- More vitamins and minerals There are more vitamins and minerals
in organic fruit and vegetables than in conventional ones. The scientists Dr. Alberta Velimirov from the Vienna Ludwig Boltzmann Institute and genetic engineering expert Werner Müller. Together they evaluated 175 international studies on organic food. According to this, white cabbage, tomatoes and apples had a significantly higher vitamin C content, potatoes contained more magnesium.
- A plus in taste
Due to the generally lower water content in organic fruit and vegetables, flavors and aromas are more concentrated. Taste tests have shown that organically fertilized carrots and potatoes taste more aromatic. Apples were rated as more refreshing, more apple-typical and firmer in the flesh.
- Hardly any additives in food
Only a tenth of the additives used in conventional products are allowed in organic products. There are no preservatives or colorings. This means that the risk of developing allergies is significantly lower.
- Low nitrate
levels Organically grown vegetables store significantly lower amounts of nitrate than conventionally grown ones. Reason: chemical-synthetic nitrogen fertilizers and easily soluble phosphates are not allowed. Instead, organic farmers work with different crop rotations on the fields. So they alternately grow legumes such as beans or clover, which bind nitrogen from the air with the help of soil bacteria and thus enrich the soil. There is hardly any danger of absorbing nitrates, which are converted into carcinogenic nitrosamines in the body, with organic vegetables.
- Complete renunciation of genetic engineering
The use of genetic engineering is strictly forbidden in organic farming. The EU Organic Regulation of 1999 excludes the use of genetic engineering. This is not compatible with the principles of organic farming, which is to support natural control mechanisms and natural cycles. Organic farming also campaigns against progressive genetic engineering in conventional cultivation. Wind and insects can also use the pollen to transfer the altered genome of genetically modified plants to unmodified plants. It is not foreseeable what consequences this may have in the long term.
- Unprocessed grains
Organic grains and the bread made from them are naturally healthy. Reason: Organic grain is neither treated nor sprayed with chemical pesticides or gassed. Pesticides and fungicides used during storage can get stuck under the skin of conventional grain. This is where most of the vitamins and minerals are found. Especially those who often consume whole grain products should therefore choose untreated grain.
- No pesticides
Chemical sprays are not used in organic fruit and vegetable cultivation. The treatment of harvested fruits and vegetables with chemical agents is also not permitted. Unlike conventional fruits such. B. Strawberries – especially from southern Europe: year after year, consumer protection organizations warn of significantly increased pesticide levels. It is often a whole poisonous cocktail made up of several substances that the laboratories find on the sweet little fruit. Organic foods are free from such toxins.
- Free from radiation
The use of so-called germ inhibitors and radioactive radiation is strictly prohibited in organic food. Feeding experiments with irradiated food in animals showed negative effects: tumor formation, damage to the immune system and deficiency symptoms or growth disorders were the result. Anyone who buys organic products excludes such a health risk as a matter of principle.
Why organic products?
- Many plant
substances Organic fruit and vegetables contain more secondary plant substances than conventional products. The study results of the scientists Velimirov and Müller showed that organic grapes had about 26 percent more of the cancer-protective resveratol in the skin. The health-promoting lycopene content in tomatoes was significantly increased. The reason for this is the cultivation, in which the health-promoting plant substances develop particularly well due to the absence of pesticides and minerals.
- No
factory farming The top priority in the production of meat and sausage products is species-appropriate animal husbandry. Whether chickens, cows or pigs – the animals get plenty of exercise in nature. They are kept in such a way that they can move around in the pasture and in the stable and can lie down comfortably. Only natural, species-appropriate feed, mainly from organic farming, is fed. Preventive antibiotics are not allowed. Diseases are treated homeopathically. Healthy, tasty meat is guaranteed.
- Strict inspection
Organic farms, producers and processors are inspected according to the general food regulations. In addition, according to the EU organic regulation, they must regularly undergo strict, independent tests by state-approved inspection bodies (see poster in the middle of the issue). You must log all stages of food production. Some organic associations, such as “Naturland”, “demeter” or “Bioland”, require their members to meet criteria that go beyond the EU regulation in many respects.
- Environmentally friendly
Those who buy organic products make an active contribution to a healthy environment. Because: Organic farmers act in harmony with nature every day. They manage with the knowledge that nature is a scarce resource and that only careful cultivation can keep the cycle going. So protects z. For example, the fact that organic farming does not use pesticides and artificial mineral fertilizers protects our groundwater from pesticides, nitrates and phosphates.
- Long shelf life
Organically produced foods have a longer shelf life. The Viennese researchers Velimirov and Müller were able to prove in their studies that organically fertilized potatoes have up to 50 percent less storage losses than conventional ones. The reason for this is the higher dry substance and the firmer pulp. This means that an organic potato is particularly resistant to microbial infestation and spoils less quickly.
- Buy directly from the
organic farm next door! Especially in organic farming, great value is placed on regional marketing and seasonal products. Many companies also sell them directly on the farm. This brings proximity to the product and allows customers to get an idea of the cultivation method, the harvest and the origin of the food on site. On top of that, long, environmentally harmful transport routes are eliminated. The products reach the consumer faster and fresher.
- Good for babies
Organic products make breast milk healthier. Tests have shown that milk from women who mostly ate organically had a significantly higher content of the essential omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. They are of great importance for the development of the brain in infants. Pesticide exposure also decreased with the consumption of organic products.
