Blogger's Note: This post is part of a series that takes a closer look at commonly held assumptions about personal health, nutrition and fitness. If you have an idea for a Second Opinion topic, let me know and I’ll do some research.In just the past decade, organic foods have made the transition from fringe to trendy to commonplace, with organic versions of almost everything populating the aisles of mainstream grocery stores. These products are often sold with the trappings of “health food,” implying or claiming outright that they are better for you. Yet whether organic foods actually carry any added health benefits calls for a second look.
First, a note on what “organic” actually means. Branding a food as organic implies that its components were harvested free of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. In the U.S., where food labeling is tightly regulated, processed foods must contain at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients to wear an organic seal courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Use of organic products does not alter the makeup of fats, carbs or proteins in the food, and therefore has no effect on its caloric value. While proponents sometimes claim organic foods are more nutrient-rich, the evidence is fuzzy. Just last month, an
exhaustive review by the U.K.’s Food Standards Agency concluded that the nutritional difference between organic and conventional foods was negligible. With some tinkering, Hostess could probably make an organic Twinkie – packaged in earth tones, no doubt – that would be just as nutritionally bankrupt as the original.
A more solid claim is that organic foods, with far fewer manmade chemicals, are safer for consumers. Though all pesticides and additives used in commercial food must meet FDA approval, food safety testing is inherently imperfect. Lab tests can take you so far, but the true risk of chemical food additives can’t be fully determined until people actually start growing lesions and stuff. If you’re the cautious type, opting for fewer chemicals probably isn’t a bad call.
Still, that is less an argument for buying organic than for cutting down on processed foods altogether. As you’ll recall, organic foods in the States can still contain up to 30 percent non-organic ingredients, and the USDA makes several exceptions to its no-synthetic-additives rule (
if you’re really, really interested) that has helped make organic foods commercially viable. Unless a product is labeled as 100 percent organic, your chemical shield will only be so thick.
This isn’t to say the organic movement is a fraud. The environmental benefits of the organic farming are numerous and well worth looking into. But if you’ve been spending more on organic Lucky Charms with strictly your health in mind, you might want to be a bit more skeptical.
Healthkicker asks: What do you think? Are Organic foods always healthier for you?
Comments (17)
Interesting.
No organic foods are not healthier. non organic is just protected by pesticides. organic is healthy only if the dirt is healthy and the nutrients go into the food. I dont think anyone would want to eat something with a bug in it or eggs. The smart thign to do and save ur money is to buy organic unless its food that u would be consuming the pesticides-which is never good for you. the things where u eat the skin should be organic.buy organic berries and apples and wash them and look carefully for bugs or eaten parts. otherwise, buy non organic bananas- u dont eat the skin.
Let me clarify. organic is HEalthy, just be careful as to WHERE your food comes from and what goes into it. organic doesnt necessarily mean safer. Gotta be choosy as what u buy organic or not. its far better to eat organic and bug free than pesticide ridden and bug free.
Down on the Industrialized Organic Farm
Will wonders never cease! I can eat a 5 calorie organic strawberry all year round that takes 400 calories of fossil fuel to transport to my supermarket and is packaged in a container that takes 500 years to decompose. And why stop with fruits and vegetables when you can have organic fruit loops and twinkies?
My suggestion for healthy eating is to buy local, eat fruits and vegetables in season, and avoid food-like substances containing ingredients you can't pronounce!
I think it depends on the food. I think organic meat and dairy products are safer because the animals aren't fed hormones. I read somewhere that they found a link between these hormones and defects in childhood development and that they can sometimes contribute to acne. It could have just been a random study though. I don't remember. I'd rather just buy local produce when it's available than expensive supermarket organic produce.
Heads up
USDA Certified 100% Organic: made with 100% organic ingredients
USDA Certified Organic: made with 95-99% organic ingredients
Made with Organic Ingredients or Natural: That's where the 70% you mentioned comes in. They do not have to have the USDA seal but rather list up to 3 ingredients on the front label.
