Organic Food Benefits

By: Christine Bralich

When a consumer goes to the grocery store, he or she may notice that there are sections of items
such as produce, meat, and bread that are labeled organic. What is the difference between an orange
and an organic orange (besides the fact that the organic orange is a bit more expensive)? Organic food
is produced the way that nature intended. It is produced without the use of pesticides, antibiotics, or
other forms of genetic engineering.
For the majority of human history, food was produced organically. However, since the end of
World War II, non-organic farming techniques have become increasingly popular (Langley 12).
Farmers have been using chemicals and technology to produce larger and a greater amount of crops and
animals. They have been spraying crops with pesticides to control insect infestations and the growth of
weeds and injecting animals with antibiotics to prevent illness and infection. Farmers have also been
genetically modifying crops and animals in order to make them grow bigger. Before genetic
engineering was introduced to farmers, an ear of corn was about two inches long, but now the average
size of an ear of corn is about seven inches.
Although the world had drifted away from the natural farming techniques, over the past few
decades there has been a gradual increase in the demand for organic products. This increase in demand
is due to an increase of awareness of consumers about the negative effects of food that is not produced
organically (Langley 14). Consumers are now realizing that organic food is safer to consume, much
more nutritious, and better for the environment than genetically modified food or food that is sprayed
or injected with chemicals.
For some people, it takes a life changing event such as the diagnosis of cancer or heart disease
to start making the switch to an organic diet. Other people eat organic food in order to prevent future
illness or disease. Yet, others eat organic food because they believe that it is a more humane way of life.

While organic farmers allow their cattle and poultry to graze freely on the land while non-organic
farmers mistreat their animals keep them in confined spaces. If one truly cares about the their own well
being as well as the well being of animals and the environment, it would be a wise decision to make the
switch to an organic diet.
Organic food is much safer for human consumption than conventional food. Farmers add
chemicals such as hormones and pesticides to non-organic meat and produce that can cause harm to the
human body. Additionally, before grocery products are placed on store shelves, chemical additives such
as artificial flavoring and preservatives are added. All of these chemicals are certainly not beneficial to
humans. Since organic food does not contain any of these chemicals found in conventional food, it is
certainly the better choice.
Pesticides are the chemicals that are added to non-organic crops in order to ward off insects or
other harmful organisms. Although the pesticides result in a higher crop survival rate, and, therefore,
a higher food production, pesticides can potentially cause birth defects and diseases. Although
researchers have not conducted long term studies depicting the health benefits of organic food as
opposed to non-organic food, the chemicals speak for themselves. Three pesticide researchers, Owens,
Feldman, and Kepner claim that [i]n 2005, the births of three babies born in Florida with severe birth
defects to mothers who all worked for Ag-Mart Produce, a company that produces chemically-treated
tomatoes and other agricultural products, brought the connection between birth defects and pesticide
exposure into the public consciousness. Yet, thousands of produce companies sell their pesticideridden products to millions of consumers. Additionally, there was a study conducted by a UC Berkley
researcher that determined a relationship between parental exposure to pesticides and lower IQ scores
in children (qtd. in Dunn). The world has seen what pesticides can do to the human body. Organic food
simply cleanses the body of these harmful pesticides. An organic food diet greatly reduces a person's
exposure to pesticides and the risks that come with this exposure. Additionally, an organic food diet
reduces a person's exposure to harmful hormones and antibiotics.

