by Dominic Clacy

Created on: October 14, 2009   Last Updated: October 16, 2009

Organic foods have formed the basis for the human diet through the ages. Eating an organic diet is considered the most natural and beneficial way to take food into the body. The majority of the soil across the globe has unfortunately been touched by chemicals and pesticides to some degree and an organic diet may be the closest thing to a pure diet available today.

An article published by the New York Times states that it has been over six years since the federal government began certifying food as organic. During this time sales of organic produce have doubled and three-quarters of the nation's grocery stores are now stocking organic food. This growth equated to sales totaling $16.7 billion in 2006, according to figures from The Organic Trade Association. In the UK sales of organic food had also been performing remarkably well until the recession. In an article written for the BBC, The Soil Association is quoted as saying that sales of organic food grew by only 1.7 per cent in 2008, following more than a decade of sustained growth. This is in sharp contrast to the 22 per cent increase in sales reported in the Soil Association's Organic Market Report published in 2007.

In his book The Paleo Diet, Dr Loren Cordain presents a study compiled from numerous different publications comparing the nutrient content of organic versus conventionally produced plant foods. This study showed that organically produced vegetables have a slightly higher Vitamin C content and protein content but most importantly a substantially lower pesticide content. There are also wider benefits to switching to organics. When interviewed by The New York Times Mark Kastel, co-founder of The Cornucopia Institute, puts it: There are generic benefits from doing organics. It protects the land from the ravages of conventional agriculture, and safeguards farm workers from being exposed to pesticides.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), our daily intake of nitrates should be limited to 1.6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. In his discussion on pesticides Dr Cordain states that the nitrate levels of organically produced fruits and vegetables are consistently lower than in conventional produce. Elevated exposure to nitrates and pesticides are associated with elevated risk for developing certain types of cancers and according to Patrick Holford, founder of the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, one in three foods you eat contains some form of pesticide.

The amount of fruit and vegetables

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