Recently, a study conducted by Stanford University analyzed over 230 field studies and 17 human studies that had previously been conducted in the United States and Europe. The purpose of the project was to “compare pesticide residues, antibiotic resistance and vitamin and nutrient levels in organic and conventionally produced foods” to determine if eating organic foods was healthier than consuming conventionally grown ones.
The study determined that “consumers can markedly reduce their intake of pesticide residues and their exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria by choosing organic produce and meat.”
On the other hand, the researchers of the study did not find a significant difference in nutritional makeup between organic and conventional foods. The study lacked “strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods.”
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) noted that the Stanford study “did not directly address the important environmental and public health benefits that result from reduced pesticide and antibiotic use. Synthetic pesticides can kill insect pollinators, harm wildlife and farmworkers and often end up in the air and water.”
In understanding the research compiled and analyzed by Stanford University, it seems that there is no nutritional difference between organic and conventionally grown foods. The study, however, does conclude that we, as consumers, can significantly reduce the amount of pesticide residue and antibiotic resident bacteria we consume by choosing organic produce and meat products over conventionally grown.
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The Organic Consumers Association argues that consumers should buy organic products for the following reasons:
- Organic foods are produced without the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).
- Organic foods are safe and pure because organic farming prohibits the use of toxic pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, nano-particles and climate-destabilizing chemical fertilizers.
- Organic food certification prohibits nuclear irradiation. Consumers are justifiably alarmed about irradiating food with nuclear waste or electron beams, which destroy vitamins and nutrients and produce cancer-causing chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde.
- Organic farming prohibits intensive confinement and mutilation (debeaking, cutting off tails, etc.) of farm animals.
- Very few cases of food poisoning have ever been linked to organic farms or food processors, while rampant e-coli, salmonella, campylobacter, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and fecal contamination in animal products coming out of the nation's inhumane and filthy slaughterhouses.
- Organic foods are nutritionally dense compared to foods produced with toxic chemicals, chemical fertilizers and GMO seeds. Studies show that organic foods contain more vitamins, cancer-fighting anti-oxidants and important trace minerals.
I know which foods I choose to feed my family. How about you?
