With people becoming more health conscious in recent years we are seeing a dramatic increase in the availability of organic foods. It's apparent there is increasing demand for these products as wider selections and more shelf space is being taken up in mainstream grocery stores for organics. In addition the number of health food stores continues to increase.

Does it really make a difference to eat organic food? I believe so and will explain the reasons why.

The main reason is organic food is totally free of pesticides, harmful additives, hormones and antibiotics.I It also avoids the use of artificial flavors and additives.

Additives can affect the taste, color and aroma of foods.

Animals are routinely fed antibiotics and hormones and this in turn ends up in the meat and on our dinner table. The rationale behind this is that it speeds up animal growth. While this may be true, with people becoming more antibiotic resistant do we really need to have it end up in in our food?

Pesticides may not be as much of a concern on a fruit like a banana, with a heavy peel that is discarded, but it can be much more difficult to eliminate all traces of pesticides on fruits like strawberries, apples and blueberries.

Does organic food taste better? That obviously depends on the individual, but I think it does. I particularly notice a difference in the meat, and get better tasting gravies as well.

It only makes sense that food grown in good soil, ripened naturally by the sun, will be both tastier and healthier rather than non organics grown with chemicals and preservatives for longer shelf life and for storage. But the only way you can make this determination is to try it for yourself!

Eating organic food is good for the environment as well. This takes farming back to basics, the way it was years ago. This means healthy food without the harmful pesticides. Organic practices generally mean growing food in harmony with nature. This type of farming ensures there will be no pollution from sprays, and less dangerous waste, in addition to having well balanced soil. So it is better for our water supply and our air.

Organic food is particularly good for babies and young children whose immune systems are not yet mature. There is a wide range of organics in many grocery stores now, and of course, there is the option of homemade.

It is clear that more and more people are switching to organic food, as sales have been steadily increasing and the selection continues to grow.

Once you try organics you may find you would never go back. It's certainly been true in my case. It's a smart health choice to make and better for our world as well.