Are Organic Foods Really More Nutritious?
Saturday August 9, 2008
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Studies conducted by researchers from the Department of Human Nutrition, University of Copenhagen, suggest that organic foods are no more nutritious than foods grown with pesticides. Three different types of cultivation methods were used in the study. One method involved growing vegetables and fruits with low nutrient inputs and no pesticides. The second method involved treating the food with pesticides and adding low nutrient inputs in the soil. The third method involved using high nutrient inputs along with pesticides.
After harvesting and analyzing of the food, the researchers found no difference in nutritional content between the organically grown and traditionally grown foods. In fact, the only major difference between the crops was that the organically grown crops yielded much less produce.
Learn more about this study, see:
- Organic Food Has No More Nutritional Value Than Food Grown With Pesticides, Study Shows (Science Daily)
Comments
The problem is not so much the nutritional value of foods (with no difference between organic and foods treated with chemicals, which is normal).
The real problem is : what is the impact of the chemicals used in non-organic foods on our health…
I would like to second giorgio’s comment. Cancer-fighting agents like Resveratol are NOT produced in conventional produce; which is otherwise a naturally occurring anti-fungal enzyme produced by fruits (the case study I am referring to was done with grapes).
I don’t think anyone is arguing the nutritional content itself is better or different. And the reason why organic produce is more expensive is because it yields less because it’s not sprayed with preservatives and pesticides! As a vegan I value all life: including insects. So the loss of life due to pesticides is reason enough not to eat it if I can avoid it.
I worked for 2 US universities studying this matter. Nutritional value is not the point here– the overall impact of chemicals in regards to soil, bodies of water and life are what is at stake with pesticides. And often times a lower yield in a crop is better–lower quanity, higher quality, means higher economic gain. I really take offense to this article because it completely dismisses what organic agriculture is about. It is a balance in the ecosystem, it is long term goals, it is reducing cancer in children, it is saving species, it is supporting small farms, it is the next step we need to take for ourselves and society. Also, IPM (Integrated Pest Management) is a great alternative to the battle of organic vs. commercial. Please check out this link for more information: http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/ipm.htm
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