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Organic Food No Healthier? Where’s My Shovel?

Posted by The Greenster Team on Aug 1, 2009 in Health

If you follow green or organic news stories, you’ve probably heard the headlines released on Wednesday – Organic food is no healthier, study finds, Organic ‘has no health benefits’. I heard this news on Wednesday, but considered not commenting on it, because you all know my feelings on the subject, but what sort of eco site would we be here if we just let this study go without saying something?

“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.”

This, of course, is in direct opposition to another recent study, claiming organic foods can be and sometimes are more nutritious than their conventionally grown counterparts.

Now I can’t claim either – I’m not a scientist, and I didn’t perform any of these studies. In our Why Buy Organic? article that you see at the top of the content here, nutrition isn’t one of the reasons, yet the reasons are still compelling. Even if organic food isn’t more nutritious than conventionally grown food, it isn’t less nutritious, either, and the other benefits still make it worth it. No matter what the studies say, organic food is still grown without all those nasty chemicals, making it better for us and better for our environment.

No health benefits? Phooey.

Arran Stephens, Founder and CEO of Nature’s Path, released a video refuting this recent study, and I am posting because he shares the same feelings that I do.

Can’t see the video? View it directly

Written by The Greenster Team

Ben Jaffe says:

August 19, 2009 at 10:25 pm

Stephanie,

Thanks for the thank you. I’m glad I was able to contribute positively.

I’ll still be buying organic, but I won’t be flaunting ‘increased nutritional value’ as one of my justifications. I like my reasoning to be sound, not based on what I heard and believed first!

Happy August!
-Ben

Stefanie says:

August 19, 2009 at 9:39 pm

Ben, thank you for putting this into words better than I could have!

Christian, I think it’s a general consensus by readers of this site that organic is better in at least one way – no chemicals used to grow it.

Herbal says:

August 17, 2009 at 12:14 pm

Only the absence of chemical poison is a enough argument to choice organic food. The matter here is that the market in all countries is plenty of fake organic fruits, vegs etc. I was watching a movie about the glyphosate effects in humans and it is really scary.

Christian says:

August 11, 2009 at 8:45 pm

The facts are that “organic” food is not “safer” or “better” it’s just different. Let’s get the public the right info so you we can all be 100% correct and informed. To truly understand and try to compare “organic” vs “conventional” farming we must understand the good and bad of each method. Can someone start to talk about the good of “conventional” farming and the bad of “organic” farming. After all I would like to think that before we state our opinions we understand both sides. I have always felt that to truly support my ideals, beliefs, theories, and opinions I must understand the other side as well.

I am a 3rd Generation Farmer. My specialty is Agronomy (plant doctor). I work with conventional and organic farmers.

Ben Jaffe says:

August 11, 2009 at 6:10 pm

Commenters, please stop generalizing this study. The study ONLY discusses nutritional value, and does not address toxicity, sustainability, differences in farming methods, or any other positive or negative consequences of organic food. It is the most comprehensive study to date, and while we should support what we believe is right, it is imperative that we respect scientific rigor above our own emotional reactions.

I’m a proponent of organic food for many reasons, but when a comprehensive, rigorous scientific study finds no difference in the nutritional value of organic food, I will believe it. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t buy organic — it just means the data shows that nutrition is not a compelling reason.

Best Electronic Cigarette says:

August 4, 2009 at 8:12 pm

Phooey! Anyone that grows their own garden, whether just a tomato plant or a full plot, realizes the that growing your own produce and becoming more self-sustaining has many rewards.
I don’t believe that organic food has the same nutritional value as conventional food, but I do know that it tastes better. Try conventional strawberries vs organic. The conventional strawberries are huge…but lack the sweetness the small (more normal size, in my opinion) strawberries have.
How can anyone say that spraying a ton of pesticides on the food we are supposed to nourish our bodies with is good?
No way.
Do you wonder why our diseases and cancer rates have sky-rocketed?
I wish more people would take into consideration the quote at the bottom of your blog.
Thank you.

Stefanie says:

August 4, 2009 at 6:56 pm

Slee, Carla, yep, it’s all about making organic look bad! The point of organic is and was originally that it’s grown without chemicals. Whether or not it is more nutritious isn’t necessarily why people are interested in buying organic. It would be a nice bonus, but it’s not the real reason.

Barking Unicorn, there is more than one definition of “organic,” and I know that you know we are speaking of organic in the sense that it is grown without chemicals. I’m not relying on the study that organic is more nutritious, I was simply mentioning it. Like I said, the main reason for eating organic is because the food is grown without the use of chemicals. Isn’t that a reason in itself to eat organic? You can try to fool yourself all you want with this new study, but it doesn’t even take chemicals into consideration!

Ralph says:

August 3, 2009 at 5:24 am

I am with the author of this article. People are wasting the time thinking if is healthier or not. Is obviously that is healthy to the people that consume and to the earth. It grow very naturally and with the love and care of growing your own food.

Boracay says:

August 3, 2009 at 3:24 am

I don’t know what they are against of organic community. Because it is much less expensive and it can compete with high brands out of the market?

Just my 0.02 cents.

Barking Unicorn, Denver, CO says:

August 2, 2009 at 10:37 pm

Actually, nutrition IS the reason I buy and eat food. Its omission from your list of reasons to buy “organic” food is not “compelling” but astonishing.

There is no such thing as “non-organic” food, by the way. Try eating aluminum.

The “contradictory” study to which you link sets off two smoke alarms in my head:

1. It’s been flogged to the press but no peer-reviewed journal has seen fit to publish it.

2. It was conducted by an organization whose mission is to advance the organic food industry. Rather biased.

Even so, the best refutation that you have come up with reluctantly concludes that any nutritional disadvantage of “non-organic” food can be made up simply by eating one extra portion of fruits/vegetables. That’s much cheaper and easier than an all-organic diet.

Here in the States, at Whole Foods a dozen “organic” eggs cost $3.69. Eighteen “non-organic” eggs, $1.36.

Whole Foods *distilled water*, for Heaven’s sake: $2.69 per gallon. Gasoline is cheaper. Kroger distilled water: 2.5 gallons for $1.89. My homemade solar-distilled, effectively $0.

The “organic” food industry is barking mad.

Carla | Green and Chic says:

August 2, 2009 at 12:17 am

“They” will try to find every way possible to keep these industries (pesticides, phrama, etc) in business no matter what the human cost is.

moses says:

August 1, 2009 at 8:19 pm

I guess the twerp never read Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. There was also a rebuttal by the owner of Stoneridge youghurt in Huffington Post. I did retweet it and it should be there from yester day I believe. Keep it up the more the merrier!

Slee says:

August 1, 2009 at 6:11 pm

I don’t understand why this is even an issue. Isn’t the whole point the use or lack of use of harmful chemicals, not the nutritional value elsewise of any given piece of fruit or vegetable? The question is, can they prove that a pestiside sprayed strawberry is healthier than an organic strawberry unwashes, straight off the bush. I think not.