Healthy Eating Habits: Why You Should Eat Organic

Had any yummy pesticides today? It may not seem funny now, but don’t you think future generations might eventually look back in history at our behavior and be amused and baffled by the question? Why would our civilization spray poison on our food and then eat it?

Many smart people are already beginning to see the writing on the wall ahead of time. The message is loud and clear. Pesticides are poisonous. That’s why the demand for organic, pesticide-free food is growing at a rapid rate. It only makes good sense. Pesticides are designed to kill living organisms. Human beings are living organisms Therefore, pesticides are a threat to human health.

The National Cancer Institute statistics show that 30% of insecticides, 60% of herbicides and 90% of fungicides cause cancer. And there are more damaging side effects besides cancer. Pesticides can also cause hormonal imbalances, destruction to the nervous system and many other serious health problems.

And, of course, babies and children are much more vulnerable to the dangers of agricultural toxins than adults. Since kids are smaller, they end up with a higher percentage of poison in their body. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives found that children who ate conventional supermarket produce had 6 to 9 times higher levels of pesticides in their blood than those who ate organic foods.

The benefits of organic fruits and vegetables far outweigh any extra cost. Organic produce is grown without chemical toxins, artificial fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms. They’re not only safer, but, because of a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals, they’re more nutritious. Plus, they usually taste better than commercially grown produce. In the long run, all these benefits add up. The bottom line is, you get more for your money with organic!

When choosing which fruits and vegetables to buy, here’s something important to consider. The Environmental Working Group found that some conventional produce contains more chemical residue than others do. Since these commercially raised fruits and vegetables are more highly sprayed, make sure you at least buy apples, apricots, bell peppers, celery, cherries, cucumbers, grapes, green beans, peaches, spinach and strawberries that are organically grown.

As you can see, it makes both good health sense and good financial sense to buy pesticide-free food whenever you can. Besides produce, this also includes organic meats, fish, poultry and any dairy products. It’s always best if animal foods are raised free ranging, organically fed and without added hormones and antibiotics.

Now days, because of consumer awareness, you can purchase organic, pesticide-free foods in a few supermarkets, at community co-ops and even from local farmers in some areas. Check around and compare prices and freshness. And, if you’re neighborhood doesn’t have a co-op, you could always start one.

Even though it may take some work to find good sources, eating organic is a wise decision. And maybe future civilizations will look back at those of us who chose poison-free food and realize there were some pretty smart people in our generation. Just make sure you’re one of them!

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