Do organically grown foods have greater health benefits than their commercially grown counterparts? Julie Shoffstall

What does “Organic” mean? The word “organic” refers to the method with which farmers grow and process agricultural products. Conventional Farmers Organic Farmers Apply chemical fertilizers to promote plant growth. Apply natural fertilizers, such as manure or compost, to feed soil and plants. Spray insecticides to reduce pests and disease. Use beneficial insects and birds, mating disruption or traps to reduce pests and disease. Use chemical herbicides to manage weeds. Rotate crops, till, hand weed or mulch to manage weeds. Give animals antibiotics, growth hormones and medications to prevent disease and spur growth. Give animals organic feed and allow them access to the outdoors. Use preventive measures — such as rotational grazing, a balanced diet and clean housing — to help minimize disease.

An organic certification program has been instituted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which mandates that all organic foods meet strict government standards. USDA's National Organic Program (NOP) regulates these standards for any farm, wild crop harvesting, or handling operation that wants to sell an agricultural product as organically produced. ELDEV &acct=noprulemaking National Organic Program (NOP)

100% organic : products are completely organic, or made of all organic ingredients Organic : products are at least 95% organic; the remaining ingredients are not available organically, but have been approved by the NOP Made with organic ingredients : products that contain at least 70% organic ingredients; organic seal cannot be used on these products, but they are able to list up to three of the organic ingredients on the front of the package. Other : products with less than 70% organic ingredients are only allowed to list the organic ingredients on the information panel of the packaging Organic Labeling

So, should we spend the extra buck to buy organic products?

Organic Foods vs. Supermarket Foods: Element Levels By Bob L. Smith Published in the Journal of Applied Nutrition, 1993 Study done over a period of 2 years Foods were purchased from several stores in the Chicago area and then taken to a Chicago laboratory for elemental analysis Foods studied included: Apples, Pears, Potatoes, Corn, and Wheat Berries On average, organic foods had over 90% more of the nutritional elements than their commercial counterparts On average, organic foods had a lower heavy metal content than their commercial food counterparts

Results

Numerous Studies Support greater nutritional value in Organically grown produce Professor Carlo Leifert performed a study in the UK (2007), on 725 acres of land near New Castle University, which showed antioxidant levels to be 20-40% higher in organic wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, and lettuce. Alyson Mitchell led a team at U.C. Davis in a 10 year study, looking at dried tomato samples collected from side-by-side plots, showing the organic tomatoes to contain 79% more of one antioxidant, and 97% more of another. Another study done at U.C. David (2007) revealed similar results for organically grown kiwi. One study done in Italy (2002) found higher levels of polyphenols in organic peaches and pears, and 8% more Vitamin C in organic peaches AND MANY MORE!

So why does the USDA remain neutral in the argument? And why does the Food Standards Agency maintain that there is no scientific evidence to suggest organic food is healthier?

Not as easy as saying Organic=more nutritious There seem to be limitations in comparing the nutritional content of organically grown produce compared to conventionally grown produce. Many factors affect the nutritional value of a product, on top of how it is grown, including where it was grown, the kind/variety of the given product, how ripe it was when picked, the temperature it was kept at since picked, how long its been in the store, etc.

Alyson Mitchell’s team (previously mentioned) spent 3 years looking at solids (a reflection of sugar) and antioxidant content in both tomatoes and bell peppers The organic tomatoes had higher levels of both sugars and antioxidants. The organic bell peppers showed no difference in nutritional content from the conventionally grown ones. Varying Results

Conclusion There are still intelligent scientists on both sides of the debate: –Organic foods, Mr. Avery said, "are clearly no safer, no more nutritious, no more healthful - there are zero advantages for consumers.“ –Dr. Nestle said, "I don't think there is any question that as more research is done, it is going to become increasingly apparent that organic food is healthier.“

Sources et--element%20levels.pdf et--element%20levels.pdf bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/11/28/FD1FTE4KM.DTL bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2007/11/28/FD1FTE4KM.DTL