The importance of including organic food in your daily diet

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A number of our readers would have heard about organic food but might not be exactly aware as to what it is. In a simple definition, organic foods are those that have been grown or farmed without the use of artificial chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, insecticides), hormones, antibiotics or even genetically modified organisms (GMO). In short, organic foods are derived from the ‘organic’ way by which they are produced.

In order to be labelled ‘organic’, a food product must be free of artificial food additives, which includes artificial sweeteners, preservatives, colouring and flavouring agents and monosodium glutamate (MSG).Organic crops are grown using natural fertilizers like manure and other such substances to improve plant growth. Animals raised organically are also not injected with antibiotics or hormones. The most commonly produced organic foods include fruit, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat. However today, there is also the advent of other processed organic products, such as cookies and breakfast cereals.

The bottom line

Evidence suggests that organic foods offer many health benefits. For example, several lab studies found that their higher antioxidant content helped protect cells from damage. Animal studies showed that organic diets may benefit human reproduction and the immune system. Besides, observational studies in humans have linked organic foods to lower the risk of allergies and eczema. In short, organic foods ensure that we are not eating a steady diet of pesticides and preservatives, which can have a long-term negative impact on our health.

Detailed health benefits of organic food

In the very way in which organic foods are produced/farmed, there is evidence that foods grown organically may be more nutritious. So here are some points on organic foods that empower human health.

Organic foods contain less chemicals with more bacteria-resistance

Because organic foods avoid artificial chemicals, evidence suggests that consuming these can reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. One study found that levels of cadmium, an extremely toxic metal, were 48 per cent lower in organic produce. In addition, pesticide residues were four times more likely to be found in non-organic crops.

Though cadmium and pesticide residue levels in conventionally-grown produce were still well below safety limits, experts caution that cadmium can accumulate over time in the body, causing potential harm. Also, since organic farming does not use antibiotics in animals, these products generally contain lower levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Inference: Organic foods can reduce exposure to toxins, pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Organic foods contain more nutrients

Several studies have revealed that organic foods generally contain higher levels of antioxidants and certain micronutrients, such as vitamin-C, zinc and iron. Also, antioxidant levels can be up to 69 per cent higher in these foods.

One study also found that organically-grown berries and corn contained 58 per cent more antioxidants and up to 52 per cent higher levels of vitamin-C. What’s more, one study reported that replacing regular fruit, vegetables and cereals with organic versions could enrich the diet with extra antioxidants, which is comparable to eating 1-2 extra helpings of fruit and vegetables daily. Besides, organic plants produce more of their own protective compounds, which explains the higher levels of antioxidants in these plants, thereby obviating the need of chemical pesticides use on them.

Inference: Organically-grown crops have more antioxidants and vitamins that are good for health.

Organic dairy and meat carry a more favourable fatty acid profile

Organic milk and dairy products can contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and slightly higher amounts of iron, vitamin-E and some carotenoids. Moreover, a review found that organic meat contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and slightly lower levels of saturated fats than conventional meat. A higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with many health benefits, including reduced risk of heart diseases.

Inference: Organic dairy and meat can prevent the occurrence of heart ailments.

Organic foods have lower nitrate levels

As revealed by studies, organically-grown crops have as much as 30 per cent lower nitrate levels. High nitrate levels are not only linked to an increased risk of certain types of cancer but also to a condition called methemoglobinemia, a disease that impacts the body’s ability to carry oxygen.

Inference: Organically-grown crops can reduce the risk of lifestyle ailments like cancer.

Did you know?

Organic farming is good for the environment too as it tends to improve soil quality, helps in ground water conservation and contributes to reduce pollution.

How to identify organic foods

Go to any modern-day supermarket and you’ll find racks dedicated to organic foods. Pick up a pack and see if it has been labelled ‘Certified Organic’, or see if it has an appropriate equivalent seal, which means that it meets stringent requirements in terms of how it’s produced and processed. These include:

No processing with industrial solvents or irradiation

No synthetic pesticides

No chemical fertilizers

No GMOs

No hormones or preventive antibiotics

Year-round grazing access for livestock, also fed a non-GMO diet

Organic whole foods are among the healthiest one can buy because they nourish our cells without dousing them in energy-lowering chemicals. However, one should keep in mind that the organic restrictions around pesticides and fertilizers don’t mean that farmers don’t use them at all. They do and it is just that the products have to be derived from natural sources and approved by certifying agencies. Hence, the takeaway is that even if your produce is organic, you still need to give it a thorough washing and cleaning before consumption.

