According to the Soil Association, sales of organic products increased by 4% in 2014 to £1.86 billion. Considering the fact that food prices fell by 1.9%, and consumer food spending by 1.1%, this is a great improvement in organic sales.
It is important to get nutritional value out of all the food you eat and a healthy approach to your diet is more than just cutting out junk food to keep your body fit. And then, of course, there is also the impact on our environment and the air we breathe. To aide all of this, organic is the way forward.
What is Organic?
Organic food is grown without the use of herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. Basically, it is grown in it’s completely natural form. For foods to be labelled as organic, at least 95% of the ingredients must come from organically produced plants and animals and needs to be inspected by a regulatory body such as the Soil Association.
There are many reasons why you should make the switch and eat organic.
Here are just 5 of them:
Enhanced Flavour
With the fact that no artificial colours or preservatives are added to organic food, it stands to reason that the flavour will be natural and more intense. Studies also suggest that organic fruit and vegetables have better nutrients to help enhance the flavour and have a lower water and sugar content.
Better Nutritional Content
Experts claim that switching to organic can increase our intake of vitamins and minerals by around 30 per cent. The crops are grown in much healthier soils and, whilst the yield of crops are less per acre, they contain higher levels of important antioxidants on top of the minerals and vitamins. This is particularly important for young children as exposure to additives can affect their immune systems.
Improves the Quality of Our Water
When rain falls onto a field of crops, a certain amount of it will carry the soil and any of the nutrients and added chemicals into underground aquifers or downstream. The more we can eliminate this, the better it will be for our drinking water.
Helps Fight Disease
Scientists have now proven that disease and environmental toxins are linked which, in turn has a big impact on our health. Some pesticides have been shown to disrupt the human endocrine system (which regulates our hormones), while others have been linked to breast cancer, uterine cancer and asthma.
