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Want to Get Healthy? Don't Eat Organic Food!

By Doug Bandow on 7.30.09 @ 10:36AM

Okay, to be fair, organic food isn't likely to make you less healthy. But it isn't likely to make you more healthy, either. Reports Reuters:

Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007.

A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years, however, found there was no significant difference.

"A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance," said Alan Dangour, one of the report's authors.

"Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority."

Want to "go green"? Sure, if that's what you are into. But please stop lecturing the rest of us about the alleged benefits of doing so.

View all comments (4) | Leave a comment

Stroctor| 7.30.09 @ 12:11PM

What a silly study, of course the nutritoonal content is going to be roughly the same. Both carrots, organic or non would have the same vitamins, but the non organic will have pesticides. Thats why people buy organic. Dumba-sses....

William R| 7.30.09 @ 1:08PM

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10587758

The study Bandow is quoting is very one sided and downplays the results that counter their findings.

There is a huge push to squash organic farming, family farming and buying local by big agribusiness.

Google "Monsanto and Organic farming"

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto_and_the_Campaign_to_Undermine_Organics

Nobama| 7.30.09 @ 1:17PM

If you want to eat food that is saturated with pesticides--go for it! I don't lecture anybody who doesn't have the sense to know that pesticides are bad for them. I don't waste my time. Sometimes common sense ain't so common!

Besides, organic food tastes much better.

Stroctor| 7.30.09 @ 1:36PM

My son was recently diagnosed with Celiac, an allergy to gluten. This is becoming more common place. Is it due to all the preservatives in food, or due to all the food that comes in a box now? Hard to say. I told him to look at the bright side, we as a family all get to eat healthier now, ie no fast food etc...