How Safe Are The Organic Foods For Children?

Those produce and other ingredients which are grown without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, genetically modified organisms (GMO), or ionizing radiation are called as Organic Food. Similarly, non veg food sources are called categorised as Organic. The type of meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products which come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones are called Organic meat, eggs and milk respectively.

It’s all about Phytochemicals that boost nutrition

Organic food companies claims to have higher nutritional value than conventional food. Reason is the absence of pesticides and fertilizers in the crops which further helps boost their production of the phytochemicals (vitamins and antioxidants) that strengthen the crop’s resistance to bugs and weeds.

Why Organic food is costly

Farming method of organic crop refrains from using the pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and growth hormones. So, the yield is less as compared to the crops grown with much fertilizers and growth hormones.

How wise is switching your children to an organic diet?

The food you pick for your children is the primary route of exposure risk. Be selective while choosing and using the food packets and dairy items for your children.

• Organic diet drastically reduces the exposure to organophosphates, a class of pesticides that includes the common and toxic Malathion and Chlorpyrifos affects the nervous system (as per the study of one international NPO named Beyond Pesticides). Their research study results indicated that for certain types of pesticides, such as organophosphates, diet is the primary route of exposure and switching to an organic diet decreases exposure substantially.

• Children fed an organic diet have much lower levels of metabolites of high-risk insecticides in their bodies.

• Organic meat and dairy for your kids is also the best way to ensure that they’re not exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals like the synthetic hormones given to the livestock to speed growth and alter reproductive cycles.

• Choosing organic meat and dairy means your children are not fed meat that was raised on daily doses of antibiotics to speed growth, leading to dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Don’t go crazy by scrolling different organic food and products. Ask your Nutrition expert to get an insight.

Do you know?  

• The chemicals and hormones (estrogens) used in crops and dairy to gain the production & yield. These have been shown to cause certain cancers and are suspected of contributing to early puberty in children.
  
  
• Studies show that organic food does not significantly taste better than conventional food. Also, the label “organic” can change perceptions of taste, calories, and value regardless of whether the food is organic or not.

(The writer of the article is Consultant Corporate Nutritionist, RD, CDE)