Another report says organic food no more nutritious
Consumers might think organic food is healthier for them (and their children), but studies have shown it's comparable to conventionally grown produce.
PHOTO BY KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Why do people buy organic food? If they think it's more nutritious than conventionally grown produce, dairy and meat, they're mistaken, as many studies have shown by now.
If the motivation is keeping pesticides out of your body, that choice is backed up by the evidence. But even then, the extent of the health benefit is unclear, according to a new report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics at its national conference in New Orleans this week.
The report, which analyzed 55 other studies, agreed with previous research, concluding that organic fruits and vegetables don't contain any more nutrients than those grown using synthetic pesticides. "Consumers believe that organic produce is more nutritious than conventionally grown produce, but the research to support that belief is not definitive," the report says.
And what about those pesticides? We know that farm workers exposed to high concentrations have endured health problems, and some children of pregnant workers have suffered diminished mental development and learning disorders. In children of non-agricultural workers who consumed conventionally grown produce, levels of urinary pesticide residue dropped to almost nothing after they switched to organic, studies have shown. But it's not clear whether that reduction has any significance for health, the AAP report says.
Dr. Joel Forman, a pediatrician and associate professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, co-wrote the report. He was asked during a conference call what a "safe" benchmark for pesticide toxicity in children would be.
"The short answer is, there is no benchmark," Forman said. "We can measure differences in exposure from organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. But the question then is, are these differences meaningful in terms of children's health and brain function? That's harder to answer." More definitive research is needed, he said.
For families, cost is another big issue. Prices for organic food run about 40 percent higher than conventionally grown, the report says. At an Orange County grocery store this week, a gallon of Grade A milk cost $3.79, with a gallon of Stremick's Heritage Foods Organic milk going for $6.19.
With some foods, buying organic isn't as important, doctors on the conference call said. With corn and onions, for example, pesticides aren't used heavily anyway. Milk made with bovine growth hormone (to increase yields) shouldn't be excluded, the report says, because it doesn't affect humans, and 90 percent of it is destroyed during the pasteurization process.
Meat with hormones added has been previously judged safe to eat, the report added.
The report directs parents to two reliable sources for further information: Consumer Reports magazine's "Fruits and Vegetables: When to Buy Organic" article, and the Environmental Working Group's "Shopper's Guide to Pesticides."
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