Letter: Organic food would solve the NHS crisis

There is indeed, much to be said for going back to our roots. In fact, if we did, the current problems we are experiencing with the NHS would be massively reduced and very quickly.

The NHS is in extremis, because of, as much as anything else, the stranglehold the supermarkets have over shoppers encouraging them to buy into the blatant lies of the food industry – like a can of vegetable soup providing one of our five-a-day health givers.

What we need is real food like we ate during the Second World War when, despite the privations of rationing – or perhaps, because of them, since we were only allowed 4ozs of sugar a week and very little meat and dairy – we, as a country had none of the health problems so prevalent today.

Hippocrates said: "Let your food be your medicine; your medicine be your food."

I read years ago that old age is an illness and, having none of the ailments so many of my age seem to be burdened with, I am beginning to believe this is indeed the case since processed food finds very little space in my shopping trolley, but organic veg – also a war-time standard – is a staple.

It does, however, have to be organic. I never understood the drive to eat five-a-day which, unless it is organic, will carry a payload of toxins.

Pesticides and fertilisers are hugely detrimental to health creating soil which is devoid of the essential nutrients, which protect us from diseases like Alzheimer's, and food, which is often carcinogenic.

Health does not come out of a bottle or a pill, but from eating good local food.

N Jones, Shrewsbury

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