Why organic is one of the best choices we can make

Get set for Organic September, a celebration of all things organic organised by the Soil Association, the UK’s foremost organic certification body. 

Many people are now choosing organic fruit and vegetables, wanting to avoid the chemical sprays used in intensive farming. Whether you are concerned about your personal health, or that of wildlife and the planet, organic farming offers a kinder way to work with the land. 

The term ‘organic’ is now highly regulated, therefore growers and producers cannot claim organic without certification. The Soil Association offers the highest standard in organic certification, ensuring the crops are guaranteed free from nasty chemical pesticides and fertilisers, but are also non-genetically-modified and non-irradiated. 

The research for choosing organic

There’s growing research to support the nutritional benefits to choosing organic foods.

An international team of experts led by Newcastle University has shown that organic crops are up to 60% higher in a number of key antioxidants than conventionally grown ones. 

In addition to this, The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that organic crops, on average, contain 29% more magnesium, 27% more vitamin C, 21% more iron and 26% more calcium - demonstrating the benefits of organically grown crops on the nutritional profile of the food.

Following a separate scientific review published in the British Journal of Nutrition, researchers analysed 343 studies which investigated the compositional differences between organic and conventional crops. The team found that a switch to eating organic fruit, vegetable and cereals – and food made from them – would provide additional antioxidants equivalent to eating between 1-2 extra portions of fruit and vegetables a day. 

The same review also showed significantly lower levels of toxic heavy metals in organic crops. Cadmium, which is one of only four metal contaminants along with lead, arsenic and mercury for which the European Commission has set maximum permitted contamination levels in food, was found to be almost 50% lower in organic crops than conventionally grown ones. 

Why Viridian chooses to support organic

As an ethical supplement company, Viridian Nutrition believes in sourcing natural ingredients and using sustainable farming methods to guarantee purity and traceability of its nutritional supplements. In fact, more than 80 products in the range are certified organic by the Soil Association, further enhancing the provenance, eco-friendliness and quality of the ingredients.

In our eyes, growing organically offers the best chance of long-term good health to people and to the planet.

Organic is one of the best choices we can make at your local specialist health food store.

For more about the benefits of organic ask in your local health food store and visit www.soilassociation.org

To find your nearest health store, visit: www.findahealthstore.com

You can follow us on Facebook, and Instagram as we showcase some of our favourite Soil Association certified nutritional supplements and topicals. Please also search #ChooseOrganic #loveorganic and #OrganicSeptember the Soil Association’s hashtag in social media for more news and highlights during the month-long campaign.