The benefits of organic food can at times be difficult to judge. Though many consumers like to believe that organic produce is better tasting, there is literally zero evidence to back this up. And the idea that organic produce contains more vitamins is on equally unsure footing scientifically.

One aspect of organic produce that isn’t up for debate however is that it contains less chemicals. Toxic fertilizers and pesticides are completely avoided on organic farms. And for some types of foods, this is a seriously good thing. Here are five types of organic produce that genuinely are better for your health.

Meat and Dairy

The benefits of going organic when purchasing meat are undeniable. The animals reared in organic farms are not given growth hormones to speed up their short lives and they are not fed grains that have been sprayed with pesticides or chemical fertilizers. The resulting meat is therefore free of chemicals that we still know very little about.

A word of warning however, don’t go organic just because you love animals. Organic farms are not quite as luxurious as the marketing would have you believe. Taking chickens as an example, the phrase “grown outdoors” usually means little other than outdoor cages.

Most Fruits

Fruits are notorious for absorbing the pesticides that they are sprayed with. Though peeling and washing can certainly help, non organic fruit is never going to be completely pesticide free.

And considering the somewhat lax laws regarding the use of pesticides in many parts of the world, this is definitely somewhat unnerving. If you care about what goes into your body, a case can therefore certainly be made for sticking to organic fruit.

Potatoes

Organic potatoes are almost twice the cost of the regular variety but many would argue that the increased cost is justified. Non organic potatoes are not only sprayed with pesticides, the ground that they are grown in is infected with fungicide to prevent disease.

Choosing to purchase organic potatoes can therefore protect you from not one, but two potentially harmful chemicals. It’s also worth noting that just like fruit, you cannot remove chemicals from potatoes simply by washing and peeling them.

Salad

Ask most people to imagine a healthy snack and the first image to pop into their mind is likely to be that of a nice green salad. Unfortunately however, salads tend to get sprayed with some of the most potent pesticides on the market. The reason for this is simple, leafy greens tend to attract a hell of a lot of insects.

Organic farmers don’t use such pesticides. They instead rely on meshes, nets and non toxic repellents. The result is a salad that genuinely is perfectly healthy.

Anything That You Eat a Lot Of

Finally, there is the small matter of your personal favourites. If there’s a particular type of food or side dish that you eat on a daily basis, going organic is always going to make sense.

The reason for this is simple. Different pesticides are used for different produce and in small amounts each one is pretty harmless. But if you’re eating something on a daily basis, you could find yourself consuming far more than a small amount of that particular pesticide.

If it’s a daily dish, the organic version is therefore something that’s well worth paying more for.

 

 

 

Andrew Times has contributed a number of articles on health and fitness. He also conducts informative classes on these topics.

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