Vegetables produced for mass-consumption are often riddled with chemicals and pesticides that end up harming the human body. While opting for farmer’s markets and local produce may seem expensive, not only does it have health benefits but it also supports farmers. The following items should always be bought organically.
Milk: If you think the benefits of eating organic only apply to fruits and vegetables, you might be mistaken. Animals that produce meat or milk tend to have a lot of fat cells. If they are not fed organic feed or raised in an organic environment, their toxin load will be higher. And the food that comes from them will naturally be higher in toxins. Go organic with dairy and its products.
Fruits: Fruits, especially ones with thin outer skin, are more susceptible to absorbing pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. For fruits such as apples, peaches, plums and grapes—wherein we consume the skin—we end up ingesting the chemicals on the outside too. So, organic is the way to go.
Tomato: Tomatoes are full of flavour, vitamins and, unfortunately, pesticides. Organic tomatoes are high in polyphenols which are considered to be antioxidants that are good for health. And fresh, juicy tomatoes are not just delicious, but the perfect answer to detox the system.
Egg: Organic eggs are the ones produced by hens not raised in cages. Sometimes they may be free-range, where the hens were raised outdoors. However, egg labelling is a slippery slope. Organic, free-range or cage-free do not guarantee that the bird had access to ample food or water but it does mean that the chemicals injected were definitely near-negligible.
Chicken: The birds are often fattened with genetically modified food and given antibiotics for disease control. Meat from organically raised chicken will be free of such chemicals that might lead to antibiotic resistance.