Organic meat is safer for human consumption because it does not contain added antibiotics.
Conventional farmers add antibiotics to their livestock in order to enable them to grow faster and fight
off diseases such as E. Coli and Salmonella. As a result, more meat is produced, and more people are
fed around the world. However, when a person eats meat that comes from animals that are treated with
antibiotics, there can be negative effects on his or her health. Antibiotic resistance is the cause of much
of the world's health problems. Antibiotics are used to cure disease and fight infections, but when they
are used excessively, their effectiveness begins to diminish. Conventional farmers feed their animals
antibiotics in order to prevent diseases, however, the bacteria from the diseases defend themselves
against the antibiotics by mutating and evolving. As a result, the bacteria become resistant to the
antibiotics (Hemmelgarn). This antibiotic resistance can potentially lead to widespread disease.
Disease can also be caused by the human consumption of chemical additives such as artificial
flavoring and preservatives. Food distributors add these chemicals to make the processed food taste
better and give it longer shelf life. These additives can cause allergic reactions and can also lead to
cancer. Sulphites, that are used to help food products last longer, can cause asthma. Flavor additives
such as Aspartame can cause hives and swelling. Additionally, food coloring can cause many allergic
reactions including hives and urticaria, a type of rash (Morris). In addition to allergic reactions, food
additives can also cause cancer. The preservatives, BHA and BHT, are oxidants which form cancercausing reactive compounds in your body. Additionally, red food coloring has been proven to cause
thyroid cancer (Bosch). It is evident that food preservatives provide humans with more harm than
benefit. For this reason, organic food is much safer for human consumption than conventional food.
In addition to organic food's safety benefits, an organic diet is also more nutritious than a
conventional diet. Organic produce contains higher vitamin and mineral content as well as a higher
phytonutrientcontent. Although there have not been many researchers who have studied the long-term
benefits of organic food, there are a few researchers such as Dr. Walter Crinnion who have found
astonishing evidence to support this hypothesis.

Organic produce contains a significantly higher amount of ascorbic acid, commonly known as
Vitamin C. Dr. Walter Crinnion, a specialist in the field of Environmental Medicine, claims that
ascorbic acid was the most common vitamin found in higher quantities in many organic fruits and
vegetables that he had tested. Crinnion found that ascorbic acid was about twenty seven percent higher
in organic fruits and vegetables. Ascorbic acid is proven to be higher in organic produce, but why is
this beneficial to consumers? Ascorbic acid provides consumers with many health benefits. It is often
used to prevent or treat flu-like symptoms. Additionally, it is used to treat stomach ulcers, skin
infections, acne, and gum disease. Ascorbic acid can even be used to treat mental diseases such as
dementia and decrease the effects of aging. The increased amount of ascorbic acid in organic produce
can have countless benefits to human health. Another reason why organic crops are healthier than nonorganic crops is because they contain more minerals.
Organic crops are scientifically proven to contain higher amounts of mineral content than nonorganic crops. Crinnion claims that organic foods have 21-percent more iron and 29-percent more
magnesium than non-organic foods. These percentages should be extremely significant to consumers.
Iron is an essential mineral because it helps distribute oxygen throughout a person's body. Additionally,
iron aids in the maintenance of healthy skin, hair, nails, and cells. Without a sufficient amount of iron
intake, a person can lose their ability to fight infections. Magnesium is also a vital mineral, however,
most Americans do not have enough of it. Magnesium helps a person's body digest proteins,
carbohydrates, and fats. Magnesium also activates a person's muscles and creates energy in the human
body. The minerals, iron and magnesium, have countless health benefits to the human body. Since
organic produce contains significantly higher amounts of these two minerals, organic produce, as a
result, is healthier for humans than non-organic produce. Organic produce not only contains more
essential vitamins and minerals than non-organic produce, but it also contains up to fifty percent more
phytonutrients.
In addition to vitamins and minerals, plants also produce compounds called phytonutrients.

