Studies Suggest Little Nutritional Difference Between Organic and Nonorganic Foods
September 4, 2012
Organic food may be no healthier to eat than nonorganic food, researchers at Stanford University announced today in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine. Organic food is grown or raised using environmentally and animal-friendly farming methods, with the application of little or no synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or other artificial chemicals to plants.
After reviewing more than 200 studies of the content and associated health gains of organic and nonorganic foods, the scientists concluded there was no real difference in nutritional content. They did conclude that organic food was 30 percent less likely to contain pesticides. However, they found that pesticide residue in the vast majority of nonorganic food did not exceed allowable limits set by U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture regulations.
The studies were of two types: comparing the health of people who eat organic foods with those who do not; and comparing the levels of nutrients, bacteria, fungus or pesticides in eggs, fruits, grains, meats, milk, and vegetables. The organic and nonorganic fruits and vegetables contained similar amounts of vitamins. The milk contained the same amount of protein and fat.
While the researchers found no clear benefits to consuming organic foods, they noted that more research is needed. The studies they investigated generally did not uncover the environmental effect on food or how it affects human health. The studies also only followed people for a relatively short period of time, generally two years or less.
Additional World Book articles:
- Health foods
- The Battle Against the Bugs (a special report)
- Food and Drug Safety and the FDA (a special report)