Why Are Organic Products So Important?
There are so many reasons why organic and natural products are the way to go when making purchase decisions. This applies to what you eat, drink, put on your skin, in your hair, for your children, pets, and so on.
What does ‘natural’ really mean? It means that ALL the ingredients used are derived from natural sources, such as plants and fruit, which have not been exposed to artificial chemicals in the process. This can include pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers, GMO, etc. It also means that they don’t have any artificial additives like colouring, fragrances, flavourings and sweeteners. As we’re sure you know by now, these chemicals can harmful effects to both your health and the environment, especially over the long-term.
If you need further convincing, here are 6 reasons why natural products are so important:
- Organic foods are more nutrient-dense with higher amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. This is because non-organic food products can be sprayed with chemicals, exposed to radiation or genetically modified, all of which can compromise its nutritional value.
- Artificial chemicals and additives in food and drinks can cause sickness and health problems as it can hinder the immune system.
- Using artificial ingredients on your skin means that chemicals can enter your blood stream, as your skin is super absorbent, and can stay in your body causing damage for extended periods of time.
- Pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and other chemical sprays used on crops can significantly damage the environment in which it grows. This can stay in the earth for years, negatively affecting future crops and the wildlife that consume it.
- Your body responds better to products that allow it to retain its natural state. It’s a classic demonstration of homeostasis - if you’re putting artificial chemicals in your body, your body will have to work harder to remove it again, compromising your immune system. Whereas natural products do not cause your body to fluctuate from its natural state, and is therefore easier to breakdown and absorb the nutrients from.
- They are higher quality products so they will taste and work better than their artificial counterparts!
Did you know that coffee is one of the most sprayed crops out there? Better stick with República Organic...
Many brands may have deceptive labels, claiming ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ on their packaging, and using fruit and vegetable extracts to lure you in. But does that mean that they are truly natural products?
5 tips on identifying natural from artificial products:
- You need to check the ingredients list – if there are words you haven’t heard of and/or can’t pronounce, it’s likely that it could a be an artificial chemical
- Natural products will contact 95% or more organic ingredients
- If there’s more than 5 ingredients, it’s heavily processed
- If a brand advertises it’s product as using ‘real fruit’ check the percentage used in the ingredients – sometimes it can be as little as 0.5%
- Look for Certification - these are accredited by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and certifies that the product is 100% organic. These include: Australian Certified Organic (ACO), NASAA Certified organic, Organic Food Chain (OFC), AUS-QUAL, Bio-Dynamic Research Institute (BDRI), Safe Food Production QLD and the Tasmanian Organic Producers (TOP).
These factors apply to all sorts of products that you use. Although sometimes you may hesitate paying that little bit more for high quality, natural products, it is so important that you know exactly what you’re putting in and on your own body - you only get one after all!