Another reason why organic produce is healthier than non-organic produce is because phytonutrient
content is ten to fifty percent higher in organic produce (Crinnion). Phytonutrients such as carotenoids
and flavonoids are what give plants their bright colors. In addition, they provide consumers with many
health benefits. Dr. Crinnion claims, The carotenoid lycopene [(what gives tomatoes their red
pigment)] has been shown to help reduce cancer risk. Flavenoids contain abundant antioxidants and
improve brain function. What most consumers do not realize is that organic food can have healing
properties. If more consumers knew that organic food has up to fifty percent more phytonutrients that
are proven to reduce the risk of cancer and increase brain function, there would certainly be more
people making the switch to an organic diet.
It is clear that organic food is much healthier for human consumption than conventional food.
While organic crops have significantly higher amounts of vitamins and minerals, they also have higher
amounts of phytonutrients. These aspects of organic food not only make the organic options healthier,
but also provide organic food with healing powers. As Hippocrates once said, Let food be thy
medicine and medicine be thy food.
In addition to the safety and health benefits of organic food, there are also environmental
benefits. The pesticides used during conventional farming pollute the earth's water and air, contribute to
global warming, and kill bees, organisms that are vital to the existence of many species including the
human race. Organic farmers do not risk killing the earth or organisms that humans and other animals
rely on to survive.
`

Although pesticides yield a higher output of produce, they pollute the earth's water. When rain

falls on plants that are sprayed with pesticides, the pesticides run into streams and rivers and seep into
the ground. As a result, pesticides harm the earth's aquatic ecosystems. In fact, the insecticide rotenone
was originally used by fisherman to stun fish, making them much easier to catch. Graham Matthews,
Professor of Pest Management at Imperial College, notes, Not surprisingly, major fish kills followed
the use of highly toxic insecticides in lowland irrigated rice paddies (145). However, fish and marine

organisms are not the only ones that use this water. Other land animals as well as humans drink this
polluted water. As discussed earlier, pesticides can be very harmful to the human body. The National
Pesticide Telecommunications Network claims, In large amounts, some pesticides can cause long-term
health effects, such as cancer or organ damage, in laboratory animals (Pesticides in). Although the
water that humans drink may not contain enough pesticides to have these effects, the small amounts of
pesticides eventually add up. Water pollution is just a sample of the negative effects that pesticides
have on the earth. Pesticides are also polluting the earth's air. When farmers spray their crops with
pesticides, the pesticides can be carried off by the wind and introduced to the general public. This leads
to an increased exposure to pesticides and, therefore, increased risk of disease. Organic farming does
not pose these types of threats because organic crops are not sprayed with these detrimental chemicals.
Pesticides also directly contribute to the depletion of the earth's ozone.
Organic farming is also better for the environment than non-organic farming because organic
farms contribute to a reduction in the world's use of fossil fuels and ozone depletion. Since most
organic farmers sell their products locally, they do not rely nearly as much on fossil fuels for
transportation as non-organic farmers do. Additionally, the pesticides and fertilizers used during nonorganic farming use up great amounts of energy. It is astonishing that [a]s much as forty percent of
energy used in the food system goes towards the production of artificial fertilizers and pesticides
(Fossil). Since organic farmers do not use these artificial chemicals, their use of energy during food
production is significantly less than the amount of energy used by the non-organic farmers. The energy
used during the production of pesticides and farmers is just the beginning of their detrimental
environmental impact. Pesticides such as methyl bromide are the cause of five to ten percent of the
earth's ozone depletion (Pesticides). The increased amount of UV radiation that humans are exposes
to due to ozone depletion can be very harmful to human health. The UV exposure can lead to skin
cancer and can sap the human immune system. As more and more consumers begin to buy organic
products, more and more farmers will switch to organic farming techniques, and, as a result, the earth

will greatly benefit.

