Health News and Scoops

A buzz has begun in response to research released this week about the benefits of organic food. The study showed that organic food does not actually contain more nutrients than non-organically grown food. Measurements for nutritional benefit were based on the amount of compounds such as phosphorous, zinc, copper, and Vitamin C. Acidity content and nitrogenous compound content were other factors measured in the comparison. It was found that between organically grown foods and those that aren’t organically grown, the only difference is nitrogen content and relative acidity. These results were not taken lightly by the food administration, which claimed the study has no foundation; they say that the researchers used data from as far back as 1958, used outdated techniques, and failed to explain why nearly all other studies comparing organically grown versus non-organically grown food showed significantly more nutrients in organic food.

This is an interesting study, and one that to me sounds like the researchers were set out to prove a point rather than to execute a well-thought out research project. As others have claimed in response to this study, the compounds that were measured were not compounds that the food administration has ever argued are more present in organic foods. Organic foods have more antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds, than non-organically grown foods, and having more antioxidants is significantly more important than having more or less zinc or copper.

In my opinion, the most important caveat to this study is that the whole idea of eating organic foods is to avoid the chemicals. Sure, it’s sometimes advertised that organic foods have more nutrients, but in most cases the advertising is telling you that organic food is more nutritious. Key difference. More nutritious meaning there are no pesticides, antibiotics, and various other chemicals that have been swimming around in our food for so long. They missed the point. Multiple studies to date have showed significant evidence that organic foods have far less chemicals than non-organic food; and thus, don’t be deterred by this “data.” Eat those organic foods, but at the same time, don’t pay $6 for an orange either.

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