The Importance of Eating Organic Food

Food is one of the most important essential in our life for it brings energy to the body in order to keep it functioning. What we consume everyday determines the level of healthiness in our body. However, without food the body won’t be able to perform daily task and function well. Moreover, the human body requires a variety of nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. All of these nutrients can be found in the food we consume. This indicates that people should be cautious with the intake of food, because if they don’t people would most likely face consequences of health problems. According to Whiteman, a news writer at Medical News Today stated, “The researchers found that over the past 33 years, worldwide overweight and obesity rates among adults have increased by 27.5%, while such rates among children and adolescents have increased by 47.1%” (2014). Nowadays, with the convenience of fast foods restaurants and different instant food available in stores, people are being lead to the wrong way of consumption. People are abandoning the thought of eating what is right and healthy due to the cost of maintaining a balanced diet. The number of people getting obese each year rapidly increases. It appears like people did not have any help or guide to eating healthy. Therefore, it is important to encourage people to eat healthy especially organic food, in order to decrease the rising rate of health problems.

Today, people are faced with many challenges in regarding their eating lifestyle. Some people are on the edge of saying their last wishes to families and friends. While, others are being determined to stay healthy in order to live a prosper life. Bryan, a translator and editor at Livestrong stated, “Busy schedules often diminish the amount of time people have to prepare healthy, nutritious meals, so they opt for faster, easier options” (2017). With the demanding of work and the motive to pay bills, people turn to the convenience of fast-food to fuel their stomach. Not only that, with the exhaustion from work, people forget to prepare a proper that is full of nourishment.

According to Bryan, a translator and editor at Living Strong, “Whole foods such as vegetables and meat take time and kitchen equipment to cook properly, while fast food hamburgers are usually served within minutes of ordering” (2017). Nowadays, when everything is on a timely manner, people treat their meal like it’s one of the tasks they are trying to complete within in a period of time. Furthermore, lines of fast-food are packed especially at lunch time because it satisfies in serving food in a time that is adjustable for everyone. Bryan, a translator and editor Living Strong clarifies “Over time, that convenience becomes a habit and eventually a perceived necessity to keep up with such a fast-paced society” (2017). The advancement pace in the society has caused the people to be solidified in turning to readily available food for a meal.

Nowadays, people are eating just to fulfill their hunger at the time with easily available food they are able find at retail store or fast-food. However, with those foods it can satisfy a person with a short period of time. This is one of the major causes in which why people consume more than twice a day. From there, the results will lead to obesity. Obesity had a major impact on a person’s body. As Boyer, a licensed aesthetician stated,” Obesity puts stress on every part of your body and increases your risk of developing major health problems, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, liver disease, infertility and sleep apnea” (2018). It seems like most other threatening diseases derives from obesity. Obesity has rapidly increases over the years in the United States, and it appears like the number is not decreasing anytime soon. In 1985, the number of people having obesity within a state is only with boundary of 14 percent (See Figure 1). However, in the year 2008 the number of obesity increases within the range of 15 to 34 percentages (See Figure 1). As the years goes, the numbers keep on rising as well. For an instance, in 2016, the percentage of obesity escalates to 35 and above (See Figure 1).

With the many diseases occurred from eating unhealthy, people should switch in eating healthy food especially organic food. It’s very hard at first adjusting to eating healthy, but eventually as the progress goes, people will get used to it. Since variety of food provides nutrients and vitamins to the body, it will protect and shield it from diseases that will affect their health. Each fruits and vegetables specifically have their own use in the human’s body. As Srivastava stated, “Eating a healthy, balanced diet daily provides the nutrients your body needs to keep your bones, organ muscles in optimum shape” (2017). Equally portion of a person’s meal can help them maintain in good shape, and strengthen the structured of the body. For an instance, milk provides potassium in which brace and toughen the muscles. Moreover, Srivastava also stated that, “Eating the right foods can help you manage your weight better” (2017). A healthy weight can be maintained towards what a person consumes daily. This mean the intake of calories a day must always stay with two thousands. Having a healthy weight can help a person avoid being lazy and incurring risky diseases that might affect their health. Furthermore, Kushi, Lawrence H., et al, specifies that: “The healthiest way to reduce caloric intake is to reduce intake of added sugars, saturated and transfats, and alcohol, which all provide substantial calories, but few or no essential nutrients” (2009). People should avoid consuming sweets and alcohol, but use alternatives like fruits for something sweets.