Key take-home message

Organic foods can contain more antioxidants and nutrients than regular food, providing straightaway health benefits. Consuming organic food may also reduce exposure to artificial chemicals, hormones and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. So go ahead, include organic foods into your daily diet. Because watching what you eat ought to also include knowing what you eat ate!

GD Assist

Hotline: 16457; +8801617666888. Email: gdal@green-delta.com

Website: gdassist.com

Pedal your way to good health

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The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, says an ancient Chinese proverb. Cyclists and believers have a more refreshing take as they believe that the journey to good health begins with a single pedal.

If one considers the immense benefits of cycling, one will become a believer and take up cycling sooner rather than later. And this post intends to turn readers into believers through describing 10 reasons why cycling is great for the health of an individual – and the planet too. So here goes…

Reason 1: Cycling enhances mental wellness

It is a fact that cycling makes one happy. If you are someone who resists from taking up a sport, you would agree that you feel more and more lethargic as your day progresses. In fact, this has now been proven with a study by the YMCA demonstrating that people who have a physically active lifestyle have a wellbeing score that is as much as 32 per cent higher than inactive individuals.

Exercising, especially cycling, can boost one’s mood as the activity not only helps in the release of adrenalin and endorphins but also leads to improved confidence that comes from achieving new goals – for instance, cycling a kilometre in under a minute.

Importantly, cycling combines physical exercise with being outdoors, leading to newer explorations and ideas. Riding solo, one can also get enough time to process a problem or a concern, or one can also ride with a group that widens one’s social circle and, in turn, helps build a support system.

Reason 2: Cycling ensures weight loss

Most health and metabolism indicators point to the fact that weight loss is equated to calorie burn. In this realm, cycling helps burn calories: between 400 to 1000 an hour, depending on intensity and rider weight.

Cycling will help you burn calories and, along with eating right and getting proper hours of rest, it will help you lose weight. When you are cycling you are carrying your own weight and not relying on an external weight. Hence, the lighter you become, the faster you’d be able to cycle, creating a virtuous cycle for you: becoming fitter – riding faster – becoming fitter.

Reason 3: Cycling builds muscle

Can you feel the wind in your face while cycling fast enough? Well, the resistance element of the wind while cycling means that it doesn’t just burn fat, it also builds muscle – particularly around the glutes, hamstrings, quads and calves. Muscle is leaner than fat and people with a higher percentage of muscle burn more calories, even when sedentary.

It would be ideal if you combine freehand exercise with cycling. Say, you can cycle up to the park, complete your round of stretching and warm-up exercises and again hit the streets on the cycle as you pedal back home.

Reason 4: Cycling ensures better lung health

This point may appear contradictory. However, a recent study suggests that people who ride a bike are actually exposed to fewer dangerous fumes than those who travel by car.

Research by the ‘Healthy Air’ campaign in London saw air pollution detectors fitted to a driver, a bus user, a pedestrian and a cyclist using a busy route through central London. The results indicated that the driver experienced five times higher pollution levels than the cyclist, as well as three and a half more than the walker and two and a half times more than the bus user. Result: The cyclist won.

However, with the growing menace of air pollution in fast-growing cities like Dhaka, it is advisable that riders wear a mask to protect themselves from the particulate matter in vehicular fumes, dust particles, etc. Else, one can go for early morning or late evening rides when the traffic is generally low and the roads are mostly clear.

Reason 5: Cycling cuts heart disease and cancer risk

In addition to burning calories, cycling also raises your heart rate and gets the blood pumping around your body, thereby limiting the chance of your being overweight. As a result, cycling is widely considered to be an essential form of exercise for being healthy and cut the risks of developing major illnesses, such as heart diseases and cancer, and also for substantially lowering risks of other adverse health outcomes.

Lifestyle ailments like heart attacks and cancer are rampant across demographics, especially in fast-developing nations, and cycling is an important tool by which one can minimise their chances of contracting these damaging health conditions.

