Organic Food Benefits: What Does Organic Really Deliver?

When you’re standing in the supermarket aisle, do you ever pause and wonder whether choosing organic really makes a difference?

You’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions I hear.

September is Organic September in the UK, which makes it a good time to take a closer look at what organic food actually means for our health, our environment and the way our food is produced.

The UK organic market continues to grow, with the Soil Association’s 2026 Organic Market Report showing that the UK organic food and drink market reached £3.9 billion in 2025, its 14th consecutive year of growth.

But beyond the market growth, what does the research really suggest about organic food and health?

In this article, I want to look at some of the recognised benefits, including toxic burden, nutritional status, milk, dairy, meat and heavy metals, so you can make more informed choices for yourself and your family.

No time to read? You can watch my previous video on What benefits do organic foods deliver?

Click here to listen or download the Organic Food PODCAST

What exactly is organic food?

It’s the growth, production, storage and transport of food without the use of manmade chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides, growth regulators and additives to livestock feed.

It also avoids the use of 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. Instead, the agricultural systems rely on crop rotation, animal and plant manures, some hand weeding and biological pest control’.

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

Four Key Organic Health Benefits

Reduced Toxic Burden

Chemical production has increased 50 fold since 1950. And it is estimated that there have been 140,000 new chemicals created in this timeframe too! If you’re interested in reading further, there is some staggering information and worrying statistics in this 2019 UK Parliament report

I frequently refer to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) as an excellent guide to understanding pesticide levels of foods. In June 2025 the EWG reported that “Almost six out of 10 kale samples tainted by pesticide banned in Europe 15 years ago”. This is alarming and something we should feel really angry about.

Of course, not all these chemicals are in our food. But it’s beyond doubt that we have a real chemical burden through the food we eat, chemicals we inhale, use on our skin, in cleaning. And in just about every aspect of our health. Anything we can do to decrease that burden is beneficial.

Our liver is the organ of detoxification. It undertakes a complex two phase process to neutralise toxins so that they can be eliminated safely from the body.

All these additional chemicals that we find in our food require detoxifying by the liver. This places a huge burden on the liver that can inhibit it from effectively performing its other important roles, such as metabolising female hormones.

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

Increased liver toxicity also 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 could eczema be attributable to toxicity in the body?

Higher Antioxident Levels

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

Antioxidants protect cells from free radical damage that could over time cause cancer if not made safe.

Soils have become depleted in key minerals due to heavy farming practices. Organic practices allow the soils to return minerals to the soil.

Looking at mineral levels between 1930 and 1980, calcium levels in non-organic vegetables have declined by 46%, copper by 76%, sodium by 49%, iron by 27% and magnesium by 24%. These are significant reductions! No wonder I frequently recommend good quality multi-nutrients to my clients. Our diets today can rarely meet the nutritional status of our parents.

Organic 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. And so much more. One reason is due to cows being mostly grass fed rather than 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.

Like dairy, 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. Whilst our optimum source of Omega 3 essential fats like EPA and DHA come mostly from oily fish, organic meat does at least deliver some of these important fats especially for those who don’t like the taste of oily fish.

Lower Levels of 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.

Does Everything Have to Be Organic?

No, and this is important.

Organic food can be more expensive, and I fully understand that cost can be prohibitive, especially for families or anyone trying to manage a careful food budget.

Healthy eating is not only possible if everything in your basket is organic.

A more realistic approach is to prioritise.

Start by thoroughly washing your fruit and vegetables in water. Then, if you want to begin choosing organic, focus first on the foods you eat most often and the foods more likely to carry higher pesticide residues.

I use the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen as a helpful annual guide, but I’ve covered that in more detail in my practical article on whether organic food is worth the cost.

Grow Your Own Organic

There is an increasing interest in growing your own vegetables, and so many people, including myself, have started to experiment with it.

It is wonderful when produce starts to appear, and freshly picked food really does taste different.

You do not need an extensive garden. A small plot, pots on a patio or herbs on a windowsill all count. Just start somewhere and see where it leads.

You could also join up with neighbours to grow different crops that you can share.

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

I’ve also written more about the health benefits of gardening.

Looking for Support?

If you are unsure about your diet, your symptoms or what changes would best support your health, you are very welcome to book a free 20-minute discovery call.

You can book here: https://www.peytonprinciples.com/contact/

Caroline x

Image of Caroline Peyton, Expert Nutritionist and Gut Health Expert — Caroline is a Professional Nutritionist, Naturopath based in Wiltshire.

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