Question

A parent tells you that their family eats only organic food and requests a "natural foods diet" for their child?

Answer 1

Organic food or natural foods diet constitutes the fruits, vegetables, dairy products, fish and meat products that are not processed, refined and not treated with pesticides or other chemicals. Organic food or natural food demands are increasing day by day in the market as they offer various health benefits with minimum exposure to chemicals. But eating organic foods also have a few disadvantages.

If the family asks for all natural food diet plan then the nurse should make them understand what is natural food diet, it’s advantages and disadvantages.

Natural food diet contains :

1. Vegetables : all vegetables that are not treated with chemicals and grown through natural means.

2. Fruits : all fruits grown naturally through organic farming

3. Dairy products

4. Meat and fish: The animals reared in organic farming are not given any hormones, biogenetically engineered and eat natural foods only.

Advantages of natural foods :

1. They are not treated with any kinds of insecticide and pesticides. Exposure to such chemicals increases the risk for many types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, endocrine disorders, genetic mutations and immunological diseases. Consuming natural foods thus reduces risk of developing such diseases.

2. They contain more macro and micro nutrients compared to refined and processed foods

3. They taste better

4. They are high in antioxidants.

Disadvantages :

1. Expensive

2. Not easily available at all times

3. As natural foods are not treated with insecticides or pesticides, they contaminate easily and make cause various diseases.

4. Consumption untreated meat can cause different types of diseases.