Is Organic Food Better,
Did you notice that a story about organic food was all over the media a week or two ago? I did, and I thought it would be a good chance to talk about another example of poor health reporting, and also chat a bit about organic food. Since low-carbers tend to eat a lot more fresh food (vegetables, meats, eggs, etc.) it's worth paying attention to.
Here are some of the headlines associated with that report:
"Organic food no more nutritious than non-organic"
"New research in Annals of Internal Medicine shows when it comes to nutrition, there's no difference between organic and regular foods."
"Organic Foods Not Healthier or More Nutritious, Study Says"
The research was a review and analysis of over 200 testings and studies of organic and conventionally-grown foods, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. None of them were comprehensive studies of organic foods, rather, most were testings of foods local to the testing sites. This is all fine, of course, and potentially useful. Here are some of the things the analysis found:
Some of the studies found that organic foods contained more nutrients than conventionally-grown foods, while others didn't. Averaged out, the conclusion was that there was "not strong evidence that organic foods are consistently more nutritious", according to one of the investigators in an NPR interview program. That is quite a bit different than saying there is "no difference" as the headlines would have you believe. Another researcher on that program pointed to a similar analysis done a few years ago which showed that about 60% of the studies showed significantly greater nutrient density in the organic foods, especially in the area of phytonutrients. The rest of the testings showed either no difference or that conventionally-grown foods had a higher nutrient density. This doesn't mean "no difference overall", rather, it means "it varies". Since no two broccoli stalks have the exact same nutrient density, this is not surprising.
Other findings of the current analysis which are not "no difference":
- 38% of the conventionally-grown produce had pesticide residue, compared to 7% for the organic produce.
- "Two studies reported significantly lower urinary pesticide levels among children consuming organic versus conventional diets, but studies of biomarker and nutrient levels in serum, urine, breast milk, and semen in adults did not identify clinically meaningful differences."
- There was a 33-45% higher risk of finding bacteria which were resistant to multiple antibiotics in conventionally-raised chicken and pork vs organic.
Also, the researchers are quick to point out that there are many advantages to organic meat and produce not included in this analysis that affect consumers indirectly, but which could have long-term consequences. Soil health, exposure of farm workers to potentially dangerous chemicals, water contamination from fertilizer runoff, etc. Also, many organic farms avoid "mono-culture" type farming which has environmental implications, as well as contributing to a food system which is over-reliant on commodity crops, mainly soy, corn, and wheat.
At least two responses to the study have been published:
Charles Benbrook of the University of Washington posted this rebuttal (PDF). One of the things he emphasizes are studies suggesting that pesticide exposure through food eaten by pregnant women could have some affects on the developing fetus.
An NPR interview with Michael Pollen
My take on all this:
1) If money is an issue, it is more important to eat lot of and a variety of produce than to eat less produce and have it be organic.
2) Pregnant women and small children are probably more likely to be affected by pesticides, but the vast majority will probably be safe eating conventional produce, and see #1.
3) Consider buying organic versions of the vegetables and fruits most likely to have higher amounts of pesticides on them.
4) There truly are a lot of good reasons to buy organic, and (arguably more important) local foods. One is that they often taste better (especially true of local), which encourages people to eat more. A very small sampling of others:
Summary: There are a lot of reasons to eat organic foods where practical and feasible, however, enhanced nutrition is not one of the more dramatic ones. Fresh foods, however, do lose many of their nutrients over time. Leafy greens in particular begin deteriorating almost immediately, so consider finding local sources.
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