The force of nature
You’ll be doing your health a massive favour by going organic, says Anna Ashmole, head of Soil Association Scotland.
ruit and vegetables stacked
in the supermarket may well
look the picture of health. but their shiny good looks conceal a chemical concoction that could be potentially harmful or. at the very least, diminish the foods nutritional quality.
So. what secrets do non-organic foods hold? Over the last three years the government has discovered that between 25% and 30% of all foods contain pesticide residue. For example. carrots have been found containing organophosphates. Exposure to high levels of this type of pesticide has been linked to impaired neurological development in the foetus, chronic fatigue syndrome in infants and Parkinson’s disease. Cox’s apples can be sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different pesticides; many of those are difficult to remove even if the fruit is washed.
Pesticide residues are five to nine times more likely to be found in the blood of women with breast cancer than those who do not have the disease, and previous studies have shown that those with occupational exposure to pesticides have higher rates of cancer
A steady deterioration in male reproductive health has been reported throughout Europe. with sperm concentrations in decline and abnormalities in sperm development being recorded. Danish research compared the sperm density of members of an organic farming association (CPA) with that of three different occupational groups and found that the former had significantly
1 18 THE US? 96 May E) Juli 2005
higher sperm counts.
This research was corroborated in 1996 when members of another Danish OFA were compared with a control group of 797 healthy men. It was found that sperm concentration was higher among men eating organically produced food.
With such a chemicals being used. there is growing concern about the effects of multiple residues. known as the
‘cocktail effect’. In I999. 93% of
oranges tested had such residues. It is widely acknowledged that these chemicals could react with each other and further research is needed to ascertain the risk.
As well as pesticides. there are also significantly fewer additives permitted in organic foods than their non-organic equivalent. around 30 as opposed to 500. Hydrogenated fat. which is linked to heart disease. phosphoric acid. which can leave the bones brittle and lead to osteoporosis. and monosodium glutamate. which can cause headaches and asthma attacks. are all specifically banned. as are artificial colourings and sweeteners.
By eating organic food. you take in higher levels of vitamin C and essential minerals such as calcium. magnesium. iron and chromium. Nitrate levels are on average 15% lower in organic foods — good news when you consider that scientists at Glasgow University have found a link between levels of nitrates in vegetables and gullet cancer. Organic vegetables have up to 50% higher levels of secondary nutrients. including antioxidants
mixture of
which help to mop tip harmful free radicals implicated in cancer. It‘s not just organic veg that‘s
healthier. ()rganic milk has higher
levels of Vitamin li. antioxidants and omega 3 essential fatty acids. according to research released this year. Drinking a pint of organic milk a day provides 17.5% of the required intake of Vitamin li (alpha tocopherol) for women and l4f/r of that for men. and as much beta carotene as a portion of some vegetables such as Brussels Sprouts.
Demand for organic food increased tenfold iii the last ten years. and the UK market is currently worth over {lb The 3.995 organic farms across the UK mean that the amount of organic land is equivalent to three times that of Greater London.
FACT FILE
Soil Association
Scotland's devolved national office of the Bristol-based Soil Association is located at 18 Liberton Brae. Tower Mains. Edinburgh. (30 to wwwsoilassociation scotlandorg or call 0131 666 2474 for details of organic events in Scotland. lists of local organic box schemes and other organic suppliers.
See Around Town listings for details of Farmers' Markets in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Community Supported Agriculture A series of CSA schemes operate in Scotland. such as Earthshare (wwwearthsharecouk). which has been operating since 1994. Based near Forres in north east Scotland. it has subscribers. who agree to share the produce that is grown there. in the form of a weekly vegetable box.
Doctors' notes Health & fitness news
I If you’re thinking of quitting eating animals, the last days of May would be a good time to start, as it is National Vegetarian Week. It’s organised by the Vegetarian Society to raise awareness of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet and to state categorically that it’s not all about nut roasts these days. www.vegsoc.org.
I June is Everyman Cancer Awareness Month. a campaign by the Institute of Cancer Research to raise awareness about male cancers. There is a stereotypical male who never checks for lumps and bumps. Make sure this is a gross misrepresentation by clicking on www.icr.ac.ulv' everyman.
I Italian researchers at the University of L’Aquila have found that dark chocolate could help control diabetes and blood pressure. The team say an antioxidant called flavanol is responsible for the effect because it neutralises potentially cell-damaging substances known as oxygen free radicals. Head researcher Dr Claudio Ferri reminds people to be careful about eating too much chocolate due to its calorie content. He giveth, and he taketh away.
I Another reason to give up smoking: it has a negative effect on your day-to-day memory. Research has found that the typical heavy smoker (people who smoke more than 15 cigarettes a day) report 22% more memory- related problems than non- smokers. and around 12% more problems than those who only smoked a relatively small number of cigarettes.
A
I If you think cutting out carbohydrates is hard, consider these bizarre historical diet fads: 1978’s ‘Egg Diet’ involved eating up to 18 eggs a day. Watch those pounds drop off (alongside your social circle). 1962’s ‘Oil Diet’ proclaimed the supposed benefits of drinking a miracle mixture of olive oil and sunflower oil to help metabolise food. Feeling nauseous?