Study Shows No Evidence of Link Between Organic Foods and Health Benefits
I’ve never eaten any type of organic food, dish or meal. My mom never bought any organic food for the family when I was a kid, and it’s still too expensive for me to purchase now. I always thought that I was missing out on some nutrition-related health benefits. A new study concluded it might be OK that I’ve been on an organic-free diet my entire life.
According to an article on Reuters, there isn’t any evidence that organic foods benefit your health! That’s great news for me, and not so great news for individuals who have been breaking the bank by buying expensive organic foods believing that they’re in for some miracle health advantages.
The original study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
The article states:
“Moreover, they found, what studies have been done have largely focused on short-term effects of organic eating — mainly antioxidant activity in the body — rather than longer-term health outcomes. And most of the antioxidant studies failed to find differences between organic and conventional diets.”
One of the major problems that the study discovered was that there weren’t very many studies that covered the long-term nutritional value of eating organic foods. Even those studies that were conducted weren’t very high in quality. Basically, much more research still needs to be done before we jump to major conclusions that organic diets are way healthier than conventional ones.
Lucky for me, I’ve stuck to the more traditional healthy foods over the years. Spinach, bananas, avocados, barley, lima beans and shrimp are just a sample of my favorite healthy foods.
A sample menu would include:
Avocado & Orange Salad
Shrimp with Spinach Fettuccine, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Banana-Blueberry Smoothie
However, I don’t want to dog organic foods completely. As the article points out, there are a variety of other reasons why people choose to purchase organic foods.
According to the article:
“Organic foods are made without the use of conventional pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics or hormones — which could potentially reap benefits for people’s health and the environment.”
As much as I would love to help the environment by purchasing organic foods, sadly it’s still a little out my price range.
Want to know more about organic foods? Check this out.
Here are some simple healthy meal ideas!
Tags: antioxidants, avocado, bananas, barley, controversy, health benefits, healthy, healthy foods, lima beans, meal, meal planner, menu, nutrition, organic, organic food, organic fruits, organic vegetables, shrimp, spinach
Is that good or bad news? I don’t go all-organic due to the cost but I try to buy organic/free range eggs, organic milk, and fruits/vegetables that are in the “dirty dozen” list.
Posted by tigerfish at May 24th, 2010, 6:34 pmHi tigerfish! I guess it depends. For me, it’s neither because I don’t eat organic food. I guess for the people who buy organic foods because of the supposed nutritional value it is kind of bad news. But if they buy it for the environmental value than it shouldn’t really change their opinions on whether or not to buy the food. What do you think?
Posted by svenetos at May 24th, 2010, 7:47 pmPerhaps organic food has been marketed differently around the world, because I’ve never heard about the nutritional benefits of eating organic food. But being conscious about the environment in choosing organic has been the most important thing for me. I can’t afford to buy alot of it, but potatoes I’ll buy organic because I prefer to boil them with the skin on.
Posted by Mona at May 25th, 2010, 9:24 amHi Mona. For some reason, I’ve constantly been told than organic = healthier, so you’re probably right that it’s marketed differently around the world. I definitely agree though that choosing organic products is a fabulous way to help our environment. I wish I had a little more on my budget to purchase organic. Do you have any recipes with organic potatoes? I’d love to try it!
Posted by svenetos at May 25th, 2010, 9:27 amMounting evidence proves there are health benefits for consuming organic foods. In fact, studies linking non-organic practices to increased health risks are beginning to prove more conclusively the many benefits that organic agriculture has to offer farmers, the land, our water supplies, air, and ultimately, the health of the planet and those living on it. The U.S. President’s Cancer Panel report released in May exhorts consumers to choose food grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, and growth hormones to help decrease their exposure to environmental chemicals that can increase their risk of contracting cancer. Also, a study published May 17 in Pediatrics concluded that exposure to organophosphate pesticides—prohibited in organic production—at levels common among U.S. children may contribute to the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in these children. This latest study authored by London School of Hygiene and Tropical Health researchers looks at the paucity of data now available concerning the nutrition-related health effects of organic foods, and points out the need for better designed studies to answer this question in the future.
Posted by OrganicTrade (OTA) at May 26th, 2010, 12:29 pmThanks for the information!
Posted by svenetos at May 26th, 2010, 12:34 pm