Organic food is no healthier, 160 scientific papers over 50 years

[Princess L]

http://confitnews.blogspot.com/2009/07/organic-food-is-no-healthier-160.html

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.

[Necrosis]

never read the whole paper but its not whats in organic food that makes it better its whats not in the food. Small nutritional differences sure, pesticides etc... maybe, that is the real reason. If this was examined it would be nice.

[davinci]

its not b/c of the nutritional value that we buy organic, its cause none of the pesticides and hormones are used in it. I thought this was obvious, this study was prob paid for by farmers who use pesticides and hormones, just like those stupid high fructose corn syrup commercials they play here paid for by corn farmers.... ridiculous

[WOOO]

organic shmorganic...

[suckmymuscle]

http://confitnews.blogspot.com/2009/07/organic-food-is-no-healthier-160.html

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.

  Whether organic crops have more/less vitamins/minerals/beneficial phytochemicals is utterly irrelevant. What matters is that they don't have a thick layer of organophosphates on them. Want some parathion with that mass produced tomato? Even though this is just speculation on my part, I am convinced that the chronic ingestion of trace amounts of organophosphate insecticides is responsible in great part for premature senility in Western countries. Ingestion of as little as 7 miligrams of malathion, a relatively weak organophosphate, can decrease cholinesterase by 23%! Now take into consideration that the organophosphates they use in agriculture are much more potent than malathion. Considering that they are so toxic, do you really think washing the vegetables with water will remove all traces of them?

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[Necrosis]

  Whether organic crops have more/less vitamins/minerals/beneficial phytochemicals is utterly irrelevant. What matters is that they don't have a thick layer of organophosphates on them. Want some parathion with that mass produced tomato? Even though this is just speculation on my part, I am convinced that the chronic ingestion of trace amounts of organophosphate insecticides is responsible in great part for premature senility in Western countries. Ingestion of as little as 7 miligrams of malathion, a relatively weak organophosphate, can decrease cholinesterase by 23%! Now take into consideration that the organophosphates they use in agriculture are much more potent than malathion. Considering that they are so toxic, do you really think washing the vegetables with water will remove all traces of them?

SUCKMYMUSCLE

you have cites for that? pretty interesting!

[Team Diver]

When will some study finally prove that bacon, smoked pork, white bread, beet-sugar, Coke, hamburger, burnt cooking-oil etc. are actually the healthiest?!

[Rimbaud]

never read the whole paper but its not whats in organic food that makes it better its whats not in the food. Small nutritional differences sure, pesticides etc... maybe, that is the real reason. If this was examined it would be nice.

Exactly.

[suckmymuscle]

  "The BEAST" posting here is all that's left for this to become the first thread ever where all moderators posted in.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[Princess L]

It's too bad how mis-leading this is    The organic food market will probably take a big hit because of that article which seemed to be all over the news this week.  They've already been hit hard in this economy. 

[Montague]

Do you think it will drive their prices down some to generate higher volume sales?

[SuperMike3288]

There is a book by Joe Schwarcz called "An Apple a Day: The Myths, Misconceptions, and Truths about the foods we eat". In it there is a section on organic versus commercial foods. It was an interesting chapter and it compiled a lot of the science that has been out on the issue. To paraphrase, there will always be small nutritional differences between ALL fruits and vegetables because the nutrient content of the soil can always differ. Also, depending where you stand on the use of pesticides and other chemicals, organic foods have none - if only negligible amounts - of these. However, there is a large crowd that believes that these chemicals pose no threat to humans. Soooo, do some organic foods really warrant the almost double price tag in some cases? I guess the answer is if it helps you sleep better at the end of the day.

[suckmymuscle]

- if only negligible amounts - of these. However, there is a large crowd that believes that these chemicals pose no threat to humans.

        The amount of organophosphates present in non-organic crops is very, very small. You won't die or even become poisoned from eating them. The problem, however, is the chronic consumption of these trace amounts of insecticides. One microgram of parathion won't kill you or give you brain damage, but no one knows what eating one microgram of parathion every day, for fifty years, will do. This is the issue.

SUCKMYMUSCLE

[Princess L]

How do you wash your fruits and vegetables?  The "experts" say just running them under the faucet is enough.  I doubt it    Not even thinking about all the pesticides, the whole idea of how many hands have touched them before you get them home is disturbing.  I keep a small spray bottle of vinegar/water by the sink and wash with that.  Not sure if it does any good, but vinegar is supposed to be a good "cleaner"/disinfectant 

[Montague]

My Dad used to buy a special solution that came in a spray pump bottle. It was supposed to be for removing all that stuff from fruits and veggies.

The name escapes me, but I believe it was something he bought in the regular grocery store.
I don’t know if he still uses it, but I’ll ask about it next time I see him.

[Tapeworm]

a special solution that came in a spray pump bottle

Exactly.  All we need are the right chemicals to get rid of the bad chemicals.  When will these tree humpers learn? 

[Montague]

The spray removes traces of insecticide deposits from foods, but the plastic bottle it comes in contains the carcinogens diethylhydroxylamine and dioxin.
 

[Montague]

FYI -

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/plasticbottles.asp

[Swedish Viking]

It's cool to see so many organic friendly people in here.  Didn't know that many getbiggers were into it.