Is Organic Food More Healthful - Research Paper Example

Is organic food more healthful? Plenty of debates are currently going on about the food habits of modern generation. Some people argue that conventional food items are bringing more harm than good. They support organic foods instead of conventional foods for maintaining human health. On the other hand, many others believe that organic food and conventional food have not many differences. “On the basis of a systematic review of studies of satisfactory quality, there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. The small differences in nutrient content detected are biologically plausible and mostly relate to differences in production methods”(Novella). In short, the argument in favor and against organic food and conventional food are going on at present. “The foods that are cultivated without using any chemical fertilizers and pesticides, processed without adding any of the artificial ingredients and packaged using natural means can be referred as organic foods” (Organic Food Facts). Although today consumers have a choice when buying food between commercially produced food or organic food. Consumers must decide whether or not organic food is more healthful, and if there are any advantages to buying it. There is evidence to support the argument that organic food is healthier and there are other advantages to buying it. “Organic food actually has better, fresher taste and more complex flavors than the non-organic food” (Kluger, par.25). Many people have the illusion that organic foods are comparatively less tasty than conventional foods. It should be noted that conventional foods are produced in bulk quantities. Governments all over the world are trying to increase agricultural yields as much as possible. Increased use of fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides are encouraged by the states to increase the agricultural yields. Farmers on the other hand are ready to use these things in their land without bothering much about the quality or taste of the items they are producing. They are more interested in quantity rather than quality or taste. For example, “Too much focus on producing large fruit that will ripen on the way to market, often produce tasteless food” (Kluger, par.25, 26). As a result of that majority of the food items at present we receive are enriched with fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides instead of nutrition and taste. “The vine ripened tomato is always superior to commercially produced tomatoes (Kluger, par.27). Apple is one food item which attracts people all over the world. The color and appearance of Apple made it one of the favorite fruit for people of all ages. However, the Red Delicious apple has been manipulated for color and shape by commercial businesses, but the result was a tasteless inedible product. “Do you know why that apple is so shiny in the store shelf? Yes, you guessed it, full of pesticides. Yes, full of poisons and chemicals. Why spend time scrubbing your fruit when you should be enjoying it. Pesticides will prolong shelf life, but at the same time, are more damaging to your body” (All About Organic Foods). It is often said that an average apple consists of over 30 pesticides even after vigorous washing. This is because of the extensive usage of pesticides at the time farming as well as after reaping the harvest. It should be noted that apple dealers or suppliers often spray some pesticides and chemicals over the apple to keep it fresh for longer periods. On the other hand organic foods are enriched with nutrition. It is prepared under strict supervision and under no circumstances; pesticides or chemicals will be used either to grow or to protect them. Organic foods on the other hand are prepared from crops which were cultivated under the strict control of some governmental agencies. These agencies monitor the agriculture works from the beginning and make sure that the farmers use only natural fertilizers and pesticides to increase the yield. “The flavor of organic food can be improved using top quality compost in the soil”(kluger, par.24). Compost is the fertilizer which provides natural taste to food crops. Agricultural crops grown with the help of compost have a unique taste compared to the agricultural crops grown with the help of fertilizers and chemicals. In many cases, the addition of organic supplement found to be increasing the taste of food items. For example, “The addition of organic supplement to chicken feed can improve the taste” (kluger, par.31). “There are no chemicals use to grow the organic food, and it is produced in season” (Kluger, par.37). Moreover, organic farming methods are environmental friendly. It should be noted that conventional farming methods with the help of fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides are causing land, water and air pollution in large magnitudes. Fresh drinking water shortage is a big problem everywhere in the world. Same way fresh air is also getting exhausted as time goes on. On the other hand, organic farming methods are causing no damage either to the land, water or to the air. “Organic farming methods are specifically designed to protect the natural structure and the nutrient content of the soil and preserve its worth over time” (Organic Foods for Everyone). At each stages of the farming the farmers need to convince the certifying authorities that they are strictly obeying the norms prescribed for organic farming. Other farmers normally may not have such worries. They may not concentrate