[IMG]http://www.aboutorganicfood.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Advantages-of-Organic-Food.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE=USA Today]Organic products have no significant nutritional advantage over conventional foods, even though consumers can pay more for them, a new study finds.
The findings suggest that a key reason behind why many people buy organic products — a $28.6 billion market last year — may not be borne out by the science.
The four-year project began when two doctors wondered what advice they should give their families and patients about whether to buy organic or conventional foods.
"It became much larger than we expected," says Crystal Smith-Spangler, a primary care doctor at Stanford University and lead author on the study appearing Tuesday in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
Eventually, 12 researchers looked at 240 studies conducted from 1966 to 2011 covering nutrient and contaminant levels in foods. The findings:
•There were no significant differences in the vitamin content of organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. The studies looked specifically at vitamins A, C and E.
•Detectable pesticide residue was found in 7% of organic produce and 38% of conventional produce. However, only three studies found pesticide residue that exceeded maximum allowed limits in the European Union on organic or conventional produce.
As to how pesticides could be in organic product that must be grown without them by law, Smith-Spangler said it could either be long-lasting, now-banned pesticides in the soil or drift from nearby fields.
•Both organic and conventional foods were at similar risk for bacterial contamination.
A smaller study done in 2009 by Alan Dangour at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine with a European emphasis reached similar conclusions.
Organic produce often costs more than conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, but the differential varies widely. In 2009, it generally cost at least 25% more in Boston and San Francisco wholesale markets and sometimes was double the price, according to the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In rare cases, the organic food was equal or even a smidge lower in price.
Yet "there isn't much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you're an adult and making a decision based solely on your health," said Dena Bravata, senior author of the paper and a physician at Stanford's Center for Health Policy.
The data don't fit well with consumers' stated motivations for buying organic foods. A 2010 Nielsen study found that 76% bought them believing they are healthier, 53% because they allowed them to avoid pesticides and other toxins, 51% because they are more nutritious and 49% because organic farming is better for the environment.
Urvashi Rangan, a scientist at Consumer's Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, points out that organic farming originally started out as something designed to be better for the environment and for farmers.
"The health benefits really ended up being almost inadvertent, a nice fringe benefit" of farming in a sustainable way that benefits the planet, she says.
That once counter-culture trend is now mainstream. Organic foods make up 12% of all U.S. fruit and vegetable sales, according to Christine Bushway, CEO of the Organic Trade Association in Brattleboro, Vt. Organic products account for nearly 6% of the total U.S. market for dairy products, she says.
A statement from the association said the new findings confirm that organics reduce consumers' exposure to pesticides and overuse of antibiotics can lead to higher levels of bacteria resistant to antibiotics in meat.
Different people will make different choices, Smith-Spangler says. "There may be some consumers who feel that any pesticide residue that's detectable is unacceptable to them." Others may trust government standards for allowable limits and be less concerned.
Pregnant women and families with small children are most likely to err on the side of caution, Rangan says. "Is it in some ways healthier to have less pesticides in your body, especially if you're a kid? Absolutely," she says. That fits with findings by the Organic Trade Association that 48% of parents say they believe organic foods "are healthier for me and my children." Those surveys showed that 78% of U.S. families bought at least some organic foods in 2011.
Smith-Spangler says consumers should know there is overwhelming evidence that eating produce improves health — so whatever you choose to buy, load up on fruits and veggies.[/QUOTE]
Source: [url]http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/story/2012-09-03/organic-food-health/57557912/1[/url]
I thought this was obvious
No shit. The difference between organic and non-organic food is a label and the price tag. Unless you're buying a Big Mac, all of your food is organic. All of it. It all comes from a plant or animal.
I bloody knew it.
I think the point of organic was to buy non-GMO non-pesticide food. As far as I know, people don't buy it because it has a nutritional edge.
[QUOTE=The golden;37531662]I thought the point of organic was to buy something that wasn't heavily processed or came into contact with chemicals and/or pesticides?[/QUOTE]
I would buy organic and free range if I could afford it
but prices are too extreme for me
[editline]4th September 2012[/editline]
xxx extreme xxx produce xxx
[QUOTE=zatox9632;37531709]I think the point of organic was to buy non-GMO non-pesticide food. As far as I know, people don't buy it because it has a nutritional edge.[/QUOTE]
There still are people using it as an argument for buying it, though.
[QUOTE=The golden;37531662]I thought the point of organic was to buy something that wasn't heavily processed or came into contact with chemicals and/or pesticides?[/QUOTE]
Organic foods are also typically farmed in a way that is better for the planet, and beef and poultry are raised 'free-range' living supposedly better lives before they're slaughtered.
I don't buy Organic products for their "nutritional edge" (because, I mean, Organic foods have the exact same nutritional value as the Non-Organic produce). I buy Organic products because they haven't been treated with pesticides and all that other crap, so I know what I'm eating won't be putting shit chemicals into my body.
Free-Range products, on the other hand, do have a nutritional edge over non-free range products. Free-range chickens are tastier, due to a healthier lifestyle. Free-range Apples are juicier, because they get to walk about.
