The organic foods movement promotes the health of humans and their environment by encouraging farmers to use agricultural methods that neither deplete the soil nor hurt environmental systems or farmworkers. Organic farming also promotes biological diversity and the recycling of resources through such methods as crop rotation, rotational grazing, planting of cover crops, intercropping, animal and plant waste recycling, tilling, and adding minerals to crops.

"Organic" is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production rules and regulations. The principal guidelines for organic production are to use materials and practices that enhance the ecological balance of natural systems and that integrate the parts of the farming system into an ecological whole. Organic agriculture practices cannot ensure that products are completely free of residues; however, methods are used to minimize pollution from air, soil and water. Organic food handlers, processors and retailers adhere to standards that maintain the integrity of organic agricultural products. The primary goal of organic agriculture is to optimize the health and productivity of interdependent communities of soil life, plants, animals and people."


What are Organic Foods ?

Organic foods’ are health foods grown without the use of synthetic/ chemical treatments. These treatments start right from the seed and continue till the food is consumed. There is no legal definition of what all items are included in the term ‘organic food’ , so many storekeepers or roadside vendors may be claiming to supply ‘organic produce’. Even if they haven’t used chemicals or insecticides / pesticides on the foodstuff, there’s a lot more to be considered before the food can be claimed ‘organic’.

Are Organic Foods Healther than Convential Foods ?

But here, ‘healthier’ does not necessarily mean more nutritious. It means safer for human consumption.This means that growing a food organically doesn’t alter the the nutritional content but the lack of synthetic pesticidal & insecticidal residues on organically grown foods surely makes it a safer product.But it is to be understood that organic food itself is not guaranteed free of pesticide residues. Even the most carefully grown organic products may get contaminated from residues coming from the soil from previous farming practices or from contaminated water supplies.

Is Organic Food “Eco-Friendly’?

Going for organic produce is a positive approach & a respectable gesture of showing one’s concern for the environment.There are stories & stories of well-documented catastrophes having their Impact on plant and animal life and disturbing the ecological balance. Extensive pollution of air & river water by synthetic chemicals has resulted in crop diseases which are resistant to chemical pesticidal treatments. Hence, it is wise enough to go in for a product which is organically grown.

Are Organic Foods not at all Treated for Pests & Insects ?

The spraying is not with the regular chemical insecticides & pesticides. This, is using certified biological sprays which are natural & animal or plant-based. And the quantity or the dose of these natural sprays is also very controlled else even these can leave residues in the food.

Does Organic Food Taste Better ?

More than anything else, this is an individual perception. Just as some people like sweet foods more than salted ones, here also it varies from person to person. There are people who believe that organic food tastes much better than conventionalfood, but again, its an individual choice!

Why is Organic Food More Expensive Than Convential Food ?

Organic produce, since it is grown without the use of any synthetic pesticides or insecticides is more labor-intensive. Also, very often the yields of an organic produce is significantly lower than that grown under non-organic conditions. The time to time certification, use of expensive sprays, training of agriculturists for organic practice etc., all contribute to the price hike.

Wellness and Organic:

"Germs are not the culprit in sickness and disease….
Consuming stuff that poisons the organism is the problem!”

We've realized that we all have a higher mission in life than material gain, which is always unfulfilling in the end. Some people wait until the end to find this out! We'd like to spare you the wait and help you live a fulfilling life right now.

All diseases are the same disease and that healing is an innate body process and educating individuals so that they may assist the body in recovering when it shows signs of ‘toxic intolerance.’


Can organic foods really improve my health?

Yes. Organically grown food is your best way of reducing exposure to toxins used in conventional agricultural practices. These toxins include not only pesticides, many of which have been federally classified as potential cancer-causing agents, but also heavy metals such as lead and mercury, and solvents like benzene and toluene. Minimizing exposure to these toxins is of major benefit to your health. Heavy metals damage nerve function, contributing to diseases such as multiple sclerosis and lowering IQ, and also block hemoglobin production, causing anemia. Solvents damage white cells, lowering the immune system’s ability to resist infections. In addition to significantly lessening your exposure to these health-robbing substances, organically grown foods have been shown to contain substantially higher levels of nutrients such as protein, vitamin C and many minerals.

Research Suggests Organic Food is Better for Your Health

Rats fed organic food were significantly healthier than their peers given conventionally-grown produce, shows research reported by the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, February 2005.
During the experiment, 36 rats were divided into three groups. All were given potatoes, carrots, peas, green kale, apples, rapeseed oil, and the same vitamin supplements. One group was fed organic food, another conventionally grown food with high levels of fertilizer and some pesticide, and the third group received minimally fertilized conventionally grown food.

Although pesticide residue was measured and found to be below detection levels in all groups, the scientists found that the rats fed organically-grown produce were measurably healthier, slept better, had stronger immune systems and were less obese.

Lead researcher, Dr Kirsten Brandt, of Newcastle University's School of Agriculture, was careful not to overstate the findings, but noted: "The difference was so big it is very unlikely to be random. We gave the food to the rats and then we measured what they were doing. We can say the reason why the rats have different health was clearly due to the fact that there was a different growing method, and this was enough for this result. If we want to understand how and why, we need another study."


Arun
e-mail: arun.kr.prasad@gmail.com