Is Organic Food Healthier: Organic Vs. Non-Organic Food
You’ve probably noticed organic produce occupying a bigger and bigger space on your grocery store shelves lately – and I’m sure you’ve also noticed the price tag.
Have you ever wondered why organic food costs so much more than its conventionally grown counterparts?
For someone who doesn’t usually eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, the difference might not seem like much, but it sure can add up when you’re on a whole food, plant-based diet.
If you’ve ever been tempted to stick with the conventional variety to save a few bucks – I know I sure have – you probably have a few questions.
Is organic food healthier?
Why does it command such a high price?
And which fruits and vegetables should you focus on if going fully organic isn’t in your budget?
Let’s take a look at the ins and outs of eating organic!
What is the meaning of organic?
First, it’s important to understand what, exactly, is organic food.
Quite simply, organic produce is grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, although natural fertilizers like compost are fair game. Weeds are controlled naturally with methods like crop rotation and hand weeding rather than the chemical herbicides used in conventional produce.
This is important because most herbicides are toxic. The World Health Organization has said that glyphosate, the world’s most popular herbicide, is “probably carcinogenic to humans”, and it has been linked to several types of cancer and reproductive harm. That’s definitely something I don’t want to put into my body!
Organic crops are also grown without the use of bioengineered genes, or GMOs, which we’ll discuss in greater depth below.
When you think about it, the fruits and vegetables people ate until just a few generations ago were all organic. These days, we have to go out of our way – and pay a premium – to eat our produce the way nature intended, but doing so can pay off quite nicely when it comes to your health and the environment.
Is organic food healthier?
There has to be a reason American consumers were willing to spend $39.1 billion on organic produce in 2014 when they could have saved money by sticking with the conventional varieties, right?
In fact, there’s not just one reason. The list of benefits of organic food is actually quite long, so I’ve narrowed it down to 5.
Organic produce doesn’t contain pesticides. This is the most obvious reason people turn to organic, so I’ve listed it first. Conventional produce contains chemicals like herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, and residues can remain on the fruit even after thorough cleaning.
Organic food is more nutritious. Studies have shown that organic vegetables and fruits tend to contain greater amounts of antioxidants – up to 69 percent greater, to be precise. That’s because organic plants don’t have the protection of pesticides and need to produce more antioxidants on their own to protect themselves. And when we eat them, they protect us, too.
Organic food also contains greater amounts of micronutrients like vitamin C, zinc and iron, with one study showing that organic berries and corn had 58 percent more antioxidants and 52 percent vitamin C. That’s a big difference!
Organic food is typically fresher and tastier. Whether it’s a banana or a bag of oats, organic food is often fresher because it doesn’t use preservatives to help it last longer. In many cases, it may have been sourced locally or produced on a small farm. The extra antioxidants in organic produce also enhance their flavor.
Organic farming is better for our planet. Pesticides make their way into the soil, water and air, compromising the health of wildlife in the area as well as people living near and working on farms.
Organic farming, in contrast, reduces pollution and soil erosion, uses less energy, and helps conserve water. Choosing organic is one simple way you can show your love for the planet.
Organic food is free from GMOs. GMOs, or Genetically Modified Organisms, are plants whose DNA has been changed in a lab to give it certain characteristics – typically to help it resist pesticides. These look like real plants, but their DNA doesn’t resemble anything found in nature, and their long-term effects on your health simply aren’t yet known.
Which foods should you buy organic?
If you’re wondering which foods to buy organic, I suggest buying as many as possible – but don’t panic if you can’t go 100%.
Whether it’s hard to find in your area or it’s just not in the budget, you might have to decide which foods to focus on.
I like to use the Environmental Working Group’s "Dirty Dozen” to guide my buying choices.
This useful list is released each year to identify the conventionally grown fruits and vegetables that have the highest amounts of pesticide residue.
The Dirty Dozen for 2020 includes:
1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Peaches
8. Cherries
9. Pears
10. Tomatoes
11. Celery
12. Potatoes
If you don’t have the list handy when you’re out and about, you can use the following rule of thumb: the thinner the skin, the more likely it is to have been contaminated – think leafy greens, strawberries, and grapes.
Food like avocados or cantaloupes, on the other hand, with their thick skin that you don’t consume, can be a safer bet when it comes to conventional produce. Just be sure to wash them well, as outlined in my article on Food Safety and Hygiene.
A word about labeling
How do you know the products you’re buying are truly organic?
It’s important to keep in mind that lots of companies play fast and loose with the terminology they use on food packaging labels in hopes of appealing to health-minded buyers when their foods are anything but natural.
If you’re in the U.S., you can look for the USDA organic seal, which means a food has been officially certified organic.
If you see terms like “made with organic ingredients”, keep in mind that up to 30 percent of the ingredients used may not be organic under the rules for this label.
The FDA does not regulate the use of terms like “all natural”, so buyer beware. A food made with “all natural” ingredients may still have GMOs or hormones, for example, and all-natural products don’t have to be produced organically.
And just because a food says it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Organic bananas? Absolutely. That box of organic Oreos? Not so much!
GMO food labeling
When it comes to GMO food labeling, it can be just as confusing. There’s no law stating that GMO foods must be labeled as such in the U.S. yet, and most companies don’t willingly disclose this.
There is, however, a voluntary label you can look out for that some non-GMO foods bear called the Non-GMO Project label.
Be especially careful with some of the foods that are most likely to be genetically engineered, such as soybeans and soy products, corn and corn-based products, canola oil, and dairy.
The bottom line
Organic food really is worth seeking whenever possible. It’s better for you, your family, and the environment – and it tastes better, too.
Buying less meat and dairy can free up some money in your grocery budget for organic food if you’re following a whole food plant-based diet, and you can use lists like the Dirty Dozen to make smarter shopping choices.