Is Kosher Food Really Healthier?
Similar to other ways of eating, following a kosher diet could be very healthy and at the same time, it could also be very unhealthy.
Kosher food refers to food that conforms to the dietary laws of the Jewish religion as indicated in the Torah and spread by the rabbis. Those who keep kosher don’t eat some species of animals such as pigs, crustaceans, and birds of prey.
They also don’t eat animal blood of all kinds, nor do they eat animals that weren’t slaughtered in the approved manner. People keeping kosher also don’t mix meat and dairy products in one meal. Instead, they wait for a certain period of time between the two food categories.
These days when most foods are being processed in factories, there are food manufacturers that include labels to their foods indicating that they are kosher. This kosher certification serves as the conformation that a chicken leg comes from a kosher slaughtered animal, or that a certain can of soup was manufactured in a facility that made sure that there are no non-kosher ingredients that came into contact with the can’s content.
Keeping kosher actually has rather ancient laws, and most have search for an explanation regarding their origin, particularly the Jewish taboo against consumption of pig, based on the idea that the diet offers health benefits.
The main idea behind this is that the meat of pig has a high risk of being diseases and staying away from it is a means of remaining healthier. Although this explanation may have some truth in it, it doesn’t offer a strong and solid explanation for all the dietary regulations of the Jews.
Is Kosher Diet Healthier Than Other Types of Diets?
These days, while most Jews keep kosher because of religious reasons, there are people, both Jews and non-Jew, who opt for kosher food since they believe that it is heathier. One reason for this is because they are aware that processed kosher foods have closer supervision than other types of foods. Fresh foods, such as salad greens, are also inspected with extra care for insects.
However, while there are many dietitians, albeit not all, who might agree that not consuming pig meat, or at least not eating it in large amounts, is actually beneficial to the health of a person, there is very little reasons to assume that a kosher diet is naturally heathier than others.
Similar to how a vegan diet is made up of just French Fries and beer will never do your health any good, a kosher diet loaded with soda and processed meats won’t offer any health benefits, either. In fact, most of the traditional Ashkenazi foods believed to be quintessential Jewish food are not regarded as the heathiest foods out there. There are also concerns that to keep produce safe from bug contamination, extra pesticides not good for human health are sprayed on kosher vegetables.
But despite all the disagreements, keeping kosher is still great, especially when you shop for products from the best Los Angeles Kosher Meat & Food Markets.
