Why hydroponic foods are good for you

Why hydroponic foods are good for you

Why hydroponic foods are good for you

Our food systems are constantly evolving every day. Innovations like vegan meats and NutriLock technology are already transforming our food systems.  These innovations not only improve the nutritional adequacy of food, and its taste but also address sensitive issues like food carbon emissions and food shortage. Hydroponics is one such technology that is gaining in popularity in recent times. Let us know here, the benefits of consuming Hydroponics grown foods.

By Richa Pande

Hydroponics is derived from two Greek words ‘hydro’ meaning water, and ‘ponos’ meaning work. It is the technique of growing plants without soil. Yes, you read it right- farming without soil! With the rise in the global population, the demand for food has also constantly increased. To increase food production and prevention of its spoilage by pests, farmers use fertilizers, pesticides, and insecticides. Further, to ripen fruits and to aid faster growth of fruits and vegetables, chemicals in the form of ripening agents are used. At the same time, with growing awareness of the health hazards from these chemicals, more and more people are opting for chemical, insecticide, pesticide free food these days. Hydroponics offers a safer option for growing food in the coming times. And if you are not very fond of growing them yourselves, you can purchase them from the growers in your local vicinity.

Let us now understand one by one what are the advantages of consuming foods that are grown hydroponically.

Benefits of hydroponics foods 

  1. Products using hydroponics techniques could be made available to you in any season at any time of the year and that too in any geographic area. This is because there is no dependability on a specific soil type, rain, insolation, etc. For example, we can consume strawberries in the summers. You don’t need to buy frozen foods when the fresh foods are available in all the seasons. You can grow/buy foods in small quantities and always have fresh food available.
  2. Uses less water. Yes! This is a proven fact. Hydroponics uses less water as compared to plants grown in soil. Hydroponic plants use 98 per cent less water than normal plants. Thus, these plants are helpful in conserving water. This must be seen in the backdrop of the impending global water crisis. It is being predicted that by 2050 drinkable water will be available for less than half of the population of world. As global production is increasing, the demand for water needed for agriculture is increasing too. Also, the yield is more if the food items are grown hydroponically. So, by consuming hydroponically grown foods, you are actually conserving water for future generations and conserving the environment.
  3. Hydroponically grown foods are safer for you as they are free from chemicals like pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides, that are not good for your health if consumed regularly. They can cause chronic illnesses like cancer. Some of them can get stored in your body’s fat cells and can get released when you start losing weight and begin to cause symptoms.

Where to get hydroponically grown foods? 

You can buy hydroponic grown food from your local sellers. You can access the details of these sellers from their websites by just typing hydroponics plant and your city name/locality name in the search engine and check relevant details.

Can you grow these foods on your own?

You can purchase hydroponic DIY kits if you are fascinated by this technique and are planning to set your own hydroponics system. These can be easily set indoors as well on the roofs, and in your garden. Some of them can even fit into your balconies. The DIY kits for hydroponics can be purchased from e-commerce websites as well as local suppliers. Sellers often provide tutorials to setup the hydroponics system and to grow your own produce. Some suppliers can help us in developing an understanding about –

  1. Temperature control while growing different kind of produce
  2. Equipment set-up and requirements
  3. Root replacements
  4. Nutrient water preparation for different foods
  5. Oxygen supply (i.e., air pumps set-up)
  6. Other details about the product we wish to grow.

Initially, you might need a professional guidance or even training sessions because you are learning a new concept. But with time you can learn to grow food items that we need as per your convenience. Imagine foods you wish to eat can be grown in your own gardens/ balconies. You don’t have to depend on others to supply it or worry about food safety.  Isn’t that fascinating, isn’t that empowering?

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