Science says organic food has no additional nutritive benefits.

I see that posted over and over again. And then links such as "http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685" are added to prove their point.

Let me clarify this for those of you who adhere to this logic and mind you I am not saying eat organic or you'll die, I'm simply stating this fact:

You don't eat organic for it's nutritional value. An apple is an apple and organic or not it contains the same number of calories, vitamins and minerals and so on and so on.
Eat organic to keep your body clean from the chemicals used on fruits and vegetables as well as added to the soil in an effort to grow "better looking and pest-free" produce. Our bodies are not made to breakdown these un-natural substances hence they get stored in our fat and can and notice I did not say will lead to health problems.

It's common sense. Do your best to eat healthy foods. If you can't afford organics by all means eat conventional but Eat your fruits and veggies.

And YES, I know that the air we breath is polluted just as is the water we drink, filled with the same chemicals we are trying to avoid. Notice again I said "trying" to avoid. We do not want to Intentionally put chemicals into our own bodies. There are some things in this life we have no control over but the things we can control, we should.

Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    It does crack me up when people assume that the nutrition value is different for organic foods.

    The only thing I'm skeptical about with organic foods is that they are grown with some 'chemicals' as well, just approved ones, but it doesn't mean they are necessarily healthier for you. So let's just say I won't spend a lot more for organic foods.
  • FredDoyle
    FredDoyle Posts: 2,272 Member
    edited October 2014
    Some organic farming methods can be better than conventional but organic uses just as much or more pesticide than conventional per acre.

    http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/science-sushi/2011/07/18/mythbusting-101-organic-farming-conventional-agriculture/

    Some of the pesticides used for organic farming are worse for the environment than conventional. Everything is "chemicals". That's a buzz word used by the uninformed.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/technology/science/organic-pesticides-can-be-worse-than-synthetic-study/article4322612/

    http://www.uoguelph.ca/news/2010/06/organic_pestici_1.html

  • I can happily say that I live on family owned property that I know has been chemical free (that is to say we have not used chemicals on our land) for well over 100 years. I grow all Organic fruits and vegetables (all the standard garden veggies and apples, apricots, plums, pears, mulberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries) without the use of chemicals. I use organic methods such as hand removing bugs from the veggie garden and incorporating natural methods such as lady bugs, toads, praying mantis and netting. It can be done and anyone saying they are growing organically and then using chemicals are not telling the truth (no matter what the government approves of). I'm not stupid, even crap (pardon the comparison) is organic and animal waste is used to fertilize the ground. I use it too, but the animal has to be vegetarian and as for mine, fed organically.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    PhoebeGrey wrote: »
    I see that posted over and over again. And then links such as "http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685" are added to prove their point.

    Let me clarify this for those of you who adhere to this logic and mind you I am not saying eat organic or you'll die, I'm simply stating this fact:

    You don't eat organic for it's nutritional value. An apple is an apple and organic or not it contains the same number of calories, vitamins and minerals and so on and so on.
    Eat organic to keep your body clean from the chemicals used on fruits and vegetables as well as added to the soil in an effort to grow "better looking and pest-free" produce. Our bodies are not made to breakdown these un-natural substances hence they get stored in our fat and can and notice I did not say will lead to health problems.

    It's common sense. Do your best to eat healthy foods. If you can't afford organics by all means eat conventional but Eat your fruits and veggies.

    And YES, I know that the air we breath is polluted just as is the water we drink, filled with the same chemicals we are trying to avoid. Notice again I said "trying" to avoid. We do not want to Intentionally put chemicals into our own bodies. There are some things in this life we have no control over but the things we can control, we should.

    I'm with you until the bolded. What chemicals are stored in my fat by not eating organic?

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    OdesAngel wrote: »
    PhoebeGrey wrote: »
    I see that posted over and over again. And then links such as "http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685" are added to prove their point.

    Let me clarify this for those of you who adhere to this logic and mind you I am not saying eat organic or you'll die, I'm simply stating this fact:

    You don't eat organic for it's nutritional value. An apple is an apple and organic or not it contains the same number of calories, vitamins and minerals and so on and so on.
    Eat organic to keep your body clean from the chemicals used on fruits and vegetables as well as added to the soil in an effort to grow "better looking and pest-free" produce. Our bodies are not made to breakdown these un-natural substances hence they get stored in our fat and can and notice I did not say will lead to health problems.

    It's common sense. Do your best to eat healthy foods. If you can't afford organics by all means eat conventional but Eat your fruits and veggies.

    And YES, I know that the air we breath is polluted just as is the water we drink, filled with the same chemicals we are trying to avoid. Notice again I said "trying" to avoid. We do not want to Intentionally put chemicals into our own bodies. There are some things in this life we have no control over but the things we can control, we should.

    I'm with you until the bolded. What chemicals are stored in my fat by not eating organic?

