Should I Eat Organic?
Organic foods have shown lesser interest but still have outpaced conventional foods while still racking up more than 50 billion dollars in annual revenues, according to the Organic Trade Association. Almost 1/2 of U.S. adults believe that organic produce is healthier than non organic. But is it?
In a French study in 2018 published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a survey of 70,000 adults, organic consumers presented 25% fewer cancers than those who never ate organic. And a meta-analysis in the British Journal of Nutrition found that organic meat and milk provide 50% more omega 3 fatty acids than non-organic products. In addition, more organic farming is better for the environment, generating fewer chemicals that leach into soil and water. Organic foods generally cost more than conventional ones and still can carry traces of pesticides.
One way to compare which organics are worth the added costs is to consult the Environmental Working Group’s annual lists of the “Dirty Dozen List “- conventional produce that have shown higher rates of pesticide residue (strawberries, spinach, e.g. There is also a “Clean Fifteen List”- that typically includes thicker skinned fruits such as avocados that are first on the list and have cleaner pulp.”to be part of a plant-based diet. The vitamins and phytochemicals in the Dirty Fifteen can still provide the needed nutrients necessary for a healthy diet. All produce should be washed thoroughly. The differences between organic and non-organic are negligible.
FOOD, FACTS and FADS 