Organic food, its nutritional profile, characteristics of organic food and its health benefits
Description : Organic foods are referred as those foods, which have grown without using synthetic chemicals.
Article Details :
Organic foods are referred as those foods, which have grown without using synthetic chemicals. These foods are extremely nutritious and tasty and its consumption is awfully beneficial for obtaining a good health status.
Difference between the term organic and natural
- The term organic and natural is not interchangeable
- The term natural food means that the food does not contain any artificial flavor or color or preservatives
- Whereas the term organic food means that the food grows without using any chemicals or pesticides and it does not contain any genetically modified organisms too
Characteristics of organic food
It contains more antioxidant
- Organic food is comparatively rich in some nutrients than conventional food
- It has seen that organic food contains relatively higher amount of phytonutrients especially flavonoids, which exert potent antioxidant activity thus it is believed that organic food provides more antioxidant than other foods
- Being a rich source of antioxidant, consumption of organic food is very much helpful for preventing oxidative stress. It helps to protect the body from the harmful effects of free radicals thus decreases the susceptibility of developing chronic diseases
- We know that micronutrients especially vitamins, minerals and various organic compounds are responsible for exhibiting antioxidant activity and organic food plays important role in promoting the positive impact of antioxidant activity because it does not contain any chemicals, which can reduce the impact of antioxidant activity by reacting with micronutrients that are accountable for exerting antioxidant activity
It has better taste
- Organic food tastes better because organic food is given more time to mature and develop
- Using of environmental friendly as well as natural technique of agricultural production is considered as the main factor responsible for providing better taste to organic food
It is poison free
- As organic food is processed without using any chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides thus it does not contain any toxic elements and may not affect the health adversely
- We know that consumption of chemical pesticides is closely related with increasing the risk of developing various diseases like digestive disorders, cancers, headache, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD, poor immunological responses, poor cognition, vision loss and even premature death also. As organic farming does not involve the use of any artificial growth hormone, herbicides, thus organic food is absolutely free from health harming chemical substances
It is not genetically modified
- Generally organic food is not genetically engineered in nature that means it does not contain any genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms are referred as those living organisms in which the DNA is altered in such a way, which does not occurred naturally
- It has seen that prolong consumption of genetically modified food may cause various health hazards like allergic reactions, cancers, antibiotic resistance and immune suppression thus consumption of food, which is free from genetically modified organisms like organic food is considered as a healthier choice
Environment friendly
- It contains lesser amount of toxic metals
- As we know that organic farming does not use agrichemicals thus it reduces the consumption of toxic metals
- Cadmium is considered as one of the most harmful toxic metals and its toxicity is responsible for developing various life threatening health complications and it has seen that organic food contains about 48% lesser amount of cadmium than conventional crops
Health benefits
Role on immunity
- It plays vital role in improving the immunological responses of the body
- Organic food contains comparatively higher amount of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that ultimately help to strengthen the overall immunity
- It is also associated with preventing the risk of declining immune potency because it is totally free from toxic elements that may harm the immune system
- We know that humans are susceptible for developing various diseases and thus they have to take several preventive measures like consuming antibiotic drugs or vaccination for becoming healthy
- In the same way, non organic food sources use growth hormone, antibiotics, and vaccines for animals. When humans consume those non organic animal products then they also consume all of those vaccines or antibiotics or growth hormones indirectly, which ultimately weaken the immune system that make humans unable to defend themselves against diseases
- Thus it is better to focus on organic animal foods as their production process does not use any vaccine, growth hormones or antibiotics
