Benefits of organic food

 

In modern days, organic food becoming more popular as people are more concern about their health and safety of the food that they consume. What is organic food? 100 % Organic food must contain originally grown ingredients except water and salt. However organic food must contain at least 95 % organic ingredients except salt and water. It is claims to be more nutritious compare to non organic food and of course healthier as we don’t consume chemicals, hormones and pesticide into our body. Many people do not trust the chemicals as it might affect our body and living of next generation.[Shereen.J.,2008] Below are benefits of organic food:

Higher Nutrient Level

Organic food is claimed to contain higher nutrient level compare to non organic food. It is richer in vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and antioxidant that human need to fight diseases because it is grown by means of preventive farming that allows the soil to rebuild and feed the crops with vitamins and minerals [Andrus.B, 2010].

Better Health

It provides better health to people because organic food is grown naturally without / using low chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It produces up to 50% more phytonutrient which include antioxidants that may help to fight against free radicals and aid in defenses against diseases.[Kathleen.R.,2007] High amount of chemicals that found in non organic food may harm our bodies if we consume excessively. Besides that, organic food is also non genetically modified as we do not know GM food might actually cause long term health effect. Thus it is best to avoid [Healthy-eating-make-easy.,2005-2010]. European law prohibits the use of genetically modified organisms(GMO) in any aspect of organic food and farming. This means that organically reared animals are not genetically modified in any way and their feed is free from any genetically modified material. When an organism is genetically modified, genes from another species are spliced into it. This can increase yields, speed up growth or make the organism more resistant to pests. However, GM technology is very much in its infancy. When changes are made to an organism’s genes, they often have effects other than those intended. Given the possible calamitous effects of these changes, many people think it prudent to exclude GM food from their diet [Carson.T.H., n.d.]. 

Environment Safety

Organic food is claimed to be environment safety because harmful chemicals are not used in organic farming. With this, soil , air and water are less polluted. It helps to safe future generation [RuralTech Services,2010].Organic farming used the methods that help converse soil fertility and biodiversity. Organic farming is also less energy intensive and helps in saving precious soil for future generations. On the other hand, usage of organic fertilizers and other organic matter helps conserve the microorganisms in the soil. For example, earthworms and red worms aerate the soil. Mulches and organic matter minimize weed growth. Meanwhile, multi-cropping, trap crops and companion planting helps pest control. Thus, organic farming uses ecological and biological means to raise the amount of crops [RuralTech Services, 2010].Organic farming also uses much less energy than conventional agriculture because it does not use nitrogen fertilizer. Based on The Rodale Institute, they have reported that organic farming systems use 30% less fossil fuels than other farming systems. They have also found that organic farming tends to attract more carbon in the soil, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change[Hammermeister.A, Ph.D.,P.Ag.,2007].

This is a video about what is organic food.

To stay healthy,please take organic food into consideration when choosing food!



References:

• Andrus.B, 2010. The Nutritional Benefits Of Organic Produce.[Online]Available from:http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Nutritional-Benefits-of-Organic-Produce&id=4599582>.[Accessed 29 July 2010].
  
• Healthy-Eating-Made-Easy,2010. Discover the advantages of Organic Foods.[Online]Available from:http://www.healthy-eating-made-easy.com/advantages-of-organic-foods.html.[Accessed on 29 July 2010].
  
• Kathleen.R,2007.Health Benefit of Organic Food and environment.[Online] Available from:http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/.[Accessed on 29 July 2010].
  
• RuralTech Services,2010.Health Benefits of Organic Food.[Online]Available from:http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-food/organic-food-basics/health-benefits-of-organic-food.html.[Accessed on 29 July 2010].
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  RuralTech Services, 2010.Organic Facts. [Online].Available from:http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-food/organic-food-basics/do-i-help-conserve-the-environment-by-eating-organic-food.html.[Accessed 29 July 2010].
• Shereen.J,2008.Organic Food Basic.[Online]Available from:<http://nutrition.about.com/od/recipesmenus/a/organic.htm>.[Accessed 29 July 2010].
• Larry D.Cook, 2008 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmjC8wIRR4A

 By, Fennie Ng (1000924057)
      Saw Kean Weng (1001024738)
      Lau Kah Yan (1000924466)
      Ng Kai Lu(1000924653)