Reason 6: Cycling exerts low impact

It is a no-brainer that cycling is a low impact form of exercise. However, one can argue that running is also low-impact and hence can be preferable. By no means are we suggesting one over the other, but one must consider the fact that running is weight-bearing and therefore injury rates are higher. Cycling, by contrast, is not weight-bearing.

However, the lack of weight-bearing also means that cycling does not do much to augment bone density and hence it would be good to include strength training into your daily exercise regimen.

Reason 7: Cycling helps one sleep better

It probably isn’t rocket science to understand that tiring yourself out on the bike will improve your sleep. Researchers at a US university studied men and women aged 20-85 years over a period of 35 years and found that a drop in fitness of 2 per cent for men and 4 per cent for women resulted in sleep problems. In the medical world, it is widely believed that the steepest decline in cardiorespiratory fitness happens between ages of 40 and 60 years. This is also when problems of sleep duration and quality are elevated.

It is in looking for causes behind the link that scientists have come to suggest that it could be a reduction in anxiety, brought about by exercise (cycling!), that elevates the ability to sleep. Exercise also protects against weight gain with age, yet another cause of sleep dysfunction.

Reason 8: Cycling helps boost brain power

Exercise has been often linked to brain health and to the reduction of cognitive changes that can leave us vulnerable to dementia later in life.

A study found that during exercise, a cyclist’s blood flow to the brain and other specific areas rises dramatically, vis-à-vis a state in which one is inactive. Improved blood flow is good because the red blood cells deliver oxygen to the vital parts of our body.

Reason 9: Cycling helps in everyday activities

A Harvard Medical School research has concluded that the benefits of cycling carry right over to help maintain balance and in walking, standing and stair-climbing. Cycling has also found to heal backaches and also their occurrence. So if you are recuperating from a backache, upon consultation with your doctor, you can take up cycling for quicker healing while also regaining your stance and posture.

Reason 10: Cycling saves money and time

In addition to your physical health, cycling can be good for your financial health too. Consider the expenses one needs to put up with when buying a car. One, the capital cost; two, the cost of fuel and the driver; three, the cost of insurance; four, the cost of maintenance; five, the cost of parking, which can be substantial when calculated over a period of time.

Now let’s tally the expenses on cycling. A cycle costs an insignificant amount; fuel is free; there are no driver expenses; there’s no insurance cost; maintenance expenses are negligible; parking is free. Moreover, while riding a cycle, one can easily navigate and filter the traffic, rather than remaining gridlocked in a snarl in a car and waiting for hours on end to reach home. Since time is money, saving time is money too.

In summation, the health benefits of cycling include muscle toning, improved cardiovascular health and better blood circulation. It is one of the simplest forms of working-out and is a physical activity that is required by the human body.

So get on your cycle today and pedal your way to good health. And yes, do wear a helmet and proper elbow/knee guards on your journey. Here’s wishing you hundreds of miles of good luck!

GD Assist

Hotline: 16457; +8801617666888. Email: gdal@green-delta.com

Website: gdassist.com

Ill-effects of plastic on human health

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A doctor’s narration of an incident of a patient with symptoms of lung and stomach infection, frequent stomach ache, loose motion and distension underwent every possible investigation. Finally, it was discovered that he had stomach cancer, the cause of which was the presence of excess bisphenol in his blood stream. Unfortunately, by the time it was detected, is was too late.

How is this connected to plastic, you may ask? Well, research suggests that all plastics leach chemicals if they are scratched or heated. At certain exposure levels, of some chemicals in plastic products, such as bisphenol, can cause cancer. The link is hence clear: Plastic chemicals can cause cancer.

This post describes the detrimental impact of plastic on human health and underscores precautions that may help readers protect their health against the adverse effects of plastic.

The utility of plastic requires a hard rethink

Unwittingly, we come into contact with plastic almost every day. We drink water out of plastic bottles, use plastic straws to consume beverages, use plastic containers and cutlery to eat food and use plastic cups to drink tea/coffee. The point is that plastics last for up to 400 years because it is non-biodegradable. When exposed to the sun and with the temperatures hitting peaks in the summers, the chemical cocktail comprising plastic micro-granules starts shedding toxins into the water within minutes of exposure, making human ingestion of plastics a reality.