    Oh man I missed this, lol!
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
    edited October 2014
    Francl27 wrote: »
    OdesAngel wrote: »
    PhoebeGrey wrote: »
    I see that posted over and over again. And then links such as "http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685" are added to prove their point.

    Let me clarify this for those of you who adhere to this logic and mind you I am not saying eat organic or you'll die, I'm simply stating this fact:

    You don't eat organic for it's nutritional value. An apple is an apple and organic or not it contains the same number of calories, vitamins and minerals and so on and so on.
    Eat organic to keep your body clean from the chemicals used on fruits and vegetables as well as added to the soil in an effort to grow "better looking and pest-free" produce. Our bodies are not made to breakdown these un-natural substances hence they get stored in our fat and can and notice I did not say will lead to health problems.

    It's common sense. Do your best to eat healthy foods. If you can't afford organics by all means eat conventional but Eat your fruits and veggies.

    And YES, I know that the air we breath is polluted just as is the water we drink, filled with the same chemicals we are trying to avoid. Notice again I said "trying" to avoid. We do not want to Intentionally put chemicals into our own bodies. There are some things in this life we have no control over but the things we can control, we should.

    I'm with you until the bolded. What chemicals are stored in my fat by not eating organic?

    Oh man I missed this, lol!
    I almost did, too. It was slid in there quite craftily. Lol
  • Icandoityayme
    Icandoityayme Posts: 312 Member
    edited October 2014
    I would if it didn't cost 5 bucks for a loaf of bread, and 40-60 bucks for ham and so on. When somebody else is willing to pay for me to eat these things I will be on board full steam ahead. Until then, organic is out. Not everybody is made of money.
  • 50sFit
    50sFit Posts: 712 Member
    edited October 2014
    Francl27 wrote: »
    It does crack me up when people assume that the nutrition value is different for organic foods.

    The only thing I'm skeptical about with organic foods is that they are grown with some 'chemicals' as well, just approved ones, but it doesn't mean they are necessarily healthier for you. So let's just say I won't spend a lot more for organic foods.
    I went this way years back with the best of intentions. It's bogus.
    Organic produce is money needlessly spent on fruits and veggies that resemble the last rose of summer fallen off the bush and stepped on.
    That's my conclusion, but to some, this is like a religion. Be careful messing with a person's religion!
    f2zi4aelp5b4.jpg


  • FunkyTobias
    FunkyTobias Posts: 1,776 Member
    So you're saying that everyone should grow their own food. That's realistic.
  • loopingcaterpillar
    loopingcaterpillar Posts: 156 Member
    it's all about looking after the eco system. SAVE THE BEES!
  • There don't seem to be any added benefits to "organic"- at least as far as documented scientific research that I've read. It has a good placebo effect, sure, but that seems to be where it ends.

    Organic is another buzzword people like to throw around. Everything we eat is organic! It all contains carbon and that's all that the chemistry definition of organic means.

    That is why I hate the term organic farming. It's not scientifically accurate. For a product to be labeled organic in stores, it only has to to meet the definitions in the Organic Foods Production act of 1990 and regulations in title 7, part 205 of the Fed. code of regulations.

    Bah.
  • OdesAngel wrote: »
    PhoebeGrey wrote: »
    I see that posted over and over again. And then links such as "http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685" are added to prove their point.

    Let me clarify this for those of you who adhere to this logic and mind you I am not saying eat organic or you'll die, I'm simply stating this fact:

    You don't eat organic for it's nutritional value. An apple is an apple and organic or not it contains the same number of calories, vitamins and minerals and so on and so on.
    Eat organic to keep your body clean from the chemicals used on fruits and vegetables as well as added to the soil in an effort to grow "better looking and pest-free" produce. Our bodies are not made to breakdown these un-natural substances hence they get stored in our fat and can and notice I did not say will lead to health problems.

    It's common sense. Do your best to eat healthy foods. If you can't afford organics by all means eat conventional but Eat your fruits and veggies.

    And YES, I know that the air we breath is polluted just as is the water we drink, filled with the same chemicals we are trying to avoid. Notice again I said "trying" to avoid. We do not want to Intentionally put chemicals into our own bodies. There are some things in this life we have no control over but the things we can control, we should.

    I'm with you until the bolded. What chemicals are stored in my fat by not eating organic?
    Point taken, your full of um lol
  • Navtendon
    Navtendon Posts: 168
    PhoebeGrey wrote: »
    I see that posted over and over again. And then links such as "http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1355685" are added to prove their point.

    Let me clarify this for those of you who adhere to this logic and mind you I am not saying eat organic or you'll die, I'm simply stating this fact:

    You don't eat organic for it's nutritional value. An apple is an apple and organic or not it contains the same number of calories, vitamins and minerals and so on and so on.
    Eat organic to keep your body clean from the chemicals used on fruits and vegetables as well as added to the soil in an effort to grow "better looking and pest-free" produce. Our bodies are not made to breakdown these un-natural substances hence they get stored in our fat and can and notice I did not say will lead to health problems.

