Much has been written about benefits of organic food. However the first thing that strikes people while going organic food shopping is that it is expensive; a lot more expensive than conventional food we are used to buying. But I want to tell you that not all organic foods are expensive. Also, while considering the price aspect we forget the cost towards health that we will be paying the doctor in the long run for consuming poison through inorganic or genetically modified food. And let me tell you that that cost is going to be much higher than what we pay for organically grown food. Some of these pesticides will start showing their effect when our bodies will be relatively older and worn out, at least not as healthy as they were at the time when we consumed these foods! So it will add another whole lot to complications!
Organically grown food smells and tastes better when eaten raw or cooked, some of them even cook faster, more so if they are farm fresh. Also things made from organic food taste different, try ketchup to know what I am saying. And like some people would like to believe promoting use of organic food is not a marketing gimmick.
Keeping the health aspect in mind, pay a little extra if you need to. I grow a few things at home, for my satisfaction, it is not enough for us but, like I said, for my satisfaction. I grow lemon grass, mint, 2-3 chilly plants, coriander; sometimes a little ginger too, in one large clay pot. My balcony gets sun and these grow pretty well. We do have to buy chillies etc from market but it feels good to eat it garden fresh now and then. Another rule, I never refuse lemons or other fruits from neighbours’ gardens!
There are debates about organic food not being any healthier than regular veggies, fruits, and grains available in the market; however one thing is certain, that organically grown foods contain fewer pesticides. Pesticides are after all poisonous chemicals that are meant to kill bugs, weeds, etc. And by any standards do you think consuming poison should even be an option!
There are certain kinds of pesticides which get absorbed by the human body and don’t get flushed out and go on building up with each passing year, leading to ill health. Consider DDT which was banned around 40 years ago because it was found to be a threat to human health. Its ill effects are still found in people born so long after DDT was banned. Pesticides do not create health issues for people consuming it, they don’t spare animals feeding on leftovers of farms either; they contaminate rivers, trees, forests, deteriorate soil quality, and environment in general. And besides pesticides being used in soil to grow fruits and vegetables, they are exposed to gas-ripening which adds to the whole thing about unnatural processes.
Sometimes we overlook labels and buy locally grown considering they’re organically grown. These are two different things. Foods grown with pesticides cause many health problems like it damages brain cells, cause intestinal damage, allergies, liver or pancreatic problems, testicular cellular changes, tumours etc to name a few. Whereas according to research, foods grown organically are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and minerals like calcium, iron, chromium, and magnesium.
So whether it is about saving your health, or that of animals, forests, water, or biodiversity at large, there’s nothing like organic food; food that grows organically and allowed to ripen organically.
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