Photo by Suzie’s Farm / CC BY

There is no doubt about the fact that organic food costs more that non-organic foods. It costs more to grow the food organically, so it makes sense that the farmers would pass those additional costs along to the consumers. The question that every family must ask is, are the additional costs worth it?

Organic food is shown to provide more of the vitamins and minerals the human body needs to thrive. Research has shown that a food grown with pesticides, and grown in soil that has been depleted of its nutrients by pesticides has lower levels of vitamins and minerals than does organic foods. Even if foods grown with chemicals are washed before being consumed, the food will still contain trace amounts of the chemicals. If the food is a GMO (genetically modified organism) the plant will grow with the chemicals already contained in the genetics so that anything eaten from the plant will contain chemicals to some degree.

Cattle that are raised in an organic fashion provide milk that is far richer in Omega-3’s, which ward off heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and a slew of other health issues. If cattle are being raised and labeled as organic the farm is certifying that the cattle have not been fed growth hormones or antibiotics which have been linked to various forms of cancer. Cattle that are raised in the traditional feed lots are not only fed corn that has been genetically modified, they are also given antibiotics to promote weight gain and growth hormones to cause the cattle to produce more milk. The addition of the various chemicals to the cattle is the reason why some countries prohibit the importation of American beef.

If your current diet is something you would like to change but are uncertain how to begin, consulting a Dietician is a good start. A Dietician or a Nutritionist will be able to look at what your current diet consists of, address any health concerns you may have and suggest a diet that will help you to attain your diet objectives.

The debate still continues over whether or not organic food is worth the extra cost, but there are some things which are abundantly clear. Disease is on the rise all over the globe, much of it caused by the way the human body reacts to various chemicals. If the goal is to eat food that is free of added chemicals then organic food is the obvious choice.