Organic Food Is Better Than Conventionally Grown Food

Is organic food really better than conventionally grown food? Of course it is! Studies prove it.

Run by the USDA, organic certification audits the process of food production, handling and packaging. A farmer who obtains this strictly controlled USDA certification must be able to prove that no synthetic chemicals were on their farm. Everything that goes onto the plants — fertilizer, insecticides, etc. — must be from a stringent list of acceptable items. This is all audited for compliance, both at the paperwork level (showing purchase receipts, for example) and physically at the farm.

Organic Certification

At the food formulator and packing level, organic certification means a very stringent process for tracking raw materials is followed.

Both farmers and food packers are audited once a year by a USDA-approved organic certifier. This includes an on-site inspection which covers detailed requirements including cleaning solutions for machinery and even rodent control. Toxic rat poisons, for example, are not allowed to be used in a certified organic facility.

In contrast to organic food production, other operations can spray potentially harmful chemicals on crops in the field, including chemicals with heavy metals. Food packing and handling can take place in a warehouse that is fumigated with toxic chemicals. There are no requirements that food batches be tracked or tested for possible contamination.

Because of the requirements of organic certification, organic foods consistently test far lower in synthetic chemicals, and of course genetically modified foods are not allowed to be labeled “organic” at all.

Organic Food Is More Nutritious

Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain

Organic foods are higher in nutrients. One very large study to examine the nutrient content of organic food has found that organic is generally more nutritious than conventionally grown produce. The four-year study led by Professor Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University is known as the Quality Low Input Food Project, and it found that organic fruits and vegetables contained as much as 40 percent higher levels of antioxidants, which are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease and many cancers. Organics also had higher levels of beneficial minerals such as zinc. And milk from organically-fed herds had antioxidant levels up to 90 percent higher than milk from conventional herds.

The study looked at fruit, vegetables and animals raised and grown on adjacent organic and conventional sites on a 725-acre farm attached to Newcastle University, and at other European sites as well.

Plenty of Skeptics Remain (updated 6/2/2016)

There are recent studies that indicate there is no difference in the nutritional value between organic and conventionally grown food.

In other studies, although organic crops had higher levels of antioxidants, they did not consistently contain higher levels of vitamins.

The differences are minimal. “Such small changes are unlikely to represent any nutritional or health benefit,” they say.

Given the big picture, lots of experts say that, from a health perspective, what you eat matters more than whether you choose organic or conventional. – The Salt:NPR

The bottom line: We still need to eat more fruits and vegetables! Juicing is a great way to do just that.”There’s No-Thing Better For You Body Than FRESH Fruit and Vegetable Juice!

References

Dr. Weil: Organic Foods Have More Antioxidants, Minerals

Organic Farming and Growing Impacts On Food Quality – The Newcastle Study

Is Organic More Nutritious? New Study Adds To The Evidence: The Salt: NPR