The dependence of human health on what products he eats is beyond doubt. Moreover, it is not only their composition that is important, but also the quality. And the quality of products depends on how they are grown - organic or with the use of pesticides and chemical growth stimulants.
Organic and inorganic products
To increase productivity in agriculture, pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and ionizing radiation have been used for several decades. When it comes to animal husbandry, in order to increase productivity, animals and poultry - sources of meat, eggs and dairy products - are added to food antibiotics and growth hormones. The use of all these synthetic preparations is justified by the fact that they allow an order of magnitude to increase yields and productivity, which becomes especially relevant in the event of a shortage of food due to an increase in the world's population.
Already in the 40s of the last century, opponents of the use of all kinds of artificial stimulants and other drugs used in agriculture and the food industry appeared. They advocated that only organic food be presented on their table, that is, those that are grown using traditional methods without the use of inorganic chemicals. These products are considered safe and environmentally friendly. In the West, even a whole social movement has emerged called the Green Revolution. For his supporters, an entire food industry has begun to operate, producing special organic products with labels to prove this. Naturally, the price of such products is much higher than those offered to the mass consumer. But how much higher their real benefits are - the question still remains open.
Are organic foods good for you?
In many countries, studies are being carried out in which independent experts compare conventional, inorganic, foods with those that are classified as such. Most of these studies have concluded that there is little difference between traditional and organic food. This is evidenced, for example, by the results of experiments carried out at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, as well as a thorough analysis carried out by scientists at Stanford University in the United States.
According to these studies, the nutritional value of these foods, as well as their ability to cause allergic reactions, are identical. In "organic", however, the content of pesticides is lower than in traditional products, by 30%, but it is small, since in ordinary products this content is much lower than the safe norm for health. At the same time, the likelihood of getting an intestinal disorder due to the pathogenic microflora contained in food is also the same.
Researchers from the University of Newcastle, USA, nevertheless proved that organic foods contain more of some minerals. First of all, these are phosphorus, zinc and iron. Organic corn and berries, for example, contain 52% more vitamin C and 58% more antioxidant polyphenols that prevent aging, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
