Benefits of Organic Foods - Health and Safety (Part 2)

The benefits of organic foods are taste, nutrition and health. What are organic foods? What are organic food health benefits? Use organic farming gardening techniques to grow your own food.

When it comes to organic foods, the media presents an array of conflicting evidence on the benefits. However, organic products (foods and other goods) are winning the recognition and acceptance they deserve.

It is common sense to believe organic food is healthier for you (and better for the environment). The pro-organic research findings are compelling; not only because the research seems valid but also because it makes sense!

In addition, I have heard many anecdotal stories from those people who eat organic food - they feel the organic food benefits are significant.

And when I add my own family's experiences with organic foods to the research and to the feedback from others, I feel confident that the benefits of organic foods are real.

We're a relatively normal family; one member is vegetarian, another has stomach issues, another diabetes, and the other two are simply picky eaters. For us, the organic health benefits have come from food tasting better and delivering better nutritional value!

We initially found it a struggle to find organic food in the non-growing season, so in the winter months we would 'go back' to regular foods (grown with pesticides). We noticed the difference immediately. Now we have located local organic health food stores that provide a wide range of products year round.

Each person and each family will have different and individual experiences with organic foods. From a common sense perspective, and from the perspective of preserving our environment, consider the benefits of organic foods.

...Some organic foods, including fruit, vegetables and milk, may be more nutritious than non-organic produce, according to an investigation by British scientists. Guardian report.

This is from The Guardian, the newspaper that has for years been saying that not only is organic food no healthier than non-organic, but the whole industry is a cynical ploy to fleece the consumer.

It quotes the Food Safety Association (FSA), the so called guardians of our food-related health, when it wants to add weight to its argument. Well, the FSA have been quiet about this latest research, apart from saying that they will let us know what they think about it.

The word is that the FSA is changing its attitude in favour of organic production and its benefits to human health.

A major £12,000,000 research project funded by the European Union: this investigation was carried out over four years at various sites across Europe. The UK participant was Newcastle University. They, like other sites across Europe, produced crops and dairy using the organic system on one site, while doing the same using the conventional, non-organic system in an adjacent site.

In October, 2007, the preliminary results were published (Guardian Report):

Some of those who deny the benefits of organic foods might suggest that the scientists employed to carry out the research were, shall we say, encouraged to find in favour of organic food benefits?

Those at the top of the food (money and power) chain might be waiting to jump on the organic food bandwagon ($24 billion spent on organic food by consumers last year. £2 billion in the UK).

No! Those at the top, the corporations, are globalist. However, one of the main ingredients of the organic movement is that is a local community thing.

In fact, by definition, organic is local, not global. In fact, organic producers in North America encourage buyers to use the 100 mile 'rule' - buy your organic products locally and try to select foods on the basis that they originated 100 miles or closer to you.

However, as the organic food industry expands corporations will no doubt move in to take it all over. By that time the benefits of organic foods will be undisputed. It is then that organic standards must be upheld in order to maintain the integrity of production and make sure it stays organic.

Many other research programs have, over recent years, concluded that organic food contains greater quantities of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The nutritional value of food produced using organic methods is clearly higher.

So, it's fair to say that the benefits of organic food in terms of nutrition (and safety from pesticide poisoning) are real.

In the US, the respected Organic Center, a Colorado-based organization that seeks to provide consumers with evidence based information on organic food, has published its report on nutrition research (March 2008).

The report was produced by independent pharmacologists, horticulturists and analysts and took two years to complete. The results confirm, once again, that organic, plant-based food contains an average of 25% more of the 11 main beneficial nutrients.

Referring to the increase in quality and number of studies over the last few years, the Organic Centre points out that mainstream science and anti-organic campaigners can no longer say that "there is no evidence to show organic food is better..."

Read the report

Organic farmers generally produce food with taste as a priority. This is in contrast to conventional, intensive farmers whose priorities are speed and volume of production, the look of the produce, and its hardiness, or ability to withstand the rigours of transport.

A main focus of the organic produce movement is that 'food miles' (the distance between the area of its production and those who buy/consume it) must be kept to a minimum (the 100 mile 'rule' above).

In other words, organic food should be produced and available locally. This means that it is fresh and will therefore taste even better.

I would suggest that the absence of toxic chemicals in the produce contributes to the improved taste too. The higher nutritional value of food produced organically may also contribute to the taste of it.

In 2001, Washington State University (WSU) completed a 6-year research program on the profitability of growing apples organically. This came at a time of failing non-organic apple farms. The study's conclusions were highly significant -

But that wasn't all:

Please click here for all WSU research.

There are many benefits of organic foods, and the benefits relate not only to your health (and the health of your family) but also to the health of the planet.

Of course, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so try some. Check out these organic food suppliers.

Additional Reading:

• Is Organic Food Better?

• Benefits of Organic Food: A Healthy Food Choice.

• Benefits of Eating Organic Foods.

• Advantages of Organic Food.

• Why Eat Organic Food?

• Organic Food Advantages.

• SOLE Food: Sustainable, Organic, Local and Ethical Food.

• Definition of Organic Food.

• What is Organic Food?

• Return from Benefits of Organic Foods to Organic Food for Everyone Home Page.