There is a lot of confusion among consumers about organics. Everyone wants to know: Exactly what is organic? Are organic foods healthier for me? Should I be buying organic?
Organic crops are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and without the use of sewage sludge, bioengineering, ionizing radiation or genetically modified ingredients. Animals raised organically are not given hormones or drugs to promote growth. On a food label, “100% organic” means that all ingredients are organic; “95% organic” means that at least 95% of the ingredients in the food are organic. Both of these claims are allowed to use the USDA Organic seal. “Made with organic ingredients” means that at least 70% of the ingredients are organic; this last claim cannot bear the USDA Organic seal. “Free-range,” “hormone-free” and “natural” are other valid claims but DO NOT, in and of themselves, mean that the food is organic. Look for the specific organic claim or the USDA organic seal.
There is still a lot of research that must be done regarding the risks and benefits of conventional foods vs. organic foods and no one can yet say for sure whether organics are better (either regarding nutritional content or for our overall health), but there is a growing body of evidence that organics may offer a number of health benefits. Some of the issues that people are concerned about and researchers are looking into include:
• Potential link between pesticides and ADHD, obesity, diabetes, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, etc.
• Production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) is increased in dairy cattle given bovine hormones (rBGH and rBST), is absorbed by humans and seems to accumulate in breast cells and stimulate growth; high levels of IGF1 have been found in women with breast cancer
• Whether organics are nutritionally superior is debatable as a large number of variables to control makes researching this area difficult
• Whether or not organics taste better is debatable because taste is hard to quantify and is also affected by many variables
While we wait for more information on the potential benefits of organics, many people are choosing to buy organics now, in order to err on the side of caution. Some people buy organic because it is the only way to guarantee that there are no genetically modified ingredients in a food item. Many people start buying organic when they start having children; often for these people, milk is the first item that they switch to organic. Of course, organic foods are usually more expensive. Also, remember that some organics will still contain traces of agrichemicals, which have gotten into rain and runoff water.
So, whether or not you buy organic is your choice to make after factoring in the potential risks vs. benefits of conventional vs. organic; the cost of organics and your concerns, wants and needs. Two tips for how to choose which organic foods to spend your dollars on include:
• Choose organic for those foods you eat most often (for me, that’s milk)
• Choose organic when buying produce that falls within the
Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” (the 12 fruits & vegetables most contaminated with pesticide residue include celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale & collard greens, cherries, potatoes and imported grapes)
To read more:
Today's Dietitian - April 2008: Organics: Separating Science Fiction From Fact
Today's Dietitian - April 2008: Mission Organic 2010: Healthy People, Healthy Planet
Full list of 49 fruits & veggies from Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
There is a lot of confusion among consumers about organics. Everyone wants to know: Exactly what is organic? Are organic foods healthier for me? Should I be buying organic?
Organic crops are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers and without the use of sewage sludge, bioengineering, ionizing radiation or genetically modified ingredients. Animals raised organically are not given hormones or drugs to promote growth. On a food label, “100% organic” means that all ingredients are organic; “95% organic” means that at least 95% of the ingredients in the food are organic. Both of these claims are allowed to use the USDA Organic seal. “Made with organic ingredients” means that at least 70% of the ingredients are organic; this last claim cannot bear the USDA Organic seal. “Free-range,” “hormone-free” and “natural” are other valid claims but DO NOT, in and of themselves, mean that the food is organic. Look for the specific organic claim or the USDA organic seal.
There is still a lot of research that must be done regarding the risks and benefits of conventional foods vs. organic foods and no one can yet say for sure whether organics are better (either regarding nutritional content or for our overall health), but there is a growing body of evidence that organics may offer a number of health benefits. Some of the issues that people are concerned about and researchers are looking into include:
• Potential link between pesticides and ADHD, obesity, diabetes, learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, cancer, etc.
• Production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF1) is increased in dairy cattle given bovine hormones (rBGH and rBST), is absorbed by humans and seems to accumulate in breast cells and stimulate growth; high levels of IGF1 have been found in women with breast cancer
• Whether organics are nutritionally superior is debatable as a large number of variables to control makes researching this area difficult
• Whether or not organics taste better is debatable because taste is hard to quantify and is also affected by many variables
While we wait for more information on the potential benefits of organics, many people are choosing to buy organics now, in order to err on the side of caution. Some people buy organic because it is the only way to guarantee that there are no genetically modified ingredients in a food item. Many people start buying organic when they start having children; often for these people, milk is the first item that they switch to organic. Of course, organic foods are usually more expensive. Also, remember that some organics will still contain traces of agrichemicals, which have gotten into rain and runoff water.
So, whether or not you buy organic is your choice to make after factoring in the potential risks vs. benefits of conventional vs. organic; the cost of organics and your concerns, wants and needs. Two tips for how to choose which organic foods to spend your dollars on include:
• Choose organic for those foods you eat most often (for me, that’s milk)
• Choose organic when buying produce that falls within the
Environmental Working Group’s “Dirty Dozen” (the 12 fruits & vegetables most contaminated with pesticide residue include celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale & collard greens, cherries, potatoes and imported grapes)
To read more:
Today's Dietitian - April 2008: Organics: Separating Science Fiction From Fact
Today's Dietitian - April 2008: Mission Organic 2010: Healthy People, Healthy Planet
Full list of 49 fruits & veggies from Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides
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