In recent years there has been growing concern about how and what we eat and how this affects our health. It is a growing trend in which restaurants, supermarkets and producers have modified the way they offer, consume and generate vegetables, dairy products and meats.
And despite being a trend in which the products are a little more expensive than the conventional ones, there are many people who are choosing this lifestyle. Learn a little more about what organic products are, how to differentiate them and the benefits they have for you and your family’s health.
What are organic products?
Organic products are usually confused with natural products. Natural foods are those that are free of artificial ingredients or additives and are as unprocessed as possible and generally do not need certification.
On the other hand, organic products are those that have been grown without artificial pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides. It must be produced in the midst of cultural, biological and mechanical practices that contribute to sustainability and conserve biodiversity, that is, its processes do not affect the soils or the health of those who work on its crops.
For the cultivation of vegetables and fruits, processes such as synthetic fertilizers, irradiation and genetic alteration are not allowed. As for meat animals for consumption such as cows, pigs, chickens and poultry, they are fed on soils and grains free of fertilizers and these do not receive hormones or medicines that promote their growth in an accelerated manner, since genetically modified organisms cannot be commercialized either.
How to recognize organic products?
In order for a product to be considered organic, its entire process must be certified and it must contain a label indicating that it is grown under optimal conditions to be accredited as such. Some of them are 100{0728d68cb2198b6d88310b8a6775ece8d37f059edbc54afb64e46dbd0be3c148} organic, that is, they do not contain any non-organic ingredients or processes.
When the label indicates only the word “Organic”, it is because only 95 percent of this product is. If the percentage is below 95, the label must indicate that it is made with organic products and indicate the composition, so that the consumer has clarity about the product he is choosing.
Health benefits of organic products
Because they are not in contact with the chemicals contained in fertilizers, pesticides and additives, they are safer and healthier foods. In addition, it has been proven that organic fruits and vegetables have 40 percent more antioxidants, because when grown in soils balanced by natural fertilizers, they can obtain more nutrients from the soil and fewer harmful components to health.
Likewise, it has been considered an alternative therapy to treat cancer because they help improve and strengthen the immune system. On the other hand, they serve to improve fertility, since consuming chemicals and pesticides affect fertility in men and women.
Organic crops also help the environment
When cultivated without the intervention of malignant chemicals, they improve the structure of the soil and reduce the risk of erosion. The strong fertilizers and pesticides of traditional crops can destroy much of the microbacterial activity in the soil that normally helps plants absorb more minerals from the soil and thus become more nutritious.
In addition, these crops contribute to the care of the environment and help prevent global warming, since conventional agriculture is responsible for 1/5 of the gas emissions that affect the ozone layer. Organic agriculture reduces greenhouse gases, protects the earth’s surface and counteracts climate change.