Research out of Stanford University has said that organic foods were not any more healthy or nutritious than conventional food.
Organic food however was found to contain less residue from pesticides.
The study did not find a significant benefit in regards to vitamin content in organic food. Except for phosphorus, no other nutrient content was detected at higher levels in organics than in food grown by conventional methods.
No significant difference was seen in terms of fat or protein amounts in organic over conventionally produced milk although a few studies were cited which indicated that organic milk may have higher omega-3 fatty acid levels.
Organic meat was found by the Stanford study to be as vulnerable to E. coli and other toxic bacteria. However, lower levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found in organic pork and chicken.
People eating organic pork and chicken are 33 percent less likely to be consuming three or more antibiotic-resistant bacteria strains.
Pesticide residue was found in 38 percent of conventional produce, but in only 7 percent of the organic fruit and vegetables.
Children eating organic produce had a smaller amount of pesticide traces in their urine when tested. The study did not address long-term effects of pesticides on human beings.
Stanford University's research has been met with mixed reviews.
Charles Benbrook, former chief scientist at the Organic Center, and a professor of agriculture at Washington State University, said that many American studies showed different results from those of the Stanford study.
Organic fruit and vegetables were found to contain higher amounts of vitamins and antioxidants.
Forbes.com reported that a study done in 2010 indicated that even low levels of a particular pesticide in a child's urine may be linked with the occurrence of ADHD.
Those children who had any pesticide level in their urine were seen to be twice as likely to have learning disorders than children with no detected pesticide levels.
Prenatal exposure to pesticides may cause children to suffer abnormal brain growth and lower IQs as they mature. The finding that organic food contains less pesticide residue is important for pregnant women and children.
Environmental Working Group's senior analyst Sonya Lunder said that consuming organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides and other synthetic pesticides is particularly dangerous for these segments of the population because of the vulnerability of the brain and nervous system.
It's up to individual consumers, of course, to determine what Stanford University's research means to them.
Perhaps organic food is no more nutritious than conventionally grown foods. Even so, Stanford's research also indicated that there are appreciable differences between conventional and organic foods.
Lower amounts of pesticide residue may make the extra expense of many organic foods seem worth the price.
With the increasing problem of bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics, knowing that organic food lowers the risk of encountering such bacteria may be enough for some consumers to jump on, or stay on, the organic bandwagon.
Since organic meats by definition aren't raised with the use of artificial hormones or antibiotics, the absence of these substances may also carry a lot of weight with many consumers.
The Stanford University study can be found online at the Annals of Internal Medicine website.
Sources:
Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, Stanford study finds. Med.stanford.edu. Retrieved Sept. 9, 2012.
http://med.stanford.edu/ism/2012/september/organic.html
Study Says Organic Isn't Healthier? Here's Why It Still May Be Worth The Cost. Forbes.com. Retrieved Sept. 9, 2012.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2012/09/06/study-says-organic-isnt...
Organic Produce Reduces Exposure to Pesticides, Research Confirms. EWG.org. Retrieved Sept. 9, 2012.
http://www.ewg.org/release/organic-produce-reduces-exposure-pesticides-r...
Study: A Link Between Pesticides and ADHD. Time.com. Retrieved Sept. 9, 2012.
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1989564,00.html
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Reviewed September 10, 2012
by Michele Blacksberg RN