Organic food products, such as nuts and seeds, have become more widespread in supermarkets during the last decade. Although while this phrase is often used loosely on food product labels, many of the foods available today are really organic and are produced and harvested without the use of chemicals or man-made substances.
And if you’re a frequent eater of nuts, seeds, or are just curious about whether you should switch from normal to organic, let me answer that for you. So,
Yes. Organic nuts are better for you than normal store-bought nuts.
The majority of the hidden risks in ordinary nuts are caused by pesticide contamination; a chemical spray that is not employed in the growing of organic nuts.
Organically cultivated nuts were grown without the use of pesticides, ionizing radiation, genetically modified organisms, or synthetic fertilizers.
This is also true for fruits and seeds. Organic is defined by the USDA National Organic Program as
Food grown by farmers that prioritize the use of renewable resources and soil and water conservation.
Organic farming may be a touchy issue, but farmers that embrace this kind of production are all contributing to a more sustainable future. Organic nuts are a simple snack that might raise some eyebrows!
Contents
What Are The Main Differences Between Regular + Organic Nuts?
The distinctions between conventional nuts and organic nuts are entirely down to how they were produced and harvested.
As previously said, ordinary nuts are cultivated using man-made chemicals and substances like as synthetic fertilizer and pesticides, both of which are harmful to human health and the environment.
Chemicals Used In Regular Nuts
As you are undoubtedly aware, there are several varieties of nuts accessible nowadays.
They include cashews, almonds, and pistachios, among others. Interestingly, each nut is often treated with its own unique chemical to aid with preservation.
- Almonds: Even though they don’t use a specific chemical, almonds are high in oil, which allows them to easily absorb any applied pesticides. The USDA also requires them to be pasteurized before going up for sale in a store / market.
- Cashews: Typically, cashews are treated with a chemical called endosulfan. Endosulfan can be toxic to both humans and animals. Regular cashews are also required to be heated before being sold, so they are not actually ‘raw’ when they hit the store.
- Pistachios: Pistachios are normally treated with phosmat. Phosmat is a chemical that has the potential to cause liver tumors and carcinoma to arise.
- Walnuts: The growth of walnuts draws a lot of attention from pests, so more pesticides are used on walnuts than any other nut. Walnuts have a fat content that is easily able to absorb these pesticides.
Organically grown nuts are cultivated without the use of certain chemicals and fertilizers.
Several of the chemicals used to treat normal nuts have been linked to human health problems.
Smaller Farms
Normal nuts are generally produced on huge farms that produce them in abundance. The use of specific pesticides and sprays helps large-scale farmers to rapidly-produce their crop, and have it ready to be sold in the market as soon as feasible. Controlling pests on a wider scale might prove to be a more difficult undertaking.
As a result, pesticides are often utilized in large quantities.
National Organic Standards
How High Are Nuts In Pesticides?
By now, its not a secret that non-organic nuts, fruits and seeds are virtually always treated with kinds of pesticides and particular chemicals.
Although while these drugs assist farmers to more effectively produce their crop, it is still still placing customers, and employees, at danger.
Although some people may use more pesticides than others, the truth remains that huge volumes of pesticides are utilized every day.
Peanuts, pistachios, and cashews are the nuts that utilize the most pesticides during growing. Since peanuts are produced underground, they are more vulnerable to insecticides and must contend with mold development.
In a research conducted out by Quality Assurance and Safety Of Food & Crops, it was observed that residual levels from 227 different pesticides were identified in walnuts, raisins, dried figs, dry apricots, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and a few other kinds of nuts and seeds.
Consuming a lot of pesticide-contaminated nuts, along with other pesticide-treated foods, may contribute to acute and chronic health problems down the line.
How To Remove Pesticides From Nuts
Despite the fact that it might be a time-consuming operation, removing pesticides from nuts and other pesticide-contaminated food items can be a terrific method to stay healthy.
Removing pesticides from nuts may be particularly useful for people suffering from liver disease.
To remove pesticides from nuts in this manner, you will need some containers for your nuts, some water, and a dehydrator.
All you’ll need now is some time.
- Soak the nuts in water: In order to deteriorate and get rid of most unwanted toxins, the nuts you would like to clean will have to be soaked in water first. Each given nut has a recommended amount of time to soak in water.
- Almonds: 8-24 Hours
- Walnuts: 2-4 Hours
- Cashews: 2-3 Hours
- Brazilian Nuts: 1-3 Hours
Check in on them often throughout the soaking process to ensure that they do not get oversaturated.
This might turn them mushy and unappealing. In general, the harder the nut, the longer it will take. Soaking helps to neutralize enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid on the skin of a particular nut.
- Place nuts in a dehydrator: After they are done soaking, dump out the wastewater, and give the nuts one more rinse.
- After this, place the nuts on a drying rack for the dehydrator. Set the dehydrator to 115 degrees F, and allow them to dry for around a half of a day – 2 days, depending on how many nuts you have in the dehydrator.
- Place in refrigerator: After the nuts have fully dried out, place them in the refrigerator.
- Keeping them in the refrigerator can help to prevent any mold growth from occurring, and also keeps them fresh. After this, your body will much more feasibly be able to absorb the vitamins and minerals found within nuts.
As shown, removing pesticides from various nuts is a rather straightforward operation that just took a little more effort.
Allowing them to dry correctly may be the most crucial phase, despite the fact that it takes the longest.
What Nut Is The Healthiest?
Nuts are often consumed to supply humans with fiber, protein, and healthy fat.
Moreover, they are high in omega fatty acids, minerals, and vitamins, may help balance blood sugar levels, and have the potential to lower your risk of chronic illness. Although while most nuts are good for you, some are better than others.
The healthiest nut for your intake has been demonstrated to be almonds. Almonds are hard nuts that grow from a tree, and may provide a number of health advantages.
- 161 Calories per Serving
- 6 grams of Protein per Serving
- 6 grams of Carbs per Serving
- 37% of your Vitamin E recommended daily intake
- 3.5 grams of Fiber per Serving
Almonds have been shown in several studies to assist enhance heart health in people who have had it impaired.
They are able to lower LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and oxidized LDL cholesterol.
If you dont like almonds by any chance, there are lots of alternative nutritious ones to check out;
- Pistachios
- 156 Calories per Serving
- 6 grams of Protein per Serving
- 3 grams of Fiber per Serving
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Walnuts
- 182 Calories per Serving
- 4 grams of Protein per Serving
- 18 grams of Fat per Serving
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
- Cashews
- 155 Calories per Serving
- 5 grams of Protein per Serving
- 12 grams of Fat per Serving
- Vitamin E
- Magnesium
Conclusion
Absolutely, organic nuts are healthier for you than conventional nuts.
Organic nuts, although somewhat more expensive, are not tainted with pesticides and other chemicals that are often used to treat and cultivate normal nuts.
Check out the organic nut selections they have in stock at the market! The next time you go shopping,