In this fast-paced life of today, there is no dearth of people who think that eating organic food is the only way ahead to meet some level of fitness in their life.
But contrary to popular belief, scientific researchers say that organic food is no better than traditionally grown foods and that there are no consistent differences in the vitamin content of the aforesaid products.
There may be higher levels of phosphorus in organically grown food but the researchers conclude that this is of little importance as so few people are deficient in this.
So, for your better knowledge, here are some popular myths with their realities that people don’t know all about…
It’s more nutritious
There has never been a concrete conclusion to this myth. While few studies have found more vitamin C in organic tomatoes than in conventional ones; another advocates for more cancer-fighting flavonoids in organic corn and strawberries.
But not many studies have found organics to have a nutritional edge compared to the ones that are traditionally grown.
What makes the biggest difference in nutrients is how long produce sits on the shelf. Spinach, for instance, loses about half of its foliate within a week.
Better for environment
Organics don’t contaminate soil and groundwater with pesticides and chemicals as regular farming does, but it is only about half as productive as conventional farming as it requires far more land to produce the same amount of food.
Dennis Avery of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Global Food Issues estimates that modern high-yield farming has saved 15 million square miles of wildlife habitat, and that if the world switched to organic farming completely, we would need to cut down 10 million square miles of forest, which definitely can never be a good sign for environment.
It tastes better
With different varieties, different weather conditions, different soil types, and different soil management practices it would be foolish to think that organic foods in the supermarket will taste better than conventionally grown foods. Nobody has been able to tell the difference except in one study of apples, where organics came out ahead.
To get a carrot that tastes like a carrot, buy the ones that are locally grown, are in season, and haven’t been sitting on the shelf too long.
It makes you lose weight
While it might be a shed healthier for you, organic food can still make you gain weight. For example, eating organic butter would still make you gain weight because the calories are almost identical no matter how it’s made. It’s important to understand that no matter how the food is made; the calories and the nutrients will remain very similar to conventional foods. It’s just the processing that changes but not the content.
