Now organically grown food produce are in great demand and its popularity and sales continue to grow faster.

Definition of Organic Food

The term “organically grown foods” denotes products that have been produced in accordance with the principles and practices of organic agriculture. The set standard that defines organic food by USDA (United States Department of Agriculture Approved) is, "any food that is labelled 'organic' is free of genetic and hormonal modification, antibiotics, irradiation and pesticides". Growers and producers of organic foods are also governed by the rules and regulations concerning water, soil conservation and animal treatment.

Nutritional Comparison of Organic and Conventional Produce

Studies show that organic crops contains significantly more vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus and significantly less nitrates than conventional crops. There were trends showing less protein, but of a better quality and a higher content of nutritionally significant minerals with lower amounts of some heavy metals in organic crops compared to conventional ones.

Effect of Toxic Chemicals, Antibiotics and Growth Hormone

According to the Environmental protection agency, 30% of insecticides, 60% of herbicides and 90% of fungicides are harmful and potentially dangerous to human health. If you opt for organic foods, you can reduce the toxic load of your body that comes from these pesticides, herbicides and fungicides that are contained in the foods you eat. Also, there exists a practice among farmers of using antibiotics and growth hormones for the protection and optimum growth of animals. Food products from organically grown animals are free from antibiotics and growth hormone.

Myth about Eating Organic Food for Losing Weight

Since the demand for organically grown food items is high, manufacturers have started to produce processed foods that are purely made from organic ingredients which include frozen dinners, sugary cereals, cookies and crackers.

As a result, sticking to organic foods, simply because it has the organic label, does not necessarily enhance or produce weight loss. You can possibly maintain a high-calorie diet full of sugar and sodium, while stringently eating organic food.

If your main concern is to lose weight, you need to keep an eye on your calorie intake and select nutrient- dense foods that contain less amount of sugar, sodium and trans-fats. At the same time, if you wish to minimize the intake of toxic chemical residues, antibiotics and growth hormone, you need to stick to organically produced foods.

The Key Principles and Practice of Organic Food Production

The key principles and practices of organic food production encourage and enhance biological cycles within the farming system to maintain and increase long-term fertility of soil, to minimize all forms of pollution, to avoid the use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides, to maintain genetic diversity of the production system, to consider the wider social and wider ecological impact of the food production and processing system, and to produce food of high quality in sufficient quantity.