Food plays a major role in your body. Everything you eat and drink could affect the way your body functions. Considering the increasing rate of obesity, stroke, and other serious medical conditions affecting way of life, more people are making a switch and going organic.

The question is this: what is the difference between organic and non-organic food?

Battle of the Foods: Organic vs. Non-Organic

According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, organically grown crops have higher concentration of nutritionally desirable antioxidants and lower levels of undesirable cadmium and pesticide residues.

Definition

Simply stated, organic produce are grown without any use of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, antibiotics, or growth hormones. Farmers and cattle raisers don’t use conventional methods to grow organic produce to reduce pollution encourage water and soil conservation.

On the other hand, non-organic foods are produce grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides to control contamination of mold toxins and dangerous bacteria. The US Food and Drug Administration regulate the allowable amount of synthetics used in a product to reduce potential risks.

Size and Shape

Physical differences between organic and non-organic food are easy to spot. Organic foods come in various shapes and sizes, and physically “imperfect” appearance. Organic meats such as beef and pork are smaller because of the absence of growth-enhancing substances.

Non-organic products look relatively the same to meet quality and grading standards. Non-organic meat is also bigger because of the growth-enhancing substances used in meat production.

Nutrients

When it comes to nutrients, organic crops have higher concentration of desirable antioxidants such as phenolic acid, flavones and flavonols. In addition, organic plants like pineapple is rich in bromelain extracts (an enzyme which has medicinal properties) acts as an anti-inflammatory agent that heals many things in your body like sinusitis, burns, tendonitis & arthritis. Organic foods have less potentially harmful ingredients such as nitrogen, cadmium, and pesticide residues than their non-organic counterpart.

In other words, Newcastle University-led study concluded that organic crops have higher nutritional quality than non-organic food.

USDA Organic Seal

In order to assure the quality and integrity of the products, check if a particular produce has USDA Organic Seal on it. It shows that the product is 95 to 100 percent organic and the organic operators are certified and inspected annually to make sure that standards are met.

Food additives and other substances

This is the most tangible difference between organic and non-organic products. Organic products follow legislation-identified methods and substances. Animals used to produce organic products such as meat and eggs are raised on organic feeds, not growth-enhancing and other artificial substances used in most non-organic food.

Organic products use artificial ingredients but are fewer and limited compared to non-organic counterparts.

Price

Generally, organic food is more expensive compared to non-organic because the former is more labor and management intensive. Converting land to organic status is also costly and may take up to three years before a produce is considered product of organic farming.

Are Organic Foods More Nutritious?

According to various studies, a diet rich in antioxidants and (poly)phenolics have health benefits such as increased protection against cancer, cardiovascular, and neurodegenerative diseases – a characteristic present in organic foods. Eating foods with less cadmium, nitrite, nitrate, and chemical pesticides residues are beneficial too.

Between the two, organically produced products count for more nutrients. However, some experts say that synthetic substances are not as harmful as they seem. Further studies are needed to find the composition differences between conventional and organic crops.

5 Health Benefits of Going Organic

The antioxidant and (poly)phenolics content could help protect against various medical conditions such as cancer and diabetes Limits exposure to potentially harmful synthetics Contains more nutrients such as omega-3 and vitamins Boosts immune system Prevents premature aging

Are Organic Foods Truly Organic or Simply Marketing Magic?

When it comes to food labels, understanding terminologies is crucial. Keep in mind that organic does not necessarily mean it is natural or non-GMO. Some food companies and retailers take advantage of the organic trend and put “organic” in the labels.

Was your latest purchase truly organic?

The label says it all. If you are shopping for organic foods, check the “USDA Organic” label to make sure that you are getting organic food. However, the label does not classify whether the food is 100 percent organic or not. There are foods with the USDA Organic seal but contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients.

If you prefer 100 percent organic food, the label will say it all. Don’t worry. Organic foods undergo intense USDA regulations before the seal is issued.

If you can, shop at farmers’ market, talk directly to the farmers, and ask them about their farming methods.

Factors that Classify Something GMO vs. Non-GMO

A genetically modified organism or GMO is an organism, whether plants, trees, herbs, or animals, that went through recombinant DNA procedure or the transfer of genetic material from one organism to another. Genetic engineering of organism has its advantages such as:

Improve product characteristics

Better pest, herbicide, and disease resistance

More anti-nutritional factors

Longer shelf life

High contents of specific nutrients

However, GMO products have downsides too, which includes:

Linked to serious health issues like infertility and allergies

Harmed ecosystem, thereby leading to lower levels of biodiversity

There is the threat to human health due to emergence of new diseases

Here are…

4 tips to help you decide if the product is genetically modified or not

Check the label. Non-genetically modified products carry “Non-GMO Product” seal. Stay away from artificial sweeteners. Organic does not necessarily mean it is non-GMO. There are organic foods that are still GMO. Look into the produce sticker. Codes starting with “9” are organic, “4” means the food was treated with pesticide, herbicide or both, and “8” signifies it is genetically modified.

Tips in Selecting Foods with Low Pesticide

The bottom line is to eat more fruits, vegetables, and lean meat to keep your health at bay. If buying organic is not financially possible because of the added costs, you can always go for food that are less contaminated with pesticides and food additives.

Foods that are least contaminated are:

Onions

Pineapples

Mangoes

Eggplant

Watermelon

Sweet potato

Mushrooms

Avocado

Asparagus

If you can, go organic on the following food products:

Pepper

Cucumber

Banana

Green beans

Squash

Oranges

Cauliflower

This does not mean that you have to say no to non-organic foods. Take note of the differences between the two food groups and consider your health before going for anything.

[divider style=”dashed” top=”15″ bottom=”15″]

Author Bio:

Mike Dawson is the editor at BuyExtracts, one of finest international supplier of high quality plant extracts. He also spends his time in researching on enzyme benefits to human health. For more information & to buy bromelain and other plant extracts, visit at BuyExtracts.com.