The pesticides that are used in non-organic farming practices are also killing the earth's bee
population. Elizabeth Grossman, a researcher at Yale University, claims, Beekeepers, primarily in the
United States and Europe, have been reporting annual hive losses of 30 percent or higher, substantially
more than is considered normal or sustainable. Some studies suggest that neonicotinides, a common
insecticide, are harming queen bees and hindering bees' abilities to get back to their hives. This is most
likely the cause of the great decline in the bee populations around the world. Bees as well as other
insects play in important role in countless ecosystems. Many consumers do not know that [a] third of
all our food depends on their pollination (Grossman). Without bees, the world's food production
would suffer greatly. Non-organic farmers currently use pesticides to yield a greater food production,
however, if this continues, they will be sorry that they didn't make the switch to organic farming. Since
organic farmers do not spray their crops with artificial pesticides and fertilizers, they do not harm
important pollinators.
There is no doubt that organic farming techniques are much safer for the environment than
conventional farming techniques. While the artificial pesticides that are used by conventional farmers
pollute the air and water supply as well as kill organisms that are vital to food production, organic
farming techniques have no negative effects on the environment.
Consumers should really start thinking about making the switch to an organic diet. There are
safety benefits as well as nutritional and environmental benefits that ensue from eating organic.
Although organic food is more expensive than non-organic, processed food, it is cheap compared to the
price that humans will have to pay if they continue their non-organic diets.

Works Cited
Bosch, Laurentine. "Top 10 Food Additives to Avoid." Foodmatters.tv. Food Matters, 23 Nov. 2010.

Web. 01 Dec. 2014. <http://www.foodmatters.tv/articles-1/top-10-food-additives-to-avoid>.

Crinnion, Walter J. "Organic Foods Contain Higher Levels of Certain Nutrients, Lower Levels of
Pesticides, and May Provide Health Benefits for the Consumer." Alternative Medicine
Review Apr. 2010: 4. Academic OneFile. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://db19.linccweb.org/login?
url=http://go.galegroup.com.db19.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?id=GALE|
A225739685&v=2.1&u=lincclin_pbcc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=93c56339b8283a0a7e
0b7ca5b74eb1e5>.
Dunn, Jancee. "Natural Selection." Vogue Dec. 2012: 258. Academic OneFile. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.
<http://db19.linccweb.org/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com.db19.linccweb.org/ps/i.do?
id=GALEA313863910&v=2.1&u=lincclin_pbcc&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w&asid=c09d0d1e1f
d2396f4791f7891dbf647b>.
"Fossil Fuel and Energy Use." NYU.edu. Sustainable Table, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
<https://www.nyu.edu/sustainability/pdf/Fossil%20Fuel%20and%20Energy%20Use
%202%20FCSummit-HO-20091207.pdf>.
Grossman, Elizabeth. "Declining Bee Populations Pose a Threat to Global Agriculture." E360.yale.edu.
Yale University, 30 Apr. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
<http://e360.yale.edu/feature/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_threat_to_global_agricultur
e/2645/>.
Hemmelgarn, Melinda. "Superbugs & Antibiotic Resistance: Organic Agriculture to the Rescue."
Organicvalley.coop. Organic Valley Family of Farms, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.organicvalley.coop/community/beyond-the-plate/antibiotic-resistance/1/>.
Langley, Andrew. "What Is Organic Food?" Is Organic Food Better? Chicago, IL: Heinemann Library,
2009. 11-20. Print.
Matthews, Graham A. "Environmental Aspects of Spray Drift." Pesticides: Health, Safety and the
Environment. Oxford: Blackwell Pub., 2006. 133-46. Print.

Morris, Adrian, Dr. "Food Additives and Preservatives Allergy - Testing & Treatment." Allergyclinic.co.uk. Surrey Allergy Clinic, n.d. Web. 03 Dec. 2014. <http://www.allergyclinic.co.uk/food-allergy/food-additives/>.
Owens, Kagan, Jay Feldman, and John Kepner. "Wide Range of Diseases Linked to Pesticides."
Pesticides and You 30.2 (2010): n. pag. Beyondpesticides.org. Beyond Pesticides, Aug. 2010.
Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.beyondpesticides.org/health/pid-database.pdf>.
"Pesticides in Drinking Water." Environment International 21.3 (1995): n. pag. Npic.orst.edu. National
Pesticide Telecommunications Network, Dec. 2000. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
<http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/drinkingwater.pdf>.
"Pesticides." Unifor.org. UNIFOR, Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.unifor.org/sites/default/files/documents/document/pesticides.pdf>.