Is organic food better for you?
In my opinion Organic food really IS better for you.
I have looked at many studies and my clients ask me this question all the time. ’Is Organic food better for you’. My advice based on the knowledge I have is to be as organic as you possibly can in all areas of your life.
I feel that Organic food is healthier than conventional produce and may be better at preventing cancer and heart disease. This is the finding of all the latest studies.
In a finding that challenges official advice, researchers have shown that fruit and vegetables contain up to 40 per cent more nutrients if they are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Many studies also found that organic milk contains 80 per cent more antioxidants -substances which reduce the risk of tumours and life threatening problems.
Organic produce also had higher levels of iron and zinc, vital nutrients lacking in many people's diets These findings could help settle the long running debate over the health benefits of organic food.
Some of my findings come from Professor Carlo Leifert, an expert in organic food whose four year Newcastle University study is funded by the European Union and food companies.
He said the health benefits were so striking that moving to organic food was the equivalent of eating an extra portion of fruit and vegetables every day! That’s quite something!
“If you have just 20 per cent more antioxidants in every portion of vegetables, then it's simply a question of maths - eating four portion of organic fruit and vegetables is the equivalent to eating five portions of traditional fruit and vegetables,” he said.
“Having said that, in my opinion, eating five portions of organic is even better still.”
His team grew fruit and vegetables and reared cows on organic and non-organic sites on a 725 acre farm near at Newcastle University.
They found that levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle were between 50 and 80 per cent higher than conventional milk.
Organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, onions and lettuce had between 20 and 40 per cent more nutrients.
He also believes there is enough evidence for the Food Standards Agency to change its advice on organic food and admits to being puzzled why the agency has not already done so.
“I wonder whether it's more to do with politics,” he said.
The research suggests that organic fruit and vegetable is healthier because it uses more natural fertiliser such as clover and manure.
“Plants have evolved to get nutrients from organic matter,” he said.
“They need only a small amount early on in the year, and most in the summer. Yet with chemical fertiliser, they get most soon after planting and very little when they need it most.”
The study - which runs for another year - found that milk was more nutritious in the summer, when cattle are grazing fresh grass. This proves my point when I constantly tell my clients to EAT THEIR GREENS!!
“If you feed a cow on grass you get better milk,” he said.
“I suspect that because British cattle have so much grass in their diet that nutrient levels may be higher in conventional UK milk than in some imported organic milk.”
The Soil Association, which has been embroiled in a decade long dispute with the FSA over the health benefits of organic food, has welcomed the latest research.
There are few signs that the boom in organic food is ending. Sales are growing by 25 per cent each year and shoppers now spend around £2 billion a year on organic produce.
There are various reasons why people buy organic produce. Some shoppers buy it for the taste, others to reduce exposure to chemicals.
- Organic meat is popular among shoppers concerned about animal welfare.
- Organic milk also has higher levels of vitamin E.
- Organic cheese can have up to twice as many nutrients than conventional varieties.
- Organic tomatoes, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, onions and wheat have 20 to 40 per cent more antioxidants than conventional fruit and vegetables.
Organic spinach and cabbage have been found to have more minerals.
If you have the time or the space, the best advice I could give is grow your own!! Nothing tastes fresher and tastier than your very own fruit and vegetables and if you have children it is the best way to teach them how precious these foods are and if you nurture them and take care of them you will get big, healthy vegetables. When teaching my classes I always compare this stating it’s the same as nourishing and taking care of you body. The results are strong, healthy individuals.
Always think about what’s going into your body, what you are putting on your skin and how much pollution you have around you. All of these things are Key to staying Healthy.