A friend of mine recently requested that I write something about organic food. I have consulted numerous resources to get my information, but if there are any nutritional experts out there feel free to jump in and comment. Main points will be highlighted in RED.
First of all,
Is organic food really that much healthier for you?
As you are probably aware, this is a highly debated topic among food scientists.
According to a review study by Dr. Carl Winter from the University of California, Organic fruits and vegetables, while demonstrating quite a bit less pesticide contamination than regular market fruits and vegetables, still contained a fair pesticide residue from irrigation contamination, adjacent pesticide use, soil contamination. In addition, "it should be noted that organic production methods do allow the use of EPA registered pesticides provided that such pesticides are approved by the National Organic Standards Board."
ORGANIC does not mean pesticide-free, just less pesticide residue.
In addition, while in great quantities pesticides could pose a risk of cancer, the amount of pesticide residue on market fruits and vegetables are extremely low. If you want to check out how the EPA and FDA calculates risk factors and exposure levels, please see read Dr. Winter's article: Pesticide Residues in Imported, Organic, and “Suspect” Fruits and Vegetables
Dr. Winter states: "typical consumer exposure to pesticide residues is currently at very low levels relative to those required for health concern, and reducing consumer exposure further through consumption of more organic fruits and vegetables may not provide much of an additional incremental health benefit with respect to pesticide residues. Similar conclusions were drawn in a review paper by Magkos et al."
ORGANIC food may not provide any health benefit with respect to pesticide residues.
In another study done by Carbonaro et. al, "Although food products from organic origin are believed to be healthier than the corresponding conventional foods, clear experimental evidence supporting this assumption is still lacking and assessment of the nutritional potential of these products requires further research."
In a nutshell:
There is no clear experimental evidence supporting the assumption that ORGANIC products are nutritionally superior.
In a study about organic eggplant cultivation done by María D. Raigón, Adrián Rodríguez-Burruezo, and Jaime Prohens, results showed that organic management and fertilization have a positive effect on the accumulation of certain beneficial minerals and phenolic compounds in eggplant and that organically and conventionally produced eggplants might be distinguished according to their composition profiles."
In a nutshell:
It is possible that ORGANIC food (depending on how it is cultivated) could have higher levels of Vitamin C, sugars, and phenolics (what makes food smell and taste good).
So really, there is no clear evidence that organic food is better nutritionally, although it may taste better. In terms of saving money, if you shop at a mainstream grocery store I recommend going for the conventionally sold produce, as the health benefits of organic food are still so uncertain.
But I really want to buy organic food!
So I haven't convinced you that it isn't worth it...ah, well. If you are still determined to buy organic, here are the classic "dirty dozen" conventional items (the foods that typically have the most pesticide residue):
According to the Environmental Working Group:
- Apples
- Celery
- Strawberries
- Peaches
- Spinach
- Nectarines (imported)
- Grapes (imported)
- Sweet bell peppers
- Potatoes
- Blueberries (domestic)
- Lettuce
- Kale/collard greens
How can I buy it and not annihilate my budget?
Some good ideas for buying organic food at better price:
Farmer's Markets--these are good because there is no middle man! Buy locally and support your local economy, eliminate the middle man, and enjoy some cheaper, organic produce.
Become part of a Co-Op--This is the smartest idea ever. A Community Co-Op is a member owned and operated grocery store, in which people can volunteer to come in to cultivate natural, locally grown foods and products. Here are some examples!
Grow your own --I know this is not the answer you want to hear :) But, consider growing easy vegetable plants such as tomatoes, zucchini, squash and peppers. These vegetables are versatile, grow like weeds, and pretty much grow year round if you care for them correctly.
Wait for sales-- places like Whole Foods, Fresh Market and Publix are great, but they can be extremely expensive. Unless you have fountains of money, I recommend staying away from these places until you have a pretty nice fixed income. If these are the only stores near to you, I suggest picking a few important items you wish to buy organic (for instance, items from the "dirty dozen") and only purchase those particular items. If it is not too much of a temptation, check and see what sales are going on and what coupons are available:
Well, hope this was helpful! Be smart and resourceful when thinking about buying organic foods; remember that they are a nice commodity to have, possibly even fresher, but realistically are not that beneficial to your health. If you choose to incorporate organic foods into your diet, remember to utilize your local resources first before the big consumer stores like Whole Foods.
References:
Winter, C. (2012). Pesticide Residues in Imported, Organic, and "Suspect" Fruits and Vegetables. Journal Of Agricultural & Food Chemistry, 60(18), 4425-4429.
Carbonaro, M., Mattera, M., Nicoli, S., Bergamo, P.,& Cappelloni, M.; (2002) Modulation of Antioxidant Compounds in Organic vs Conventional Fruit (Peach, Prunus persica L., and Pear, Pyrus communis L.) .Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50 (19), 5458-5462
Raigón, M., Rodríguez-Burruezo, A., and Prohens, J.;(2010) Effects of Organic and Conventional Cultivation Methods on Composition of Eggplant Fruits. J. Agric. Food Chem., 58 (11), pp 6833–6840
Lester, G. & Saftner R.A.; (2011) Organically versus Conventionally Grown Produce: Common Production Inputs, Nutritional Quality, and Nitrogen Delivery between the Two Systems
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry ,59 (19), 10401-10406
