Organic food is no healthier, study finds

[steven johnson]

What a disappointment -- organic foods not living up to their advertised benefits.



Wed Jul 29, 2009 12:29pm EDT
LONDON (Reuters) - Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007.
A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years, however, found there was no significant difference.
"A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance," said Alan Dangour, one of the report's authors.
"Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority."
The results of research, which was commissioned by the British government's Food Standards Agency, were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Sales of organic food have fallen in some markets, including Britain, as recession has led consumers to cut back on purchases.
The Soil Association said in April that growth in sales of organic products in Britain slowed to just 1.7 percent in 2008, well below the average annual growth rate of 26 percent over the last decade, following a plunge in demand at the end of the year.



Organic food is no healthier, study finds

[virgogal]

1. Ignore all studies and use your good common sense.

[Carl Skan]

2. ?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x66117

[sandnsea]

3. The benefit is chemical free food

which can't be measured in the short term. It is also in the taste and ripeness of the produce, causing more people to want to eat it, making those people healthier. And I suspect they'll find those "small number of difference" to be a whole lot more important in the future than they're getting credit for today.

[Historic NY]

4. What did you expect less calories or fat?

Its a scam if you look in the way its presented in the supermarket. Believe me I use both options in my garden an it doesn't seem to make a fraction of a difference. Ask yourself what is organic? If its pesticide,insecticide and herbicide free well that doesn't change the final makeup of the produce.

[RoccoR5955]

5. Who paid for the study, Monsanto?

Yeah, foods that are treated with pesticides are as healthy as organics that are not. Frankenfood is as good as organics, yeah right! Foods that have a lot of chemical fertilizer are as good as ones with organic fertilizer.
Nope, I don't buy one bit of it!

[Carl Skan]

8. "which was commissioned by the British government's Food Standards Agency"

If you aren't going to read the article, what makes you feel you are qualified to pass judgement on it?

[Recursion]

13. The study says there's no macronutritional difference

Fine; that's not what eating organic is about anyways. It's about:

1. Avoiding pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, *-cides
2. Avoiding petrochemical fertilizer
3. (Often) avoiding transporting foods halfway around the world
4. Supporting small farmers
5. Knowing what is and isn't in your food

[Carl Skan]

16. Were you trying to reply to somebody else?

Because I don't see anything in that post that's a reply to something I've said.

[RoccoR5955]

17. I know who commissioned it, but who PAID for it.

Just because the British government commissioned it, does not mean that they paid for it, nor does it mean that they conducted it. By commissioning it, they merely put out an order that it was to be done. It could have been conducted and paid for by anyone!

[texastoast]

6. Not eating pesticide residue is pretty healthy

I would say that not running a bunch of toxins through your liver is pretty nutritious.

[rwheeler31]

7. This study is poop.

[Aloha Spirit]

9. Haha +1. I did a study too. Food that I'm not allergic to is better for my health. nt

[lurky]

10. Talk about crap science!

Do they think people actually eat organic because they think their getting extra vitamins in their food?

People pay extra because they want food that hasn't been sprayed with endocrine disrupting poisons. Dummies.

[varelse]

11. What is their working definition of "healthy"?

Does it include a lower risk of Parkinson's and cancer?

[efhmc]

12. If you do not mind ingesting bug spray or giving it to your

children, then please eat nonorganic.

[kestrel91316]

14. I don't give a goddam rat's ass if it's healthier for me or not. What I DO

care about is that it is healthier for the environment and for the farm workers.

A belated welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay.

Your little friend was on here touting this same crap earlier today. Don't you have teabagging to do or something?

[no_hypocrisy]

15. Tell me if you think organic is safer and/or healthier b/c:

1. Meat, poultry, milk, dairy products, and eggs don't have growth hormones in them. That's estrogen your body doesn't need.

2. Your corn flakes aren't made from genetically modified corn.

3. Your tofu and soy milk aren't made with genetically modified soy beans.

[nj160]

18. it's time from farm to plate that matters most

I'll eat local conventional over Cal-Organic any day.

[texastoast]

19. Depends on if the local is organic

All those pesticides are not good. And the pesticides and fertilizers have to be trucked in, probably from Texas.