Is Organic food Worth the Cost?

Organic food, Is It Worth the Cost?

September is Organic Awareness Month in the UK, a month-long campaign dedicated to promote organic products and to raise awareness about the benefits of organic farming and living.

The UK organic market has seen good growth over the past 12 years, despite concerns about costs. This is largely driven by those keen to protect the environment, animal welfare and improved healthy living.

Organic products will cost more. A recent cost comparative study in the main supermarkets found that a selection of 19 everyday items including fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy averaged 89% more.

Organic food costs UK consumers almost £900 extra per year

So the question is, is it worth it?

What exactly is organic food?

It’s the growth, production, storage and transport of food without the use of:

Man made chemicals,
Fertilisers,
Pesticides,
Herbicides,
Artificial colours or preservatives,

And the avoidance of:

Growth stimulants like hormones on livestock,
Additives to livestock feed
Genetically modified ingredients of foods fed to livestock.

The Department for Agriculture and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) states that:

“Organic agriculture is a systems approach to production that is working towards environmentally, socially and economically sustainable production.”

Choosing organic now extends beyond the health benefit to us humans but to the environment, climate change and animal welfare issues too.

Toxicity Burden

Chemical production has increased 50-fold since 1950. It is estimated that there have been 140,000 new chemicals created in this timeframe. A 2019 UK Parliament report contained staggering information and worrying statistics:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/1805/180504.htm

Not all of these chemicals are in our food. We have a chemical burden in every aspect of our life from our environment: in the food we eat, the air we inhale, skincare, cleaning materials, even the water we drink.

Some fruits have 75% higher pesticide levels compared to organic ones. Some vegetables have 32% higher pesticide levels.

Therefore, any action we can take to decrease that burden is beneficial.

Our liver is the organ of detoxification, it neutralises toxins so that they can be eliminated safely from the body. All these additional chemicals require detoxification. This places a huge burden on the liver that can inhibit it from effectively performing its other important roles, such as metabolising hormones like oestrogen.

It places an additional burden on all our eliminatory organs (bowels, lungs, kidneys, skin). Since the skin is an organ of elimination, it may suffer with rashes, spots or irritation from a chemical overload. It may contribute to headaches, mood swings and fatigue.

Chemicals can impact the gut, damaging the intestinal gut barrier, upsetting the delicate microbiome, trigger a food sensitivity or histamine response.

Nutritional Status

Research has shown an increased level of antioxidants in fruit and vegetables by as much as 60%. This is equivalent to 2 pieces of fruit or vegetables each day.

Antioxidants (such as vitamin C) protect cells from damage caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. Free radicals can increase the risk of DNA damage, inflammation and other health conditions, even cancer risk.

Soils have become depleted in key minerals due to heavy farming practices. Organic practices such as crop rotation and companion planting allow the soils to return minerals to the soil.

Mineral levels in non-organic vegetables have declined significantly between 1930 and 1980: calcium levels by 46%, copper by 76%, sodium by 49%, iron by 27% and magnesium by 24%.

Our diets today can rarely meet the nutritional status of our parents.

Milk, Dairy and Meat

Organic milk has higher levels of Omega-3 essential fatty acids and up to 60% higher levels of the key fats EPA and DHA. These essential fats are anti-inflammatory to the body, cardio protective and support brain health. One reason is due to cows being mostly grass fed rather than a reliance on grains.

Dairy also has higher levels of iron. It was found to have lower levels of iodine- an important mineral for the thyroid gland – and organic feed is now fortified with iodine.

Organic meat has up to 47% higher levels of Omega-3 fats and lower levels of saturated fats. So the fat ratio is more desirable.

Heavy Metals

Cadmium is a highly toxic metal to humans. Organic crops were found to have 50% less cadmium than non-organic. Cadmium is known to displace zinc, potentially leading to a nutrient deficiency. Zinc is essential for our immunity, skin health, prostate health and fertility.

I understand the benefits, but I’m concerned about the cost?

I recommend that your starting point for buying organic should be to review the Environmental Working Group’s annual review of the cleanest and dirtiest foods, known as “The Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen”. This looks at chemical residues on the fruit and vegetables after harvesting. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Focus your attention and choose organic for the dirtiest foods (the dirty dozen) and buy non-organic for the cleanest foods (the clean fifteen).

This is the latest list:

The ‘dirty dozen’:

Strawberries
Spinach
Kale
Peaches
Pears
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peppers/chilli
Cherries
Blueberries
Green beans

The ‘clean 15’:

Avocado
Sweetcorn
Pineapple
Onions
Papaya
Peas (frozen)
Asparagus
Honeydew melon
Kiwi
Cabbage
Mushrooms
Mangoes
Sweet potato
Watermelon
Carrots

Grow your own

So many people – including myself – have started to develop a vegetable patch and experiment with growing your own. You don’t have to have an extensive garden. A small plot, using pots on a patio or even herbs on a window sill all count towards a positive change.

Could you join up with neighbours or start a scheme to grow different crops that you can share?

Choosing a more organic lifestyle – with some organic foods – should be part and parcel of a healthier way of life.

Need help or advice? Book a free Discovery Call

If you suffer any symptoms you can’t resolve or you are unsure about your diet and health, why not book a free discovery call? Simply visit www.peytonprinciples.com, or email caroline@peytonprinciples.com

Thanks for reading and while you’re here, why not join my Facebook group?

Join my free Health Lifestyle & Nutrition Facebook Group

A wonderful group where you can get help, advice, support and tips to help make the right lifestyle and nutrition choices for you.

I go LIVE regularly in the group with nutritional and naturopathic advice as well as run challenges and much much more!

Looking for an Appointment?

You can book a free 30-minute discovery call with me, simply visit www.peytonprinciples.com, or email caroline@peytonprinciples.com

Again, thanks for reading.

Keep your eye out for more articles and Peyton Principles in the media.

Caroline

A little more about me…

Providing expert, personalised, health advice utilising 10 years of nutritional therapy and naturopathy experience with a strong emphasis on digestion and gut health. Zoom or face to face Consultations.

I also develop and deliver well-being in the workplace workshops.