People sometimes question the importance of organic food. Why eat organic food? Is it really worth the extra cost? What are the benefits of of organic food? Well the answer for me has always been pretty simple. I’ll be happy to share my reasons for eating organic food with you but I also want to share 10 research backed reasons that show the importance of organic food from Leah Segedie’s new Green Enough book (affiliate link below). As I was reading her research backed reasons to love organics and why she buys organic, I thought to myself people should know these facts for organic food. They deserve to know the facts. That is why I am so happy to share them with you here with permission from Leah Segedie.
First, I will get right down to business and share some research based reasons that answer, “Why eat organic food?” Then I will share with you why I have always chosen organic, when feasible, even before I knew these research based facts for organic food.
10 Facts For Organic Food That Answer “Why Eat Organic?”
These first 6 reasons to eat organics are based on research studies published in 2016 and 2017 and they are excerpted with permission.
Reprinted from Green Enough by Leah Segedie. Copyright ©2018 by Leah Segedie. By permission of Rodale Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Available wherever books are sold.
MORE AND MORE TO LOVE ABOUT ORGANIC Pages 116-117
1. Eating organic reduces pesticide exposure, especially in young children.126
2. Eating organic reduces certain birth defects for babies of pregnant women.127
3. Organic farming reduces the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.128
4. Organic pork has less antibiotic-resistant bacteria present.129
5. Antibiotic use in livestock increases methane emissions from cows . . . so climate change, yo!130
6. Organic milk and meat both have a healthier nutritional profile, with more omega-3 fatty acids than conventional.131
7. Prenatal or early-childhood exposure to pesticides may lower IQ, cause neurological damage and behavioral problems like ADHD, and play a role in obesity and metabolic disorders later in life (see page 9).64
8. Eating even a little organic can reduce your exposure to pesticides.65
9. Organic meat and dairy is richer in heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.66
10. Organic farming and feeding practices reduce the emergence of antimicrobial resistance in poultry and dairy farming.67
The last four facts for organic food are excerpted (with permission) from Green Enough By Leah Segedie. Available wherever books are sold including Amazon. WHY I BUY ORGANIC P 33
I hope you found these facts for organic food useful in understanding the importance of organic food.
The Importance Of Eating Organic Food
I think those organic food facts easily answer, “Why eat organic?” The facts are pretty convincing after all! However even before I knew those facts, I still believed in the importance of eating organic food. Here’s why I eat organic when possible.
I made the personal decision to eat organic based on a few things. First, I can see a difference and I can taste a difference in organic homegrown produce so I know I naturally chose organic food when it is reasonable to do so. I love good organic products but sometimes find some local supermarkets have poor quality organics and I won’t pay twice as much for moldy organics!
Second, I remember my high school science teacher explaining that pesticides become more concentrated as they move up the food chain. I want to reduce my exposure to cancer causing chemicals so naturally, I choose organic produce when possible. I especially want to steer clear of animal products that aren’t organic because they offer a concentrated risk so I always buy organic dairy and meat products.
Third, the green organic seal also means I have to do less label reading and that is always a time saver!
How about you? Is eating organic important to you? And if so, what motivates you?
Related Posts:
Kimberly @ SavvyMamaLifestyle.com says
Pinned it! I am always trying to purchase organic and I truly believe it’s important to my kid’s future. Raising them on organic food gives me the peace of mind that I’m keeping them healthier.
David Rieken says
While I have been eating organic as much as possible for decades, I keep reading that there are pesticide residues in organic produce. I don’t understand why this would be. Is it due to the chipping away at requirements for organic certification or is this just propaganda backed by the conventional farming industry?
Scarlet says
Forbes has a detailed article on the topic but, “The normal explanation of this is that it represents inadvertent spray drift or cross-contamination in harvesting bins etc.”