Should I opt for Organic food for my baby?
This is one question I am often asked. As a Parent, you would always want to give your baby the best in everything.
And Food tops the list
Food lays a strong foundation for the physical and mental development of the children. That is why choosing the right food for the babies is a critical factor.
This is exactly the soft point that corporates use. Yes! Many baby food companies try to capture your concern for your kid and make money.
Now! Why would I say so?
Foods for children need to be fresh, locally bought and organic. If you buy packed food, none of these criteria are met.
Nowadays, parents are cautious about their babies’ health and they are ready to spend a bit more. But is it worth the money spent?
Why Organic Food for babies?
One of the most important points you need to take care while adding solids to your child is if the food is safe?
Colourful packages, huge promotion and easy availability has made many brands popular among moms.
However, you need to understand one basic thing -Packed food has not been produced a day before or a week before.
It must have been prepared at least a month or a few months before it reaches your hand.
This food, that you are ready to give your child, has to be preserved from getting putrefied. So something has to be added that is not good for the natural living things that will grow on that food.
Is that safe for your baby?
Organic Food Vs Conventional Food
Now that we have come to the idea that local food is good, let’s check on the difference between organic food and conventional food.
The main difference between Organic food and conventional food is the chemicals involved during both the production and processing stage.
Production of conventional food involves the use of many chemicals, pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones and other types of chemicals.
Though these chemicals are certified to be safe when used under a certain level, the end consumer does not really know about the side effects when used in the long term.
Organic food production eliminates the use of these chemicals during its production.
I would like to inform you here that because of the persistence of chemicals in the environment, no food is 100% chemical free.
However, organic food certainly has the least amount of chemical residue when compared to Conventional Food.
Scientific Facts to Support the use of Organic Food for Babies
Studies have shown that many of the chemicals used in conventional food production leads to breast, colon, brain, lung and ovarian cancer and much more fatal diseases.
If not fatal, they are sure to disrupt the hormones by mimicking oestrogen or testosterone.
So, we know that use of Organic food helps us reduce the risk of chemical toxicity.
But do you know that kids are more vulnerable to the effects of chemicals than adults?
Babies are more vulnerable to chemical exposure because their brain and body are at a very crucial stage of development.
Also, babies tend to eat lot of certain foods like bananas and apples and hence, they are more exposed.
With continuous exposure to chemicals, babies have an increased risk of neuro-development damage, in particular.
Studies also found out that such children also have chances of developing immune system disorder.
Organic Food For Babies – The Best Choice
Consumption of Organic food by babies reduce their exposure to pesticides. Children who ate conventional food had lot of chemicals in their system.
In a study, it has been found that when these children were switched to Organic food, the chemicals in their system drastically reduced in a day and disappeared in a week.
Selecting Organic Food
The first thing to do while selecting an organic food is to check the ingredient list.
This will tell what is really inside the package. Some manufacturers add water and flour to the food and hence, they are of no good in terms of nutritional value.
The best way of giving organic food is to
– Buy directly from a local farm or farmers market.
– Buy whole grains and make your own baby food.
– Local food is best for babies, befriend a farmer.
– Enquire about the food while buying. Do not hesitate to ask them whether it was produced in an organic manner.
– If you are buying packed organic food, read the food labels (I would say avoid such foods)
Overall, providing organic food that is fresh is more beneficial to the health of the babies!