Organic food has been the topic of many shoppers while shopping for groceries. People often debate whether they should buy organic or non-organic foods. Organic foods are naturally pure grown with soil and water. It has many beneficial factors for the human body and also for the environment. On the other side, Reen, an editor at Positive Health Wellness stated, “Produce grown conventionally produces product that are chock full of poisons. They do this because they don’t want pests and diseases to plague their crops” (2017). For this reason, organic food is a safer option for people to consume. Organic foods are grown without any chemicals and fertilizers added to it. Abrams, a former editorial at The Atlantic (2013) offered a particular enamoring example of the impact of organic food:

Fruit flies that wish to live long and prosper should hover around the organic food aisle. These results can’t tell us why organic foods appeared to improve health outcomes. But they do suggest that on a food-by-food basis, some organic foods may be “healthier” — in the broadest sense of the term — than their conventionally grown counterparts.

From the indication of the research, it had proven that organic are healthy in some ways due to the fact that it prolong the life line of fruit flies when they been staying at the organic section. In prediction of the experiment, people can also live a healthy long life by consuming organic food.

Furthermore, organic food is safer and rich in nutrients because it’s not force with hormones to grow faster. Hypothetically, if a person consumes a product that is treated with pesticides, they would most likely consume it as well. In addition, Harvard Health Publishing stated, “The soil where crops are grown must be inspected and shown to be free of most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and the crops cannot have been genetically modified” (2015).By all means, organic farmers are cautious with the soil they grow the crops with. They go the extra mile to make sure everything is clear, and pure clean from pesticides that may be carried by the wind from conventional farms. Most importantly, farmers make sure there are no traces of genetically modified organisms (GMO) inserted in the crops that they are about to grow. Farmers put their whole effort in securing the crops from any dangerous that will jeopardize the organic process of growing the crops.

According to Dolan, a professional educated nutritional therapist stated “Antioxidant levels in organic plants can be up to 69 per cent higher than in conventionally grown foods” (2018). From this research, it clarifies that organic plants have an impact to the health of individuals then conservative food that are in the market. Moreover, this means that rich antioxidant derived from organic plants. Nevertheless, Dr. Brown, a registered dietitian researched stated “One study also found that organically grown berries and corn contained 58% more antioxidants and up to 52% higher amounts of vitamin C” (2016). Amusingly, organic fruits not only contain a high level of antioxidants, but also other vitamins as well. This implies that organically grown fruits are packed and profuse with natural vitamins and minerals that will help sustain a health of a human being without the help of any artificial growth to it. Furthermore, antioxidant also shield cells from being harmed (Dolan, 2018). Indication from this evidence, explains that organic plants can defend threats that will put the body to be in dangerous.

As Mosbergen, a senior writer at the Huffington Post stated, “Many of these [antioxidant] compounds have previously been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including [cardiovascular] and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers, in dietary intervention and epidemiological studies”(2014). Without doubt, antioxidant within organic plants plays many significant roles in a human’s body. On the contrary, it also good for the heart, protect the body from getting exposed to the risk of infection, and other forms of cancer. Thus, people should consume more organic plant in order to endure all the nutrients and protection it provides. In addition, Mole, a health reporter at Ars Technica(2014) provided a most compelling insight on how organic contains rich antioxidant:

The authors speculate that organic crops may make more antioxidants because they make less sugar than conventional crops do. Conventionally grown crops may sometimes receive a surplus of nitrogen fertilizer, which could alter plants’ metabolism to make more sugars and less antioxidant.

Organic foods are self –reliant in defending themselves from any harm. They are boost with rich antioxidant that helps them fight like how pesticides that are used to secure conventional food. Unlike conventional food, organic food does not contain or make a high amount of sugar.

Dolan also stated, “..One theory is that they do not need chemical pesticides to protect themselves against disease, they product their own protective compounds, which antioxidants” (2018). It’s specifies that organic plant can defend themselves from diseases that might affect their growing without the use of any pesticides. Similarly Decostole, a registered and licensed dietitian specified “The reason: In the absence of pesticides and fertilizers, plants boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen their resistance to bugs and weeds” (2017). According from researches made, organic food does not depend on pesticides to fight off insects and other hazardous situation that might harm them.

Other than generating its own defend system, Marshall, a pediatrician in Robbins, Illinois stated “The self-generated antioxidants that keep organic plants from harm are the same antioxidants that keep our cells healthy, and support our immune system” (2017). In other words, organic plants with high antioxidant passed its strength to fight bacteria and virus to person who consumes it. Most likely organic foods can strengthen an individual’s immune system in order to fight diseases and infection from occurring within the body. Based on Dolan, a professional educated nutritional Therapist statement, “Research also found that organic diets may benefit the immune system, growth and reproduction” (2018). To take a point from this research, it explains that people will be well protected from any harmful health problem occurring anytime soon. In contrast, Greger, a physician and New York Times bestselling author (2017) clarifies an excruciating insight of the effect of pesticides to human begins:

One study found about a 50 to 70% increase in the odds of ADHD among children with pesticide levels in their urine, and another that found triple the odds of testicular cancer among men with higher levels of organochlorine pesticides in their blood. 90% of such pollutants come from fish, meat, and dairy, which may help explain rising testicular cancer rates in many Western countries since World War.

