Organic Food is Overrated (Scientifically) 07/11/20140 Comments Picture Organic food is becoming more and more popular in the United States and Europe. For a lot of people, it is now the food of choice. As the population becomes increasingly concerned about the safety of the food (concern that is fueled by a few major food scares), the consumption of organic food increases. However, if you were asked what exactly makes the organic food so much better than the conventional produce, would you know the answer? Does science really support the growing hype about organic farming? Is there enough scientific evidence to support the decision to spend anywhere from 40% to 175% more on produce just because it is organic? Picture Organic farming has been one of the fastest growing industries in the USA. This growth occurred alongside a steep increase in the interest of the public in personal health, environmental protection and animal welfare. As concerns for genetically modified produce, irradiated food and outbreaks of E.Coli became highly publicized, the health concerns associated with food increased drastically. Currently, there seems to be a widespread belief that organic food is safer. Organic farming is a practice of crop production which excludes, or limits, the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, livestock feed additives and regulators of growth. To maintain soil productivity, to supply the necessary nutrients and to fight weeds, pests and insects, farmers rely on animal manure, green manure, legumes and crop residues. Therefore, it is widely accepted that organic food is free of hazardous products. Picture In order to qualify as an organic, the farm in question needs to be free of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers for 3 years in the USA and 2 years in Europe. Despite regulations, the produce grown on these farms is not necessarily free from pesticides. Sources of synthetic pesticides on organic farms include contaminated ground water, contaminated winds, sprays from neighboring conventional (non-organic) farms, leftover residue from the soil, unauthorized use of pesticides or contamination during transport. However, even with possible contamination, organic produce contains less amounts of synthetic fertilizers as compared to the conventional produce. The question is, are these pesticides significantly harmful to us? And if not, is there a difference in nutrient content between organic and conventional foods? It is apparent: organic foods have less pesticides, conventional foods have more pesticides. But, this is just a tiny part of the big picture. Why do all studies keep focusing on pesticides? Is it because this is the easiest argument in a debate for organic produce? The short answer is that pesticide difference is the easiest to study. What is harder to study is the difference in nutrients, the long term health effects, the long term sustainability and the possible microbial infections from both types of produce. Picture Lets talk nutrients. Organic vegetables (such as carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, beetroots and spinach) have lower concentration of total protein as compared to conventional ones. The organic veggies, however, contain greater percentage of essential amino acids. It is worth mentioning that protein from vegetables accounts for a very small fraction of the overall diet. This is, however, important information for vegetarians who rely on protein from sources other than animal products. Cereals and legumes follow the same pattern as vegetables with respect to protein content. Organic cereals contain less protein overall, but more content of essential amino acids. As for vitamins, only A, B1, B2 and C were studied. There are no results that indicate any significant difference in the levels of these vitamins in organic vs. conventional foodstuffs. Interestingly, vitamin A (otherwise known as Betta-Carotine) in carrots has been found to be in higher amounts in conventionally grown ones. This could be due to the use of a conventional fertilizer. The level of minerals and trace elements, specifically Zinc, Calcium, Iron, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium, Potassium do not differ significantly between these two types of agriculture either. The health-promoting quality of foods lies in the foods ability to provide us with minerals, vitamins, protein, carbohydrate, fats and fiber. What we also receive from food are factors needed for our energy maintenance, growth, repair and reproduction. The way plants synthesize these is by using water, sun, air and soil. Agriculture is only 1 of the factors that affect how well the plants make these nutrients! It is important to state, and overstate, that a balanced diet is more important than an un-balanced one based on organic produce. Lets focus on this: the risks associated with pesticide residue in foods are far less than the risks associated with microbiological and other toxicants that occur naturally. Outbreaks of human illnesses due to the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables in last 15 years has increased drastically. While it is not yet known if this is due to the increase in organic farming, it is important to note that organic produce does not mean safe from microbes or safe from food born illnesses product. As Kouba (2002) put it: Organic therefore is a process claim, not a product claim. Picture An article published in 2003, by Magkos et al., includes a ranking of food hazards on human health. This scale suggests that the health hazard associated with pesticides is the least important: it is at the bottom of the scale. Following in unbalanced diet, mycotoxins and microbial agents are higher up on this scale, suggesting that these hazards might cause far more serious acute and chronic complications. And yet, each one of these three hazards can be found in both organic and conventional produce. Studies that survey individuals who follow an organic diet vs. individuals that do not are inconclusive. While followers of the organic lifestyle seem to be healthier, it can be attributed to them being (on average) more physically active and nutrient conscious. The choice of organic produce may be due to a social or cultural concern rather than a scientific one. It can also be argued that in the majority of cases individuals who can afford an organic diet can also afford better healthcare (although this may be changing as we speak, right Mr. President?). In summary, there is no evidence to suggest that organic is necessarily superior to conventional. But there is no evidence to suggest the opposite either. This is not to say that people should not buy organic produce, however, buyers should be aware of exactly what they are paying for and what is NOT guaranteed in their product.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 17:38:49 +0000
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