Food has a great impact on the human body, which can both positively and negatively affect the body. It all depends on what kind of foods we consume. Organic foods differ from conventional foods because organic farmers exclude the use of synthetic pesticides and they keep the soil fresh and healthy. Organic foods are also full of nutrients and cost more. Conventional farming is a method in which farmers use synthetic pesticides to increase growth, so their foods have poorer quality. People argue that food is just food and believe that there is no difference between the two methods. A close look at this argument will show that organic foods are healthier than non-organic foods because they contain more nutrients, prevent overeating, and act as a prevention to certain diseases.
Deborah Rich, a journalist who has written about agriculture for the San Francisco Chronicle and other periodicals argues that organic foods are healthier than non-organic foods. In a short introduction to the article, Rich states, “How farmers grow their crops affects, sometimes dramatically, not only how nutritious food is, but also how safe it is to eat” (Rich 2). Rich believes that the way foods are being produced is an important reason why organic farming practices have a direct effect on nutrients. After several tests on food products such as oats, wheat, and many more, researchers found that organic farming improves both the soil and minerals of food products (2). Our body needs day-to-day antioxidants to prevent cell damage and eating organic products will augment the average daily antioxidant equally as an additional serving of most fruits and vegetables (3).
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Rich continues the argument when she explains that the foods we consume can lessen the development of chronic disease. If organic farming has so much positive impact on food nutrients and the body, one could argue that it could have just as much impact on chronic disease prevention. Food is the fuel of the body; it can help keep the body healthy and provide everything we need for the body to function properly. Organic foods contain higher levels of quercetin and kaempferol. Quercetin and kaempferol are flavonoids, studies say that protect us from heart disease, cancer, and other diseases. (3) Organic foods affect health positively with calcium augmentation. Because of fertilizers and chemicals used in conventional farming, the levels of antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals are lower compared to organic-grown foods. (2) According to studies in 2017 changing US agriculture to organic farming can reduce the occurrence of chronic diseases in our nations. (3)
Lukas Rist, head of research at the Paracelsus Hospital, tested milk samples from mother’s breast milk and concluded that conclusion that mothers consuming organic meat and dairy have more rumenic acid than mothers consuming conventional meat and dairy. The difference is organic products are 36 percent higher in rumenic acid, which contains “anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, and immune-modulating effects” that help body fat composition. (3) “Americans already have trouble consuming the recommended daily amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Diminishing the nutrient levels in the servings we do eat would seem only to compound our dietary problems” ( 3). Doctors recommend patients eat more fresh and organic products. (4) Dr. Alan Greene, attending physician at Stanford University’s Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital states I’ll talk about how fruits and vegetables are really important and that when you choose organic you’re getting more of the great stuff, less of the bad stuff” (Greene 4). Foods that contain fewer nutrients are one of the reasons why we are eating more and more. Phytochemicals contribute to how we feel about foods. They contribute to flavor profiles, and resveratrol which help trigger satiety. (4)
In contrast, Ricardo Uauy(et al.) professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine believes that organic foods are not healthier than non-organic foods. “The authors maintain that in their systematic review [……] they found no significant nutritional differences between organically and conventionally produced foods” (Uauy, al,1). Non-systematic reviews analyze the differences between organic and conventional foods. Some reported that organic foods contain more levels of nutrients while others reported that there is no difference between the two methods but those reviews comparing the two methods are incomplete, non-systematic, and have existing published data.
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