Ahmed Hulusi Website

7/16/15

Benefits of Organic Food

Benefits of Organic Food

In general, organic food consumers, manufacturers, and farmers strongly believe that organic food has the following benefits compared to non-organic food. While there are plenty of arguments against the multitude of organic food being overpriced on the market, there is no denying that there are some benefits that can be enjoyed.
Antioxidant Capacity

A number of studies have been completed regarding the effects of antioxidants derived from organic foods on your overall health, and the predominant results have shown that antioxidants tend to have more of an impact when they come from organic foods. This may be due to the fact that foreign chemicals are not negatively interacting with the different vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds that are so essential for the positive impact of fruits and vegetables in the prevention of things like cancer, heart disease, premature aging, vision problems, and cognitive malfunction. Recent research suggests that choosing organic food can lead to increased intake of nutritionally desirable antioxidants and reduced exposure to toxic heavy metals.
Pesticide Reduction
One of the major complaints that organic food consumers cite when choosing organic over non-organic is the presence of pesticides. In order to keep crops from being attacked by the natural world, including bugs, pesticides are required. Although they do a good job keeping certain pests away from the crops, they also are composed of powerful chemicals like organophosphorus. This is an unnatural mineral compound that is not required by humans, but more than 80% of this material in our bodies comes from eating pesticide-coated foods. Organophosphorus has been connected to a number of developmental problems, including autism and ADHD, so those organic food lovers do have a pretty strong argument in this case. To be fair, many people do choose to go organic to make sure that their children grow up healthy and unaffected by the toxins of the world during their developmental years.
Heart Health
Increased amount of time grazing on grass also increases the amounts of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) that can be found in the animal products. CLA is a heart-healthy fatty acid that can boost cardiovascular protection, and it is found in higher quantities in breast milk and in meat for animals that have been raised free range or cage-free.
Immune System
In recent decades, one of the biggest projects for farmers and food growers has been genetic modification. Making tomatoes six times larger might sound like a possible option for solving some world hunger issues, but there is another side to it. Genetic modification is still in its early stages, so the long-term effects of it on human health aren’t understood as well as we would like. In animal testing genetically modified food showed a major reduction in immune system strength, an increase in birth mortality, as well as in certain sexual dysfunctions, cancers, and sensitivity to allergens. Although there are some good things about genetically modified food, organic food advocates point to the lack of concrete details about the long-term effects.
Antibiotic Resistance
People are very sensitive to issues of their health, and they often take precautions to make sure they remain healthy, like getting various vaccines and taking antibiotics as soon as a new strain of bacteria makes them ill. However, non-organic food sources, particularly livestock and feed houses, also use antibiotics to feed their animals. This extra dose of antibiotics may actually be weakening our immune system by basically overdosing on antibiotics, thereby reshaping our immune system so many times that it will eventually be unable to defend itself. Organic food growers and dairy farmers do not use antibiotics in their processes.
Overall Health
Since organic food is not prepared using chemical fertilizers, it does not contain any traces of these strong chemicals and might not affect the human body in negative ways. Natural fertilizers, like manure, work perfectly fine, and organic farmers are happy to use this smellier, yet safer, form of fertilizer.
Better Taste
Some people strongly believe that organic food tastes better than non-organic food. The prominent reason for this belief is that it is produced using organic means of production. Furthermore, organic food is often sold locally, resulting in availability of fresh produce in the market, which usually does taste better than produce that has been frozen, shipped, and transported across long distances.
Environmental Safety
As harmful chemicals are not used in organic farming, there is minimal soil, air and water pollution; thus ensuring a safer and healthier world for future generations to live in.
Animal Welfare
Animal welfare is an important aspect of producing organic milk, organic meat, organic poultry, and organic fish. People feel happy that the animals are not confined to a miserable caged life when they eat organic animal products.
https://www.organicfacts.net/organic-products/organic-food/health-benefits-of-organic-food.html

7/3/15

Artichokes boost brain health, have other incredible health benefits

June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month. Many foods deservedly stand in the healthy spotlight for their ability to help heal and keep the body functioning at optimal levels, and the artichoke is no different.

Artichoke hearts, which are part of the Cynara genus, provide a host of heath benefits (1). Incorporating them into diets often is an ideal way to help the body stay in shape so people can remain as healthy as possible.

Health benefits of artichokes

1) Fights damaging free radicals
So powerful is the vitamin C content in artichokes that the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) system has given this food a score nine times higher than other antioxidant-rich foods (1). ORAC rates foods based on their antioxidant capacity; foods high in antioxidants are known to fight off free radicals that damage cells and wreak havoc on the body.

2) Relief from indigestion pain
Studies have shown that artichoke leaf extract provides relief to those suffering from acid reflux or indigestion pain, leading members of some European scientific advisory boards to authorize use of artichoke to help people with everything from mild diarrhea and nausea to bloating and stomach discomfort (1).

3) Cholesterol-reducing ability
Artichoke has been found to contain compounds that play a role in the reduction of cholesterol in the blood, making it a good choice for those with related concerns (2). Specifically, the compounds are sesquiterpene-lactones and cynarin.

4) Boosts brain health
Because artichokes are a source of vitamin K, which is linked to facilitating brain health by reducing damage to neurons in that organ, it may help patients with Alzheimer's disease (2). Furthermore, artichokes are known to act as a vasodilator, which simply means that the food has properties that expand blood vessels, letting more oxygen reach the brain (3). When there is more oxygen in the brain, improved cognitive abilities can result.

Enjoy the benefits of artichokes not only during National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, but every day. Always be sure to choose fresh, organic options.


 http://www.naturalnews.com/045713_artichokes_brain_health_antioxidants.html