Organic Doesn't Mean Healthy: Is Organic Really Better?

The demand for organic produce has exploded over the past 5 years. Consumer reports indicate that the demand increase is a result of a consumers greater conscious to establish a healthier way of life. However, current agricultural research does not support the claims of organic farming advocates. But what exactly is considered 'organic' ?

In a nut shell, organic would be food that has been grown without the use of any man-made fertilizers, pesticides, growth regulators or livestock feed additives. Instead, organic farmers rely on crop rotation, plant / animal manure and a lot of elbow grease to keep their crops a live. It sounds like a great new innovation in farming, but it isn't anything new. In fact organic farming dates back to World War II. The conviction that organic is healthier than conventional farming practices is actually a hard issue to tackle when you get to the nitty-gritty. The research available which compares these two forms of farming is outdated and in most cases utilized poor study design making the results sketchy.

Nutritional Quality: There are a handful of studies that assess the differences between organic and conventionally grown produce. In some cases, there have been results that organic produce shows higher amounts of some nutrients. However, is that a reason to run out and buy up stock in the organic markets? No, not at all. Although western society puts its faith in scientific research, most of the population doesn't fully understand that just because it was done in a science lab doesn't mean that a ray of light shines down from the heavens and makes it a holy law.

The research was very limited by a small sample size and variety of foods. meaning if you have 4 apples and I have 4 apples and mine have more vitamin C, we can't come to the conclusion that my apples will aways have more vitamin C. This was much the case in much of the research we have available. Also, location will play a big part. Certain soils just naturally have greater densities of certain nutrients. Can you compare two studies that take samples from different parts of the country, or even the world? Not likely

Nutritional Safety: Probably the most common argument of organic supporters is that organic produce is grown without the use of pesticides and contains little or no residues from the use of pesticides. However, according to the available research, this may not be the case at all. Studies which compared the residue content of organic and regular produce showed similar levels of pesticide residues in the tissues of similar varieties of vegetables. That is important to note - the research did not assess surface residue content but what the vegetables had taken up from the soils. While the organic produce did have lower levels that the conventionally grown produce, both were well below the minimum standards for safety concerns. It is true that organic produce does demonstrate consistently lower levels of pesticide residues, it is important to remember that conventional farmers use them for a good reason. Organic produce is more vulnerable to dangerous and potentially lethal. I'm not supporting the consumption of pesticides any more than you are. However, I feel that this could be minimized by washing any fruits and vegetables and if you are really concerned, peel them before eating. But even so, this is also recommended for organic produce because organic farming involves applying manure.

So the take home message? Well, thus far, the amount and quality of research and information on difference between organic and conventionally grown produce is disappointing at best. What little ray of light the science has shed on the subject would suggest that there isn't a great deal of difference between the two styles of farming. It is in effect a wash! So it will be a choice of A) personal preference as well as B) and economical choice. Organic produce can cost anywhere from 50-100% more than the standard produce in your local grocery store. I'm not an advocate of either one or the other, but I like to present the facts on subject where there is such a line in the sand. Especially when no one is sure of who exactly drew the line!

Just remember, not everything that is natural is healthy or better for you. Cyanide is natural, That doesn't mean I want to eat it

References :

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[ Sir John Krebs, Chair, Food Standards Agency, Cheltenham Science Festival ]

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[ Arch of Environ Contam & Toxicol 37,415-423, 1999 ] [ Emährung (Leipzig) 3, 53-69, 1938 ]