fertilizes growth hormones, weed killers and synthetic pesticides. Before talking about the benefits of organic foods, following is some information about chemicals used in modern commercial farming.

1.       Inorganic commercial fertilizes.

Inorganic commercial fertilizes are created to add to the soil essential nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to assist the growth of plants. The fertilizers are manufactured primarily from petroleum or natural gas. Synthetically produced nutritious are assimilated by plants, which are consumed in our food. Some inorganic fertilizers contain wastes, including lead and heavy-metal residues, which are consumed as well.

Organic fertilizers are mainly derived from plant and animal sources.

2.       Growth hormones.

There are different type of growth hormones consumed by dairy and beef cattle.  Recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) is used in dairy farming.  Also, a variety of steroid hormones, including natural and synthetic versions of estrogen and testosterone, are used by cattle and sheep farmers.

2.1. RBST is a naturally occurring hormone found in cattle. Discovering that cows with higher levels of rBST produce higher quantities of milk, scientists replicated the rBST in the lab using genetic technology. As a result, farmers have a synthetic (man-made) created hormone, which they inject into their cattle. Approximately thirty-one percent of U.S. dairy farmers use rBST to increase milk production. Many countries, including Canada and members of the European Union have banned the use of rBST.

The two main concerns for the use of rBST are:

1. Several studies have shown that milk from rBST treated cows has a higher level of hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) that helps some types of cells grow. High levels of IGF-1 levels may influence the development of certain tumors. The studies showed a correlation between high levels of IGF-1 and the development of prostate, breast, colorectal and other cancers.
2. RBST treated cows develop mastitis due to the increasing of their milk production. These cows are given more antibiotics than cows not given rBST.

FDA claims that all the necessarily studies were done to determine if rBST adversely effects the immune system. However, these studies were only carried out on rats for a period of two weeks. No other studies have been carried out for longer periods of time.

2.2. Farmers use up to six different types of steroid hormones approved by the FDA on their cattle.  These are: estradiol and progesterone (natural female sex hormones), testosterone (natural male sex hormone), zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate (synthetic growth hormones).

Growth hormones are not allowed by federal regulations on poultry and pigs .

There are several major concerns of using steroid hormones.  Among these are increased risk of breast cancer, prostate cancer and early puberty (age eight or younger)..

Summarizing the above, the residues of added hormones in meat can disrupt the normal hormone function in the body.

3.     Synthetic pesticides.

Synthetic pesticides are designed to kill insects and other organisms. However, only two percent actually serves its purpose. The remaining ninety eight percent of pesticides are absorbed into the air, water, soil and/or food chain.

Over the long run, exposure to pesticides, along with inorganic commercial fertilizes, can cause cancer and birth defects. Modern pesticides used in the U.S. are less toxic than the ones used forty years ago like DDT, DDE and PCB. However the extremely toxic banned pesticides such as DDT, DDE and PCB are still found in the soil and root vegetable, including carrots and potatoes. Besides, many of pesticides banned in the U.S. are imported from other counters through vegetables and fruits.

4.      Weed killers (Herbicides)

Herbicides, also commonly known as weed killers, are used to kill unwanted plants.

The most commonly used herbicide in the United States is 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (“2,4-D”). According to recent studies, 2,4-D has been linked to cancer, kidney and liver damage, and reproductive toxicity.  2,4-D is highly toxic when it gets into the eyes. Breathing and ingesting 2,4-D cause nausea, diarrhea, liver and, possibly, kidney damage. 2,4-D may also damage the nervous system. Many 2,4-D products contain dioxins, which are very carcinogenic.

As mentioned above, organic farming never condones the use of toxic chemicals.  So, in consuming organic products you never face  issue relating to toxic chemicals.

So, what are the three main benefits of eating organic foods?

The three main benefits of eating organic foods are: health, financial and environmental benefits.

1. The first main benefit of eating organic foods is better health by limiting the amount of toxins that enter the body, thereby reducing the efforts the body goes through to neutralize the effect of these toxins.

By ingesting foods produced with inorganic fertilizers, growth hormones, weed killers and synthetic pesticides, we ingest these toxins directly into to our body.

This can result in disease!

Most adults have certain levels of toxins naturally in their bodies. The level of these existing toxins can be reduced through the consumption of organic foods, detox programs and the use of natural remedies such as Bentonite Clay.

In addition, many are allergic to inorganic fertilizes, growth hormones, weed killers and synthetic pesticides. Individuals with allergies, chronic sickness and weak immune system show more sensitivity to non-organic products. These chemicals have a large impact on their immune systems, which in turn leads to a worsening of chronic diseases.

Individuals with stronger immune systems may tolerate these chemicals until a certain level is reached. Then their entire system may ‘blow up’, resulting in an unexpected serious disease.

Eating out does not normally give us the opportunity to eat organic foods.  Therefore, it is highly beneficial to treat individuals that have allergies to inorganic fertilizes, growth hormones, weed killers and synthetic pesticides with NAET allergy elimination treatment.

2. Financial benefit is achieved by reducing current and future medical expenses by eliminating the introduction of toxins to the body in the first place. The formula is simple: the fewer amounts of toxic chemicals in the body, the stronger the immune system and the better your health.

3. Environmental benefit.

Many don’t think that water and soil pollution from toxic chemicals affects them personally. I thought the same until my husband informed me otherwise.  Our world is becoming so contaminated with improperly stored wastes and toxic chemicals environmental catastrophe is inventible. Growing and consuming organic products is the first step in changing this situation.

This YouTube video Part 1 and Part2 “Today’s Modern Food: It’s not what you think”, published by Jeff Benner, present amazingly shocking facts about modern food production

There are two ways of obtaining organic products: (1) buying organic food products at the grocery store or farmers markets, and (2) producing organic foods in your own garden.

In my new post “Vegetable gardening – the cheapest and best way to get organic foods” I will write about the most efficient ways of growing vegetables and fruits in your organic garden.

If you have any questions, please leave them below.  I will be sure to get back to you within next 24 hours (often much quicker).

To your good health,

Tanya