Theoretically, foods that are exposed with pesticides have a huge effect on people who consumes it. From the Gerger’s research, it confirmed that pesticides are one of the causes for cancer. The chemical uses for pesticide in order for the cancer to be generate. The percentage of people getting affected by it is rapidly going up.

A European report distributed in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2016 found that natural milk and meat contains around 50 for each penny more useful omega-3 unsaturated fats than expectedly created milk and meat (Dolan, 2018). In this case, it emphasizes the importance of raising the cattle organically in order for individual to endure the benefits of omega-3. Omega-3 is one the most important fat in the body a person should never cut out from their diet. Hence, omega-3 helps lower the risk of heart problems, depression and arthritis.

Eating healthy has many beneficial factors especially organic food; however it also comes with a price. Organic foods in the market are very expensive due to the intense work and time it produces. According to Mathew and Severson, reporters of New York Times stated “Eric Newman, vice president for sales at Organic Valley, a farmers’ cooperative that sells mostly dairy products, said a half gallon of milk cost $3.49, on average, in 2007 while a gallon cost about $6” (2018). A regular gallon of milk in Saint George, Utah is $1.75 to $2.15. This means the price of organic milk is $3.85 more than a regular gallon of milk. From the cost of the organic gallon milk, two to three gallon of regular milk can be bought. Moreover, Mathew and Severson, both reporters of New York Times clarifies “Organic food is typically 20 percent to 100 percent more expensive than a conventional counterpart; the gap has narrowed in recent years as discount retailers like Wal-Mart have offered organics and more private-label organic products have become available, according to the industry” (2018). It indicates that the pricing for organic food has increases, due to the fact of the demand and the supply. However, Wal-Mart stepped in with other private farmers to meet the demand of the people and causes to subsided, but it still didn’t lower the price to fifty percent off. This means, surviving on organic on a daily basis would be crisis due to its cost.

Even with the expensive cost of organic, it’s still the best choice to be healthy. As Author, an editor at Healthable stated “If compared, organic food consists of more essential vitamins and minerals that are needed for a healthy human body” (2014). According to statement, it implies that organic is packed with rich nutrients that can benefits the body. It contains more vitamins that will secure the body from any diseases. As a matter a fact, Author also stated, “Fruits and vegetables do taste very fresh, strong and vibrant when they are grown organically as opposed to the other ways adding an extra incentive to the healthy nature of organic foods” (2014). Since organic foods are naturally produce and its chemical free, it’s purely fresh to consume.

In conclusion, with the rising of health problems, people should be cautious in what they consume. Food has a big impact in a person’s lifestyle. Therefore, families must take into consideration the importance of eating organic foods due to the fact that it doesn’t contain any chemicals. Since organic are naturally produce, people are going to be convinced to consume it daily for which its rich in nutrients and vitamin in which will leads to the lowering health of problems.

Works Cited

1. Boyer, J. (2018). 9 Health Risks of Obesity. Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/health-risks-of-obesity-4014642
2. Bryan, J. (2017). The Disadvantages of Fast Food. Livestrong. https://www.livestrong.com/article/496268-the-disadvantages-of-fast-food/
3. Dolan, A. (2018). 10 Research-Backed Benefits of Eating Organic. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-you-should-eat-organic
4. Greger, M. (2017). How Much Pesticide Residue is in Your Body? NutritionFacts.org. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-much-pesticide-residue-in-food/
5. Harvard Health Publishing. (2015). Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious? Harvard Health Letter. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/organic-foods-are-they-safer-more-nutritious
6. Kushi, L. H., et al. (2009). American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention: Reducing the Risk of Cancer with Healthy Food Choices and Physical Activity. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 59(6), 337-357. https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.3322/caac.20040
7. Mathew, P., & Severson, K. (2018). The Cost of Organic Food. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/06/dining/organic-food-cost.html
8. Mosbergen, D. (2014). More Evidence Organic Is Better For You. Huffington Post. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/organic-food-healthier_n_5719156
9. Srivastava, J. (2017). Eating Healthy vs Unhealthy Diet Costs about $1.50 More Per Day. News-Medical.Net. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20170308/Eating-healthy-vs-unhealthy-diet-costs-about-24150-more-per-day.aspx
10. Whiteman, H. (2014). Worldwide obesity rates 'rising faster than expected'. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/286826