In today’s world it is very difficult to affect the quality of life at individual level. The quality of air, water, noise, etc.. most are beyond our control, particularly in urban areas. On the other hand, the quality of the daily diet can be very easily improved with minimal effort. It is known that the diet is a critical factor in good health and many diseases can be prevented or kept under control through healthy eating and healthier lifestyle.
The rapid development of our civilization has led certainly to prosperity, but also it has developed “civilization diseases” – cardiovascular and malignant disease, many patients with diabetes, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood … One cause is certainly inadequate nutrition. Through the consumption of foods produced in a conventional manner we daily take into our body harmful ingredients, such as harmful substances in food that are deposited during breeding (pesticides, fertilizers, hormones, veterinary preparations …), of those added during processing (nitrates and nitrites, synthetic additives …), or various toxins that incurred through inadequate packaging (metal cans, printing color ..). It is used about 60,000 different chemicals in the food industry, each of us ingest at least 2.5 kg of these substances yearly! This fact calls into question all previous views on the biological value of food.
In recent years, more attention is paid to organic food.These are foods produced without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides on land that was clear of prohibited substances for at least three year and using agricultural methods that are environmentally correct and do not threaten the planet. The term organic food primarily refers to the fruit and vegetables but certainly there are products of animal origin, when the animals are grown in a healthy and natural way.Organic products do not contain pollutants – pesticide residues, heavy metals, hormones, veterinary preparations, artificial additives. They have a lower content of nitrates and nitrites and they do not contain unhealthy toxins from packaging as they are packed into natural materials.Moreover, organic foods are healthier and have greater biological value, which is directly responsible for immunity and vitality of the human body. They have better technological quality and higher dry matter content, which allows better lasting. Organic products contain more vitamins and minerals.
Organic food can be fresh and processed. Fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables can be purchased directly from the manufacturer, or in markets, in supermarkets, health food stores … Processed organic foods do no contain artificial additives and are produced using special methods, special materials and under certain conditions. This means not to use chemical and conventional processing methods.
