Home
>
Nutrition
>
Is Organic Really Better for You?

Is Organic Really Better for You?

I had finally come to a place in my life where I was concerned about my health and that of my family. After all, it's not the quantity, but the quality of life right? And if you can increase both, all the better! We started exercising, eating healthier and taking vitamins. Then one day while I was getting my daily dosage of web surfing in, I came across an article about the hidden dangers of chemicals and how using organic products and food reduces those risks. Now, I'm not one to blindly believe everything I read, so I started searching for some answers on my own. If I was putting myself or my family at risk for serious health problems, I wanted to know!

It was quite a daunting task to get through all the articles, scientific studies and pages upon pages of information! What I have learned has really helped me to make some decisions about my life though, and I hope you find it helpful as well.

First, what does Organic mean?

Simply, that the ingredients used are free from any harmful pesticides, insecticides, growth hormones, antibiotics and a whole host of other artificial additives, flavorings, colorings and preservatives. The harvest and milling of organics is also considerate towards the land and environment.

Why is Organic so expensive?

Prices for organic foods and products include costs of growing, harvesting, transportation and storage. In the case of processed foods, processing and packaging costs are also included. Organically produced foods and products must meet stricter regulations governing all these steps than conventional foods and products. The intensive management and labor used in organic production are frequently (though not always) more expensive than the chemicals routinely used on conventional farms.

The law of supply and demand also plays a part. There are more buyers than crops yields. Why is this? Production yields are often, but not always, lower on organic farms because organic food production does not involve the use of artificial fertilizers, pesticides and other technological aids. Also, growers who go through the 3-year transition period from conventional to organic management usually experience an initial decrease in yields, until soil microbes are re-established and nutrient cycling is in place.

And the most important question of them all?

Is Organic really better for you?

I have searched long and hard to find the answer to this question! I couldn't find any scientific studies to prove or disprove that organic is better. Why? Mainly because of the multitude of variables involved in making a fair comparison between organically grown and conventionally grown food. These include crop variety, time after harvest, post-harvest handling, and even soil type and climate, which can have significant effects on nutritional quality. After hitting that road-block, I decided to review the facts. Organic products are organic because they are free from the chemicals used on conventionally grown products. So, I turned my attention to these chemicals and whether they are really harmful to humans? Most reports claim that these chemicals if handled properly and used in small amounts, are not dangerous to humans. Although, the Environmental Protection Agency had this to say ? "Although pesticides can be beneficial to society, they can also pose risks to human health and the environment if improperly handled. The risk to human health can come from a number of sources: direct exposure through improper use, residual pesticides on food and release into the environment from improper storage or disposal. Children are particularly susceptible to pesticide exposure. The effects of exposure to pesticides include poisoning, eye damage, disruption of the endocrine system, and respiratory ailments."

So, what I found is that there is no proof these chemicals when handled properly are causing serious health problems. There is also no proof that they are not. Even the EPA says there is some risk. So what now? Now it comes down to a personal decision. Is the risk we are taking worth it? Can we be comfortable bringing these chemicals into our home when they might cause serious health problems to us and our children? When the alternative is paying a bit more for organic foods and products, I'm just not willing to take the risk. You have to make that decision for yourself and your own family.

Author: Shelly Platt
http://www.naturallygood.net - products, articles, and links supporting a more natural, healthy lifestyle.

disinfecting cleaning services Winnetka ..

In The News:

Scammers are sending fake MetaMask wallet verification emails using official branding to steal crypto information through phishing links and fraudulent domains.

Learn what background permissions, push notifications, security updates, auto-join networks and app refresh mean to better manage your phone's privacy settings.

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Is Organic Really Better for You?

Nutrition