by Contrary to popular belief, organic food does not contain more nutrients than conventionally grown foods, as confirmed by numerous studies. Photo / Getty Images
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As well as Jennifer Bowden’s columns in the NZ Listener and here at listener.co.nzsubscribers can access her bi-weekly “Myths After Death” column, in which she explores food and nutrition myths. this
week, she sees if organic food is worth the extra cost.
Organic foods have developed an almost mythical status in the supermarket aisles. They are often viewed as the holy grail of wellness, with promises of being safer, healthier, and better for the planet than their conventional counterparts, all of which marketers use to justify the price premium attached to an “organic” label.
But is it clever marketing or is there substance behind the hype? Let’s dig into the facts and find out if organic foods are living up to their healthy reputation – or if they’re just making money with a healthy facade.
Organic foods are grown without most human fertilizers, pesticides, certain medications (such as antibiotics), growth hormones, food additives and most synthetic chemicals. In other words, organic foods are produced through more traditional farming and food production practices than conventional non-organic foods.
Consumers choose organic foods for a variety of reasons, usually focused on the positive effects they can have on our environment, animal welfare, human health and safety. Consumers expect organic foods to contain fewer pesticide residues than conventional foods.
Although agricultural compounds, such as synthetic pesticides, are credited with improving crop yields, and thus the quantity and pricing of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, they also carry risks.
In high doses, some agricultural compounds can cause serious damage to the nervous system, lungs, reproductive, endocrine and immune systems and possibly cause cancer.
Long-term, low-level exposure may also be a concern. For example, French researchers found that greater exposure to pesticide residues was associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes over a four-year period. In addition, there are real concerns about the impact of agricultural residues on infants and children who are more susceptible to chemical toxicity; childhood exposure may have a significantly greater risk of cancer compared to equivalent exposure later in life.
Not surprisingly, studies regularly note that organic produce contains less pesticide residue. A 2012 systematic review of studies published between 1966 and 2011 found that organic produce had a 30% lower risk of pesticide contamination than conventionally grown produce.
Later reviews confirm this earlier one. At the same time, clinical trials in children and adults have confirmed that switching to an organic diet for one week significantly reduces the levels of pesticide residues excreted from the body.
Also, according to a 2022 clinical trial published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, change from a less nutritious Western-style diet to the highly recommended Mediterranean diet, rich in fruit and vegetables, increased intake of pesticide residues. However, switching to organic produce decreased levels of pesticide residues, regardless of dietary pattern.
Still, contrary to popular belief, organic food does not contain more nutrients than conventionally grown foods, as confirmed by numerous studies. However, a large observational study from Harvard University found that eating lots of fruits and vegetables with low levels of pesticides (like organic produce) was associated with greater longevity. It appeared that the higher pesticide residues in the produce could cancel out the health benefits of the fruit and vegetables.
Still, as an observational study, the Harvard study does not prove that pesticide levels caused a shorter life span, as a whole range of other lifestyle and dietary factors could contribute to these results.
Therefore, it is premature to lay the credit for increased longevity at the base of organic foods. Indeed, in 2020, an Australian review reiterated the conclusion of an earlier review, noting that “the current evidence base does not allow for a definitive statement of the health benefits of organic dietary intake”.
Ultimately, organic foods cost more, but it’s unclear how their lower levels of pesticide residues will affect long-term health. Additionally, organic foods do not have more nutrients or obvious health benefits compared to conventionally produced foods. Although we know that eating more whole foods is good for your health.
So, if you want a safer bet for your food budget, focus on eating a variety of whole foods, whether organic or not, rather than a few expensive organic items.
