Monday, October 25, 2010

Get Yourself Out of the Coop and Buy Organic Chicken

Organic foods have become very popular and mainstream within the past few years. Everyone knows that their are certain fruits and vegetables that should be purchased organically (see the dirty dozen and clean fifteen list), but what about meats, should they also be purchased organically? If you walk into any grocery store you'll notice that there are a lot of chicken, turkey, and other meat products labeling themselves as "all natural". That statement sounds really healthy, but it's simply false advertising. It seems anything can be labeled "all natural" as long as it's actually naturally the meat itself. In order to get the healthiest product, look for certified organic meat products as opposed to the all natural slogan. I understand it's more difficult to siphon out all of the all natural products and locate the organic meat product, but it's worth the search when it comes to your health.

Organic meat such as chicken is not a product of mass production and thus contains all of the natural nutrients without the hormones and additives and it simply tastes much better. Chickens that are fed hormones and antibiotics transfer those same hormones and antibiotics to the humans who are consuming those chickens. The antibiotics and hormones could make bacteria and infections more resistant to treatments and actually create stronger strains of bacteria within the consumer. The antibiotics could make bacteria and infections more resistant to treatments and create stronger strains of bacteria. Organic chickens are fed a regular meal that consists of grains and then the chickens are able to roam and find food on their own. They eat insects, leaves, seeds, or maybe even some small fish or shellfish. Since the chicken eats foods actually provided by nature the chicken has a higher amount of beneficial fats that lower cholesterol, and higher amounts of Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Vitamin A. Chickens that are not organic are given regular doses of antibiotics, vaccines, and other medications in order to become bigger at a faster pace. Organic farmers also benefit compared to chemically altered chicken farmers because they don't have to purchase all of those drugs and they can simply watch the health of their chickens in their own natural environment. The chickens get more exercise and this makes their nutritional content increase and the flavor of the meat exceeds. Organic chickens are not only good for consumption but also for the environment itself. Organic chickens eat insects and vegetation which affects the ecosystem. So search high and low for organic chicken and don't fall for the "all natural" label, just remember that it's "actually chicken meat". The health and flavor benefits you'll be giving your body outweighs the extra searching and few dollars.

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