Organic Vs Non-Organic. What's Better?

The Dispute that goes back almost as far as nutrition and a growing society does. Both Organic and Non-Organic have very similar traits but is it truly worth stretching your wallets for the benefits of these foods or will your only benefit be placebo? Here we help you to gain a better understanding of what organic has to offer your health.

We will talk about the:

STANDARDS

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

SUSTAINABILITY

Standards:

To be a certified organic product with the little signs and stickers you see at the store farmers must follow a number of regulations and carry out certain practices & procedures. Questions like how specific crops and produce are to be grown, extracted, processed and stored; how pests and diseases are to be treated; which substances, methods, and ingredients may not be used; and what environmental factors must be taken into consideration. According to the organic council of Ontario " In general, organic production does not allow for the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, genetically engineered materials, or irradiation, but exceptions have been made in rare situations where there are no viable alternatives and the synthetic substances in question are neither invasive or systemic"{2}. The Canadian Organic Standards also prohibit the use of GE(Genetically Engineered) substances in organic farming.

Nutritional Value:

So far it is looking quite optimistic! The standards seem to be on par so what kind of yield do we achieve from these standards? Organic food will be generally higher in things like phosphorus(formation of bones& teeth), Vitamin C(Immune system health), and phytochemicals(broad range of health benefits). This is Largely due to the soil quality, growing conditions, & harvesting methods in combination with little to no use of pesticides which kill a significant amount of these essential phytochemicals. For instance, organic crops had about 50 percent more anthocyanins and flavonols compared with conventional crops. Anthocyanins are compounds that give fruits and vegetables, such as blueberries, their blue, purple and red hues. Consumption of these compounds is linked to a variety of benefits, including anti-inflammatory effects. Flavonol compounds — found widely in fruits and vegetables — have also been shown to protect cells from damage, which can help fend off disease{1}. on the other hand, though plenty of skeptics remain. "Such small changes are unlikely to represent any nutritional or health benefit," writes Ian Givens, a professor of nutrition at the University of Reading{1}. In a statement on the new findings, Givens points out that switching from conventional milk to organic milk would increase omega-3 intake by only very small margins. These small margins could arguably be achieved by supplementing with little amounts of inorganic foods such as eggs or fish to achieve that omega 3 difference(in this specific case).

Sustainability:

It is estimated that by 2055 the world population has an anticipated increase to around 10 billion people. That is well within most of our lifetimes and a very real possibility given the growth rate we have experienced in the last 20-40 years. As of right now, the possibility of feeding the majority of humans on earth with primarily organic foods is not realistic. The reason we HAVE foods that are GMO(Genetically modified) is that we cannot feed everyone organically or non-GMO, otherwise, why would we have it? The Idea of eating organic is great! lessening our environmental impact starting with the foods we eat, higher nutritional value, better taste and fewer vitamin deficiencies overall. What's not to love!? The questions we find ourselves asking is, is it reasonable for us to eat this way or are we a greater burden on the whole system? Everyone deserves to eat and everyone deserves the best but is the difference really worth it for your body and your wallet? Now we have equipped you with what you need to know you can go out and confidently make that choice for yourself and the people you care most about!

As always we thank you for taking the time out of your day to read our blog and support us and our goal to spread awareness of information on interesting topics that address various topics regarding fitness!

~STRIATIONSfitness

-Claudio Lombardo

References:

1. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/02/18/467136329/is-organic-more-nutritious-new-study-adds-to-the-evidence

2. https://www.organiccouncil.ca/organic-more-than-just-non-gmo/