[QUOTE=Freakie;37531721]There still are people using it as an argument for buying it, though.[/QUOTE]
Well there may not be MORE nutrients but there could certainly be less harmful stuff (pesticides, preservatives, etc) and more accessible nutrients (less processed, more naturally occurring stuffs) in organic products. I'd still consider it to be healthier.
[QUOTE=zatox9632;37531709]As far as I know, people don't buy it because it has a nutritional edge.[/QUOTE]
51% of people that buy it do. Maybe not just for that reason, but it's one of the ways they justify paying twice as much for produce.
Not that they're anything wrong with buying organic produce for the environmental and societal benefits, but it's foolish to buy it just for the non-existent nutritional benefits.
[QUOTE=loopoo;37531762]I don't buy Organic products for their "nutritional edge" (because, I mean, Organic foods have the exact same nutritional value as the Non-Organic produce). I buy Organic products because they haven't been treated with pesticides and all that other crap, so I know what I'm eating won't be putting shit chemicals into my body.
Free-Range products, on the other hand, do have a nutritional edge over non-free range products. Free-range chickens are tastier, due to a healthier lifestyle. Free-range Apples are juicier, because they get to walk about.[/QUOTE]
I hate catching apples though man
these days I just tranq em
Eggs from free-range chickens also taste 100x better and don't look like shit. Honestly, battery hens lay the worst eggs that have practically no taste and look disgusting. Just watery, runny terribleness.
[QUOTE=loopoo;37531762]Free-range Apples are juicier, because they get to walk about.[/QUOTE]
I
what
[QUOTE=loopoo;37531779]Eggs from free-range chickens also taste 100x better and don't look like shit. Honestly, battery hens lay the worst eggs that have practically no taste and look disgusting. Just watery, runny terribleness.[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure free range chickens don't get hit with all the growth hormones that the concentration-camped ones so often get, which is a bonus I think, especially when you have people who are sensitive to foreign hormones.
When I think of organic foods I don't think more nutrients. I'm thinking "Oh, I wont have to worry about washing my fruits/veggies extra hard to get all the chemicals off them" or having to worry about what chemicals might have been used on them.
Same thing goes for free-range meats/eggs. I like to know that the eggs I eat in the morning came from a chicken that ran around in a field and not some poor chicken that is locked up in a cage with 100 others with no natural light. Or that the chicken meat isn't from a chicken that was pumped with steroids and antibiotics (to keep it from dying of steroids).
Plus end of summer beginning of fall best times to buy local fruits/veggies!
[QUOTE=Maloof?;37531831]I'm pretty sure free range chickens don't get hit with all the growth hormones that the concentration-camped ones so often get, which is a bonus I think, especially when you have people who are sensitive to foreign hormones.[/QUOTE] Well, it all depends. Non-organic free range chickens can be subject to the same treatment as battery hens. The only difference with the free-range chickens is they're able to walk about and lead a somewhat healthier lifestyle. Free range doesn't automatically mean the animal isn't being fed crap food or being injected with hormones. But honestly, eating battery farmed chickens, the meat is so watery and disgusting, has no taste or texture and just makes me feel ill (the smell of it is horrible). Organic, free range hens are absolutely fucking delicious. The meat is tasty, has a great texture, doesn't look like it went through chemotherapy and doesn't have a horrible smell to it.I've noticed that with apples that aren't organic, whenever I eat them, my mouth gets these horrible tingles that really hurt for a good few hours. Even if I wash the apples really well, I still get that horrible mouth-tingling sensation, like a mild allergic reaction. Pesticides suck.
[QUOTE=loopoo;37531762]Free-range Apples are juicier, because they get to walk about.[/QUOTE]
dude what
[QUOTE=peepin;37531889]When I think of organic foods I don't think more nutrients. I'm thinking "Oh, I wont have to worry about washing my fruits/veggies extra hard to get all the chemicals off them" or having to worry about what chemicals might have been used on them.
Same thing goes for free-range meats/eggs. I like to know that the eggs I eat in the morning came from a chicken that ran around in a field and not some poor chicken that is locked up in a cage with 100 others with no natural light. Or that the chicken meat isn't from a chicken that was pumped with steroids and antibiotics (to keep it from dying of steroids).
Plus end of summer beginning of fall best times to buy local fruits/veggies![/QUOTE]
This. Exactly this. I have no problems eating an animal that has led a happy, healthy life. I enjoy my food a lot more knowing the animal didn't live a shitty life full of suffering. But if I'm eating a battery hen, I just feel terrible, knowing it led such a poor life. It puts me off my food.
If I had the equipment/knowledge/location, I'd hunt my meat instead of buying it. At least then I know it's had a decent life running around in the bush where it should be, rather than sitting in a field going nowhere for years and years
i can only eat organic because of fucking pesticides
I see a lot of misconceptions in this thread... A lot of people think that organic food means no chemicals or no pesticides...
They just aren't allowed to use SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES... You know, the ones DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO BE AS HARMLESS AS POSSIBLE.
Instead they use "natural" pesticides that we know are harmful to living things...