    It's common sense. Do your best to eat healthy foods. If you can't afford organics by all means eat conventional but Eat your fruits and veggies.

    And YES, I know that the air we breath is polluted just as is the water we drink, filled with the same chemicals we are trying to avoid. Notice again I said "trying" to avoid. We do not want to Intentionally put chemicals into our own bodies. There are some things in this life we have no control over but the things we can control, we should.

    Sounds reasonable.

    I'd say that's a good general line of thinking to follow if

    A) you can afford it

    B) you eat a lot of the "dirty dozen" plants or the ones with high surface area (eg berries, green leafy veggies)...Which... Is never a bad idea.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    I thought it was common knowledge - many pesticides ARE stored in the fat of fish and other animals, including humans. There are many, many references to this as far back as the 1960s and as late as this year.

    Check PubMed.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    there's no such thing as non-organic food

    well, I guess salt is a non-organic food.

    What makes me laugh is "organic salt"

    CVT-80066-2.jpg
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    I totally agree on the criticism of that study's conclusions, or rather, on the implication of that criticism. It was very strange. Studying organic vs. conventional produce and looking at nutrition rather than pesticide residue feels like doing a study organic milk vs. conventional milk and studying how white they are in comparison to each other.

    Kind of pointless and not really exploring what the differences are supposed to be between the two labels.


    Re: the pesticides stored in fat - that made me curious enough to see if there were any studies on that sort of thing.

    Turns out, yup, there are.
    Bizarrely, this one, from 1966, comes up before anything modern:
    http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=/PNS/PNS25_01/S0029665166000120a.pdf&code=ef4ad889512f8252d4063bbf512011e1

    Looks like numerous chemicals/residues are stored in fat.


    And to throw my own two cents in: I think eating organic food definitely saves us from having to deal with various toxins and chemicals that the body is required to break down and/or stores. Eating organic foods will net you less toxic chemicals, as I understand it, but they still have quite a few. Eating actually 'clean' food requires a heck of a lot more dedication.

    I say this from a rather unique perspective. I developed a disorder where my body reacts as though it is allergic to things that are not actually allergens (called a mast cell activation disorder, for anyone curious). My own body reacts this way to so many chemicals that in many ways, I nearly live in a bubble just to avoid them. So while I don't know WHAT is used on my produce, I can always tell in less than 60 seconds of eating whether or not there have been a lot of chemicals used on my food and/or absorbed by the flesh, skin, etc...

    It's like having my own little chemical lab that smacks me in the face when there's a positive test result. :-P

    Conventional produce? Huge reaction - no question. It's got the most, and the nastiest.
    Organic produce? Moderate reaction - Always. They absolutely have chemicals being used on them, and not just in tiny amounts, I'm sorry to say. It was very depressing to realize this, as someone who needed produce as chemical free as possible if I didn't want to eventually go into anaphylaxis.

    I started going to farmers markets looking for chemical free produce and even THEN, I almost always had a moderate reaction, until I found a farmer who, in his words, uses 'chickens and hope' to keep his produce pest free. Uses his own compost and manure from his chickens, the chickens which he feeds scraps and grains from his own farm. Uses water from his own well, and doesn't wash or wax or add anything to the veggies and fruits.

    The levels one has to go through to get truly clean food, that isn't treated with weed killer or pesticides or waxes or coatings or gases or sprays or soaps? It's seriously insane - I guess one has to decide whether they think it's worth it, really.
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    If the ground is polluted, ground water is polluted, air is polluted and the rain falls out of the sky on organic as well as on crops where farming methods that use pesticides and chemicals. Then, doesn't it make sense that organic is getting some of the chemicals and pesticides on them as well. It may or may not have less when organically grown, but how do they avoid the chemicals that are going into the ground water and air? They may not be using them, but how do they avoid a certain amount? JW
  • snowflake930
    snowflake930 Posts: 2,188 Member
    And they do charge quite a bit more for organically grown, at least here they do. I am willing to pay more for eggs, chicken, beef, and pork etc that are letting their livestock live lives walking around pastures etc, and foraging for food in pastures and outside stalls, cages, feedlots and barns, but when it comes to fruit and veggies, I will buy the produce at farmers markets and grocery stores, wash it as best I can before eating it or preparing it.
  • 1FearlessFighter
    1FearlessFighter Posts: 114 Member
    actually some studies have revealed that organic DOES in fact have more nutritional micronutrients than conventional produce due to the fertility of the soil,heres an article http://www.eatingwell.com/food_news_origins/green_sustainable/organic_or_not_is_organic_produce_healthier_than_conventional
    though, this is not main reason why i choose to buy organic,
  • Maryam4eva
    Maryam4eva Posts: 33 Member
    Interesting!!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,261 Member
    Organic doesn't mean it's void of bad stuff....just less of it and more of other things that are good for us. Personally I get a pretty high percentage of my produce from local growers, not all are organic but what they do have in common is they care about the land and animals that are in their care.....good enough for me.