Organic Foods
by Solveig Gordon
Did you know that over 1/4 of a million children in the U.S. eat over 20 different pesticides and chemicals each day? Although buying organic foods may be more expensive, the positive effects it has on the environment and our bodies are worth it.
The Problem
Since the early 1930's millions of Americans are digesting so many pesticides and chemicals due to the strategies farmers are using to preserve foods. It's been found that pesticides used on non-organic foods have been linked to asthma, cancer, early puberty, and many other health problems (The OCA). A possible solution to this problem is to start eating organic. Organic food is food produced without any pesticides, chemicals, or fertilizers. If we know there are serious problems caused from these chemicals, why do we keep using them?
Problems from Non-Organic Foods
Many of the pesticides and chemicals we ingest from agriculture provide us with serious health risks. Organophosophates, man-made chemicals, are the most widely used insecticides and also one of the the most harmful pesticides today. According to Saddleback Educational Publishing, "About 60% of all herbicides, 90% of all fungicides, and 30% of all insecticides can cause cancer." All of these are used to preserve our normal foods. Many of the pesticides used on inorganic foods are toxic to the nervous system and can cause severe consequences which may become permanent.
Benefits of Organic Foods
In addition to the fact that non-organic foods provide health risks, they also are less nutritious. Organic foods contain more of the essential minerals, such as iron, than non-organic foods. Iron is a mineral that prevent tiredness, protect against illness and diseases and helps you get healthy looking skin. Antioxidant levels are between 50-80% higher in organic milk. Antioxidants
Organic Foods and the Environment
Going organic also helps the environment. It helps wildlife because organic farming doesn't start until the spring where as non-organic farming starts in the autumn. When farming starts in the spring, it allows the animals to feed on weeds during the winter. Another way it helps the environment is that it saves water. This is because organic farms can water plants with groundwater instead of pumping in water as non-organic farms do because their ground water is full of chemicals. With the benefits to the environment you'd think that there would be more organic farms than there is