Sorry to nitpick, I work produce wholesale and have to deal with this stuff all the time -.-
It is also worthwhile to note that whether you are looking for produce or processed foods, organic is a great place to start as you seek to diversify and enrich your diet. Federally regulated organic standards require that organic foods are produced without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides, antibiotics, synthetic hormones, and genetic engineering. Organic standards also mandate that organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food. Additionally, because certified organic growers and handlers are not only inspected by third-party independent certifiers in order to qualify for organic certification, but also follow strict guidelines for safe and hygienic food production, they offer consumers products in which they can trust.
For these and many other reasons, buying organic is worth it.
www.organicitsworthit.com
@direwolf005@xanga - I generally agree, and I do buy hormone-free milk (which is not necessarily organic). I'm mostly a vegetarian, and don't eat much meat. But I'm not sure that the "organic" label always means that animals were raised in a pastoral setting. There are some large factory farms that produce organic milk and meat as well, and I'm opposed to the animal crowding at these mega-farms as well as the larger ecologic footprint.
i just watched a tv program few days ago saying not 'organic' = healthy, of course it depends what the food is =P
When I buy meat, I get organic meat for my husband and baby. I try to avoid chemically treated vegetables by growing what I can but I am more worried about injesting the chemicals than anything else.
@redhairedgrrl@xanga - I agree. I don't eat meat either, mostly for health reasons but also for the reason of animals being overcrowded and poorly maintained. As far as produced is concerned, I don't think anyone is 100% sure what the effects of chemicals is, but I usually just wash my fruit and veggies and hope it gets most of the harmful stuff out, whether it's been treated chemically or not.
I would rather eat organic but I can't afford. Those man made pesticides are not good for fruits and veggies! Unless that food has a hard shell (like an orange) then that means the pesticide probably seeped into the veggie. (like bell pepper)
I try to make a lot of our foods from scratch and I feel like that is healthier whether it is 100% organic or not. I make all our bread and tortillas etc so that I can add good stuff like whole wheat and flax seed and leave out all the chemical preservatives. And, being that we live in Alaska, a lot of what we eat is just from the land and organic. I pick wild blueberries and raspberries in the fields around where we live. If we want fish we go out deep sea fishing to get it. And for meat we try to get a Moose during the Moose season - one moose provides our whole extended family with meat for an entire year and you can't get much more organic than that. Plus it is a whole lot leaner and better in general for you than cow meat. I guess not everyone can do it to the extreme that we can, but I highly recommend living off what you have locally.
The only time I ever eat organic is when its cheaper then the other stuff (which is very rare), you also have to think of all the radiation in our food, my dad just took this NDT course where he learnt all about radiation, its in our food, everywhere, organic food still has radation levels in it. Its not 100% healthy for you anyways.
It's gmo's that freak me out. I just don't think taking bacteria and virus dna and putting it into my corn, soy, and rape seed is a good idea. So if anything, I'd buy organic tofu and soy milk to try and eat less gmo's.
Also, google the dirty dozen (the 12 foods that have the most chemicals) those would be the next ones you may want to buy organic if you can b/c they're the ones w/the most chemicals on top. Otherwise just wash your produce and hope for the best.
IMO, organic apples may not be "healthier" nutrient wise, but I think they taste better so it's worth the extra money when I can afford it.
i suggest anyone who wants to read a good article on organic foods vs ones with pesticides to go to a bookstore and pickup an issue of Times. i thought it was a very informative article =].
My husband and I are vegetarian and we eat organic and local as much as possible. I'm not only concerned about pesticides and other chemicals, but also genetically modified foods. I recommend reading Harvest For Hope by Jane Goodall- even if you want to take it all with a grain of salt, it may give you a place to start in educating yourself on what we are putting in our bodies and planet.
I think this article is ridiculous. Of COURSE an organic twinkie is still unhealthy. But, an organic apple is healthier than an inorganic, pesticide laden, genetically modified, wax covered apple.