Christmas is definitely in the air. You only need to go to the nearest market in your neighbourhood to know that a lot of shopping is going on in preparation for the feasting on Friday.
However, as you plan to cook tomorrow, don’t buy meat that has been fattened with hormones and genetically modified feeds.
One of such meat is chicken. Nutritionists say that when it comes to buying a healthy chicken, it is better to buy organic farm animals.
Organic or free-ranged animals are fed only with naturally grown feed and plant sources. Also, organic animals cannot be given hormones or medical pills. These animals are treated differently from factory-farmed animals.
Organic farm animals include cows, pigs, chickens, and turkey that are fed only grass and other organic feeds. Nutritionists say that such meat reduces ones risk of food poisoning and infections.
According to them, organic animals are usually very healthy because they are fed with naturally grown foods.
Explaining why they are better than factory-reared animals, nutritionist and dietician, Dr. Segun Alonge, says that since free-ranged chickens are not fed with antibiotics, artificial hormones, or the bovine human growth hormone, otherwise known as rbGH, and they do not eat genetically modified foods nor have their genes modified, they contain natural nutrients that are safe for the body.
Alonge notes that organic beef, poultry and more also contain no pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical or synthetic fertilisers, nitrates, nitrates or preservatives that can harm the body.
He adds, “It’s not filled with toxins, chemicals, and drugs. All meat contains fat. And much like your body, fat on animals is where toxins are stored. Hence, growth hormones and antibiotics fed to cows and chickens end up in their fat.
“Eating organic meat and poultry decreases your risk of being exposed to residues of pesticides and synthetic chemicals, such as DDT, PCBs, dioxin, and more, which end up concentrated in animal fat. Such chemicals can contribute to a number of health problems, including excess weight gain and other infections.”
Also, studies show that animals, especially poultry fed with grass, contain higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.
The American Nutritionist Society, in a report titled ‘Go Organic’, states that grass-fed animals, otherwise known as free-ranged animals, have two to four times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain-fed animals.
It states,“ Omega-3s are called “good fats” because they play a vital role in every cell and system in your body.
For example, of all the fats, they are the most heart-friendly. People who have ample amounts of omega-3s in their diets are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat.
“Remarkably, they are 50 per cent less likely to suffer a heart attack.Omega-3s are essential for your brain as well. People with a diet rich in omega-3s are less likely to suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity), or Alzheimer’s disease.”
The ANS notes that since organic animals are reared under ethical and conducive conditions, their meat is less likely to be infected when compared to infection rates in factory-raised animals.
“Factory-farmed animals live in feedlots that prevent normal growth and development. Infections spread faster among animals that are grown in a caged environment. The chances of spreading infections in organically raised animals is minimal because they get to experience the outdoors grazing on grass and wandering freely on the farm,” it adds.
Factory-farmed animals could also make you sick. Alonge states that to reduce your chances of contracting food-borne diseases through meat, buy and eat organic animals.
He says that many farmers fed factory-reared animals with remains of other animals that died of infections.
He says,“ If you eat the meat of a cow that has been fed with the carcass of another cow that died of mad cow disease. You can also contract the disease when you consume such meat. Factory-reared chicken have significantly contributed to E.coli and salmonella infections in humans.”
Here are some other nutritional benefits of eating organic or free-ranged animals over factory-reared animals:
Less fat
Organic chicken tends to be less fatty than its commercially-raised relatives, according to the American Culinary Federation, which recommends adding a little fat to the pan when you’re cooking organically raised chicken. Leaner cuts of meat make chicken an even healthier protein choice.
More flavour
Another benefit of organic chicken is the flavour, according to the American Culinary Federation. Chicken that is not commercially produced tends to be very tender and they have more complex flavours.
Don’t overlook the facts, organic meat, like organic vegetables, will serve your body better in the long run. You can decide to put the right food on the table for your family this season.
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