So the next time you buy organic, remember, science isn't backing you... Nut jobs who think that since something is "natural" it can't be bad for you are.
[QUOTE=Maloof?;37531942]If I had the equipment/knowledge/location, I'd hunt my meat instead of buying it. At least then I know it's had a decent life running around in the bush where it should be, rather than sitting in a field going nowhere for years and years[/QUOTE]
Even a small garden will suffice to grow a few hens of your own. It's not too difficult keeping chickens of your own. I do it, and that's why I'm so passionate about animals. People think chickens are stupid, but really, they aren't. You see them grow from chicks to adults and they each develop their own personality, every single one of them is unique.
Having a few hens in your back garden is great (if you don't mind the poop), as they're relatively cheap to feed, don't need much in the way of housing (just something they can sleep in at night that'll protect them from foxes) and they'll usually just look after themselves. My chickens taste fantastic, as I look after them really well.
Hunting is a great hobby to take up as well. You can rent out a big piece of land from a farmer for around £100 a year, give or take. Getting a shotgun permit isn't too tough. Any deer or animal that comes onto the land you're renting is fair game to shoot (but I think you need a permit to shoot any deer). Great camping trips as well, going out and hunting and cooking the meat you catch over a campfire.
[QUOTE=Squad;37531975]I see a lot of misconceptions in this thread... A lot of people think that organic food means no chemicals or no pesticides...
They just aren't allowed to use SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES... You know, the ones DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO BE AS HARMLESS AS POSSIBLE.
Instead they use "natural" pesticides that we know are harmful to living things...
So the next time you buy organic, remember, science isn't backing you... Nut jobs who think that since something is "natural" it can't be bad for you are.[/QUOTE]
citation(s) needed
[QUOTE=TestECull;37531687]No shit. The difference between organic and non-organic food is a label and the price tag. Unless you're buying a Big Mac, all of your food is organic. All of it. It all comes from a plant or animal.[/QUOTE]
literally everything you wear or eat is organic unless you have a jacket made out of rocks or some shit.
[QUOTE=Squad;37531975]I see a lot of misconceptions in this thread... A lot of people think that organic food means no chemicals or no pesticides...
They just aren't allowed to use SYNTHETIC PESTICIDES... You know, the ones DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO BE AS HARMLESS AS POSSIBLE.
Instead they use "natural" pesticides that we know are harmful to living things...
So the next time you buy organic, remember, science isn't backing you... Nut jobs who think that since something is "natural" it can't be bad for you are.[/QUOTE]
Natural pesticides like a farmer putting a bunch of ladybirds in his greenhouse or whatever to prevent aphids from fucking up his crop. Organic does mean no chemicals are used on the crop, it's just grown naturally. There are huge companies that sell certified seeds (seeds that ensure protection against disease, are more hardy, have higher yields and germination rates) to organic farmers, since growing organically is seriously tough. I don't know where you're getting the idea that chemicals are used on organic produce, because it isn't.
[QUOTE=Maloof?;37531989]citation(s) needed[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/food/organics.htm[/url]
[editline]4th September 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=loopoo;37532008]Natural pesticides like a farmer putting a bunch of ladybirds in his greenhouse or whatever to prevent aphids from fucking up his crop. Organic does mean no chemicals are used on the crop, it's just grown naturally. There are huge companies that sell certified seeds (seeds that ensure protection against disease, are more hardy, have higher yields and germination rates) to organic farmers, since growing organically is seriously tough. I don't know where you're getting the idea that chemicals are used on organic produce, because it isn't.[/QUOTE]
See source above.
Also, to clarify. I didn't mean to sound like I was saying every pesticide used on organic crops was harmful. Sorry if that was implied. Totally not what I was going for. But some organic pesticides that farmers are allowed to use are harmful.
Also, not ALL ORGANIC FARMERS CHOOSE TO USE PESTICIDES. There are a FEW that don't, but there are farmers that decide to use them because it is in their best interest to keep their crops alive.
[QUOTE=Squad;37532011][url]http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/food/organics.htm[/url]
[editline]4th September 2012[/editline]
See source above.
Also, to clarify. I didn't mean to sound like I was saying every pesticide used on organic crops was harmful. Sorry if that was implied. Totally not what I was going for. But some organic pesticides that farmers are allowed to use are harmful.
Also, not ALL ORGANIC FARMERS CHOOSE TO USE PESTICIDES. There are a FEW that don't, but there are farmers that decide to use them because it is in their best interest to keep their crops alive.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE][B] Pesticides derived from natural sources (e.g., biological pesticides) may also be used in producing organically grown food.[/B][/QUOTE]
Read your own source next time. Biological pesticides = the ladybird example I gave.
I think perhaps 'Organically grown' has different official meanings depending on location
[QUOTE=loopoo;37532038]Read your own source next time. Biological pesticides = the ladybird example I gave.[/QUOTE]
[url]http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/biopesticides/whatarebiopesticides.htm[/url]
Again, I don't mean to say that ALL biopesticides are bad, but there are a few that are.
The whole reason to moving to synthetic pesticides was to make a pesticide that we could control and limit its harmfulness to humans.
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