Meat: Choose Organic

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by: Maddie Ellison
Tags: organic, meat, health news

(NewsTarget) Not so long ago you could only buy organic products at health food stores, but more and more they are popping up in large retail grocery stores. Organic meats like chicken, turkey and beef are now sitting next to their non organic counterparts. But what are organic meats and are they any healthier?

In order for anything to be considered organic it has to meet the standards set by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). For an animal, that means they must be fed 100 percent organic feed. They also have to be free-range. That means they must be given access to the outdoors and can`t be confined to buildings. No animal by-products can be given to the animals and they can`t be given antibiotics or growth hormones. For an animal to be raised for its organic beef, chicken or turkey, its mother must have been fed organic feed for at least the last third of gestation.

Organic livestock farming is much different from factory farming. In factory farming many animals are kept in a limited amount of space. They never see the light of day or roam anymore than a few feet. A large amount of animals confined to a small area results in a large amount of animal waste. Excessive amounts of water and chemicals must be used to keep the area clean. This leads to chemicals seeping into the soil and water table. It can also mean that the animals are less likely to be healthy due to their surroundings. This leads them to be treated with antibiotics and other medicines.

So if your beef, chicken or turkey was treated fairly and fed well, does that mean it`s healthier for you? George Seimon, Founder of Organic Valley Family of Farms, explains it this way, "Animals are accumulators, and they become whatever we feed them. Organic farming starts at the bottom of the food chain by raising healthy soil, which grows healthy plants, which grow healthy animals, which make healthy humans."

Organic beef contains a higher content of Conjugated Linoleic Acids which have been reported to reduce LDL cholesterol and prevent cancers. Also, because of the way the cows are fed, organic beef has a lower chance of having E.coli. Organic meats also contain no nitrates, nitrites or preservatives - all of which have shown to have negative effects on human health.

Choosing organic animal products not only will reduce the amount of contaminants we consume, but will also benefit our environment. Organic farming safeguards our ground water since no chemical fertilizers are used. Organic farming is good for you and our planet.

References:
http://greenliving.about.com/od/healthylivin...
http://www.ota.com/organic/foodsafety/Organi...
http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/...

About the author

Maddie is a health and fitness enthusiast who likes to research and write about all health and green living topics. She writes about herbal remedies for Sassafras Station, a health and fitness website, and edits the blog at http://www.sassafrasstation.com/blog/ .