In the plastics lifecycle chain, let’s start with its negative impact of its manufacture. Toxic chemicals released during the manufacturing process have a severe negative environmental impact. A whole host of carcinogenic, neurotoxic and hormone-disruptive chemicals are standard waste products of plastic production and it finds its way into our ecology inevitably. Some of the more familiar compounds include vinyl chloride, dioxins, benzene and bisphenol-A.

In first phase, though most plastics are benign, many release toxic gases in their formulation. In the final phase, the disposal of plastics has a high ecological impact with their resistance to decomposition – a great liability. This problem is compounded by the fact that only a tiny amount of the total plastics production is recycled. The rest is either dumped into landfills or despatched to incinerators where its toxic compounds are spewed in the surrounding ecosystem. Effectively, with the disposal thus, the harmful impact of plastic is amplified as it bio-accumulates in large concentrations up the food chain and right into our diets. The harmful chemicals released are known to cause such severe health problems as cancer, endometriosis, neurological damage, endocrine disruption, birth defects, child developmental disorders, reproductive damage, immune damage, asthma and multiple organ damage.

Human consumption of plastic

It has been found that mismanaged waste is particularly challenging in fast-growing countries, such as India, Indonesia, Thailand and Bangladesh, is leading to severe levels of plastic pollution.

Recently, things have come to such that the planet is awash in products spawned by the plastics industry. Toxic plastics, health-bisphenol-A(BPA) along with phthalates, are used in many everyday resources, including plastic bottles and food packaging materials. Their constant contact allows residues of plastic to become ubiquitous in our bodies. Moreover, the route to ingestion of plastic in humans is also through the consumption of contaminated fish and other marine mammals, as these aquatic creatures consume polystyrene components as they sink lower into the oceans.

Plastic alternatives

The use of plastic bags is considered as one of the greatest health and civic issues that humans are facing today. Cities such as China have banned the use of plastic. Bangladesh and India have banned the use and sale of polythene bags that have thickness of less than 50 microns. Moreover, there is a rising global voice against the use of plastic straws that are produced in the billions the world over.

One of the most effective and obvious ways to reduce the impact of plastics and its derivatives, including plastic bags, is to progressively stop its use. While one recognises the need for plastic products, we must select plastic alternatives, examples of which include using paper/cloth bags and paper straws, etc. These products have the benefits of being non-petroleum in feedstock and, most importantly, are biodegradable.

Common precautions against plastic

We should choose plastic bottles carefully. Pick up such a bottle and turn it upside down. On its base you will find a recycling code that looks like a triangular arrow around a number. Avoid the numbers 3, 6 and 7. Plastics, especially with the number 7, contain BPA.

One should also not microwave food or drinks that are stored in plastic containers even if they carry the tag of being ‘microwave-safe’. Heat can breakdown plastics and release chemical additives into the food and beverages stored in the containers. Moreover, microwaves heat unevenly, creating hot spots where the plastic is more likely to breakdown. Also, for protecting oneself from plastic contamination, it is best not to have a diet that consists mainly of fish since most of it is probably contaminated.

Some of the other ways by which one can circumvent the use of plastic include:

    • Avoiding plastic bags (including for snacks and food storage)
    • Avoiding disposable straws (reusable straws made from stainless steel or bamboo are widely available)
    • Choosing a jute or cotton (cloth) bag for carrying purposes
    • Choosing glass containers for storage
    • Choosing a non-plastic toothbrush made from bamboo or flax
    • Avoiding disposable plastic bottles by using one’s own reusable bottle instead

Besides, one of the most effective and conscious things we could do to protect our fragile ecosystem is to be responsible for our trash. The average person disposes half a pound of plastic waste every day. Besides, governmental regulation also needs to be more structured and clear to alter plastic use/consumption habits.

Tip: Studies have found that gooseberry/amla has shown to be effective in preventing and lessening the toxic effects of chemicals in the body and represent effective detox preparations. Also, regular sweating and exercising helps one get rid of harmful chemicals and minerals from the body.

So go ahead, create a plastic-free life for yourselves and others around you.
Website: www.gdassist.com

Hotline: 16457; +8801617666888. Email: gdal@green-delta.com