Modern Science and Ayurveda agree: Organic, non-GMO food is healthier by Dr Peter Swan
Ayurveda holds that food is fundamental to good health. All our nutrients come from the food we eat. It is therefore vital that our food contains those nutrients.
Modern agriculture has produced more food than ever before, ensuring that fewer people go hungry than at any time in recorded history. With this vast production, however, there has been a dramatic degradation of soils – 94% of the world’s soils are degraded, over 40% seriously degraded. Together with this, nutrient levels have fallen precipitously in food crops. Scientific research shows huge decreases across the range of nutrient minerals, vitamins, and other plant metabolites.
This means that even if we follow a good diet with plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, pulses, and dairy, avoiding processed and junk foods, we probably cannot get all the nutrients we need from our food. Where then can we get the nutrients needed for health? We can get them from organic food. Research shows that organic foods have much higher levels of all nutrients than nonorganic.
“The ability of the nervous system to cognise extra subtle states of experience is marred through contamination of the brain matter by impure physical matter, through fatigue or through wrong thinking, all of which exhaust mental energy. Fatigue is the main factor. It does not allow the mind to experience subtleties. Wrong food also can make the mind dull, put one to sleep or make one irritated. We eat and drink, and whatever we eat or drink may contain some impure element which affects the mind.”
– Maharishi Mahesh Yogi
The Science of Being and Art of Living, p. 298
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References:
www.centerforfoodsafety.org • www.sierraclub.org