According to Hilary McClafferty, M.D., F.A.A.P., co-director of fellowships at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, eating locally grown foods is a habit that more people should make part of their daily lives. Indeed, eating local isn’t a fleeting trend but a conscious return to the way in which humans have consumed food for thousands of years. The movement – which some say has its roots in the agricultural price supports and farm subsidies of the New Deal – has been a decades-long effort to improve local economies, develop more self-reliant food networks, and generate a greater appreciation for healthful food consumption practices.
What does “local” mean? Though there is no single authoritative definition, eating locally is perhaps best described as an arrangement in which producers sell food directly to consumers through regional farmers markets, farm-to-school lunch programs, and similar set ups that eliminate long-distance transportation and retail intermediaries. “There is growing interest in the benefits of eating locally in the pediatric population as well. We are seeing interest in schools and community centers to develop and implement school gardens, farm-to-school cafeteria programs, and even community gardens within children’s hospitals where the children have a chance to get involved and help grow their own food. The children really take ownership of the projects and learn about healthy nutrition along the way,” says McClafferty.
The primary benefit of eating locally grown foods is that it gives your body the nutrients it needs and limits the substances that can be harmful to you in high quantities, such as refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, and synthetic trans fats, just to name a few. A growing body of research strongly suggests that, by choosing to eat local, you can avoid or reverse a variety of maladies that can both shorten your lifespan and diminish your quality of living, such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, hypertension, and even many different types of cancers. “Food as medicine” is a term now commonly used to describe an emerging recognition among health professionals – and integrative medicine practitioners, in particular – that food plays not just a supplemental but a central role in the health of people the world over. Physicians have looked at the data and the results are unmistakably clear: a diet that consists primarily of highly processed foods can drastically increase one’s chances of prematurely contracting one or more adverse health conditions. “Learning about nutrition is a fundamental part of our fellowship program. We have physicians, physicians assistants, and advanced practice nurses come in from all over the U.S. and from many other countries, and almost to a person tell us that they had received minimal nutrition training in their professional programs. We make it a point to provide a really robust foundation early on in our training that they build on throughout the two-year training”, says McClafferty. According to a report from the World Health Organization, the vast majority of deaths attributed to heart disease and stroke were ultimately caused by high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, and insufficient consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Integrative medicine is a widely accepted approach to care that takes into account the whole person – including his or her dietary habits. In addition to treating illnesses and injuries, practitioners of integrative medicine also place significant emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention through science-based interventions and a strong patient-practitioner relationship.
The American Board of Integrative Medicine® (ABOIM®) is a Member Board of the American Board of Physician Specialties® (ABPS), the official multi-specialty board certifying body of the American Association of Physician Specialists, Inc. (AAPS). The ABOIM® offers a path to certification that makes it possible for qualified physicians to present themselves as experts in integrative care. Eligibility requirements, as well as examination and application information, can be found here.
FAQs
The primary benefit of eating locally grown foods is that it gives your body the nutrients it needs and limits the substances that can be harmful to you in high quantities, such as refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, and synthetic trans fats, just to name a few.
What are the benefits of eating local foods? ›
The primary benefit of eating locally grown foods is that it gives your body the nutrients it needs and limits the substances that can be harmful to you in high quantities, such as refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, salt, and synthetic trans fats, just to name a few.
Why is it better to source food locally? ›
In addition to the advantage in freshness, growers who cater to local customers aren't constrained by harvesting, packing, transport, and shelf life quality issues. Instead, they have the freedom to select, grow, and harvest their produce. Thus they can ensure the highest qualities of freshness, nutrition, and taste.
What is a benefit of sourcing locally grown food includes? ›
When you buy from local farmers, you have greater transparency into the food production process. This means you know exactly where your food is coming from and how it is produced. This can help to improve food safety, as you can be sure that your food is being grown and produced in a safe and healthy way.