much on protecting the soil or the environment. In short taking organic foods is not only helping us to become healthier, but also helps us to show our commitment to the environment. “Organic food helps prevention of diseases, and helps with the weight loss” (Katz, par. 4). Since organic food contains no artificial items, it does not promote any diseases. Only natural ingredients are present in organic food. On the other hand, conventional food contains lot of artificial elements which may cause many diseases. “A 1998 government report induces that nutrition help prevent heart disease, stroke and diabetes” (Smith, par. 6). Human body has the ability to adjust with the natural elements. It may not like the intrusion of foreign elements of artificial elements. For example, “The organic beef is much better for human’s health because the beef from cattle that have eaten only grass or forage throughout their lives have higher ratio of omega-3 acids, which may reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease” (Kluger, par.35). On the other hand, cattle farmers are currently giving artificial cattle feeds to make the cattle healthier. The beef from such cattle often bring more harm than good to human body. On the other hand, “Organic supplement helps prevention of diseases such as, cancer, alcoholism, headache, and fatigue” (Smith, par. 6). “Another reason for supporting organic food is that it helps in preventing obesity” (Smith, par.6). Obesity or overweight related health problems are growing day by day everywhere in the world at present. Apart from physical diseases such as cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, mental diseases such as depression, anxiety and low self-esteem are generated because of the obesity. The food habits of current generation are extremely poor compared to that of the generations in the past. Past generation was interested in nutritious food whereas present generation in interested in fatty and sweetly foods. “Three studies have found that organic supplement can reduce symptoms such as, syndrome, obesity and hypertension” (Smith, par. 5, 6). “A low-fat, plant-based food is more effective in helping women to lose weight” (“Eat Your Organic Veggies”, par.3). Obesity among women, especially after delivery, is common. Organic foods help them to prevent obesity related problems. Moreover, many studies have proved that organic foods are ideal for maintaining maternal health. It should be noted that mother’s health has direct effect on the health of infants since infants are getting vitamins through breast feeding. “Organic food is more healthful for the planet (Katz, par.20; “Is Organic more Nutritious”, par. 7, 9). Organic farming methods are environmental friendly. It should be noted that fertilizers, chemicals and pesticides cause land, water and air pollutions. On the other hand, organic farming methods are not causing any such problems. “Foods that are produced using methods of organic farming that do not involve modern synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers” (“Is Organic more Nutritious”, par.8). It should be noted that atmospheric pollution and drinking water pollution are big problems everywhere in the world. Conventional farming methods are causing these problems up to certain extent. On the other hand, “The organic food does not threaten the environment by causing toxic runoff of pesticides into water supplies (“Is Organic more Nutritious”, par.7). In short, “organic food is more healthful for our planet that also affects the human and the animals to get better life, fresh water and clean air” (Katz, par. 20). At the same time, “Some consumers believe that organic food is harder to find and it’s expensive though. They claim that some of organic food contains the same vitamin as the non-organic food”(Kyle, par. 2; Kluger, par.1). In the absence of artificial fertilizers and chemicals, the yields from organic farms are extremely low compared to that from other farms. As a result of that organic crop farmers forced to increase the prices of their items they produced. In short, the prices of organic crops in the market are extremely higher compared to other crops. Naturally the food items prepared from organic crops may become expensive. However, the studies showed that organic food is better for the health and it’s even better for the planet. It should be noted that more spending on organic food items may help people reduce their spending on healthcare. In other words, conventional foods might be cheaper, but it may cause health problems and the people may face huge hospital expenses in future. “Even though organic food is expensive, the environment will be healthier”(Kluger, par.38). In short, while encouraging organic foods, people contribute not only to their health, but also to the environment in which they live. To conclude, the health benefits of organic foods are well established by many studies. Increased use of pesticides, chemicals and fertilizers are poisoning conventional crops and food items. On the other hand, organic food items are prepared from organic crops which make use of only environmental friendly or natural fertilizers and chemicals. Moreover, organic crops and foods are prepared under strict supervision and hence its nutritional advantage cannot be ruled out. Works Cited 1. “All About Organic Foods”. Web. 09 March 2013. 2. Novella, Steven. “Is Organic Food More Healthful?”. Web. 09 March 2013. 3. “Organic Food Facts”. Web. 09 March 2013. 4. “Organic Foods for Everyone”. 2010. Web. 09 March 2013. Read More