How does eating locally help promote sustainability? ›
Eating locally preserves farmlands that support wildlife. Local farmers are more likely to plant a diversity of crops and to rotate crop production according to seasons, protecting biodiversity and reducing use of pesticides.
Why is it better to get local food? ›
Freshness, taste and nutrition
Local food is generally fresher and tastier, as it's harvested at its peak and doesn't spend days or weeks in transit, or undergoing processing and handling. Not only does this lead to better flavour but also, nutritional value.
Why do we love local food? ›
There are many unforeseen benefits of eating local food. Buying local food creates a healthier community, livelier economy, and stronger society. Restoring the “local” value brings back small businesses, in turn creating a more prosperous economy.
What are the benefits of sourcing locally? ›
Local sourcing helps to reduce supply chain risks as supply chains are often shorter when choosing to source locally. - Lead time are often shorter, meaning any urgent requests can be dealt with. It also helps to reduce environmental impact by the reduction in emissions.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of local food? ›
Pros
- Local EAting Encourages Learning about food. ...
- Local Eating Encourages talking to local farmers. ...
- Local food is probably fresher. ...
- Local eating May or May not be better for the environment. ...
- Local eating can be elitist. ...
- Local Eating limits food options.
There is some accuracy in this, as “local and fresher go hand in hand,” Wells said. The more quickly produce is consumed after harvest, the more healthful and tasty it will be. However, the maintenance of a cold chain from farm to table also can have significant impact on both vitamin and taste retention.
By purchasing locally grown foods you help maintain farmland in your community. When farmers can profit from food production, they are less likely to sell land for development. You also reduce the environmental impact of shipping food using limited energy resources.
How does eating food produced locally benefit the environment? ›
By choosing locally grown food, you're investing in the conservation of valuable natural resources and protecting biodiversity. Greenhouse gases are also reduced as a result of shorter distances between source and consumer. This contributes to mitigating climate change and promoting environmental sustainability.
What is sourcing benefits? ›
Benefits of Effective Sourcing Management
By considering factors beyond cost when evaluating suppliers, companies can build more resilient supply chains by contracting with suppliers that provide greater transparency into the delivery process and have a strong track record of on-time deliveries with few order errors.
Why is local food better? ›
Eating local doesn't just benefit your health and the farmers in your community. It also has a host of positive economic, social, and environmental effects. Local foods tend to taste fresher, have more nutrients, and use less packaging. Supporting local food businesses leads to strong local economies.
Is eating local really better for the environment? ›
Reduce CO2 pollution and food miles
By eating locally, you reduce the amount of road or air miles required to get your food from the farm to your plate. Research indicates that over 30% of the food products we consume in Canada are imported. This alone leads to about 3.3 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.
How does local food help food security? ›
By growing food locally, these systems can significantly reduce dependency on distant sources, lower transportation costs, and minimize the risk of supply disruptions. This ensures a more reliable source of fresh and nutritious produce.
What are the benefits of eating local seasonal foods? ›
Seasonal food is fresher, tastier and more nutritious as it hasn't travelled so far. Pesticides, waxes and preservatives are often used to preserve foods that are out of season as vegetables start losing their nutrients straight after they're picked. So the quicker they get to your plate the better.
Why is it better to buy local products? ›
According to the National Resource Defense Council, buying local will help reduce pollution, improve air quality and improve our health. Large national businesses are growing in both numbers and employment totals at rates much faster than those of smaller businesses.
According to Hilary McClafferty, M.D., F.A.A.P., co-director of fellowships at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, eating locally grown foods is a habit that more people should make part of their daily lives. Indeed, eating local isn’t a fleeting trend but a conscious return to the way in which humans have consumed food for thousands of years. The movement – which some say has its roots in the agricultural price supports and farm subsidies of the New Deal – has been a decades-long effort to improve local economies, develop more self-reliant food networks, and generate a greater appreciation for healthful food consumption practices.