Organic or Conventional Food ??? Compare and Save ...

We'd like to think pesticide-free (organic ) food is better for us, but scientific proof remains elusive.

Is Organic Food better than Conventional ( Inorganic) Food ? Well... Lets find out. But before that, lets get to know some basic information.

What's the meaning of Organic Food ?

"Organic" for the record, means food grown without most conventional pesticides or fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients. To carry the "organic" seal, a product must be certified by a federally accredited agent as having been produced according to the federal regulations.

Is Organic Food better than Conventional Food ?

It does make sense, intuitively, crops grown without pesticides should be better for us. It's appealing, politically, to think that food grown the old-fashioned way, by rotating crops and nurturing the soil naturally, would be superior to food that is mass-produced and chemically-saturated.Many people feel that way.

Sales of organic food and beverages have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to well over $20 billion this year, according to recent studies.

But the unfortunate truth is that, from a hard-nosed science point of view, it's still unclear how much better, if at all, organic food is for human health!!!

The researchers found organically and conventionally produced foods to be comparable in their nutrient content. For 10 out of the 13 nutrient categories analysed, there were no significant differences between production methods in nutrient content. Differences that were detected were most likely to be due to differences in fertilizer use (nitrogen, phosphorus), and ripeness at harvest (acidity), and it is unlikely that consuming these nutrients at the levels reported in organic foods would provide any health benefit.

All of which raises the question: How much harm do the pesticides cause?

"We don't have any good proof that there is any harm from fruits and vegetables grown with the pesticides currently used," said Dr. George Blackburn, a nutritionist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate director of the Division of Nutrition at Harvard Medical School. "The real issue is to get people to eat more fruits and vegetables, whether they're grown conventionally or organically", he added.
"Keeping herbicide and pesticide levels as low as possible does make sense, although there is no clear evidence that these increase health risks at the levels consumed currently in the US, " said Dr. Walter Willett, chairman of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.

Then what is of growing concern ?

The meat industry's increasing use of growth hormones in animals. Those hormones may be linked to breast cancer in women, he said. The "organic" label on chicken means, among other things, that it was raised without antibiotics and hormones. Some non-organic chicken is also raised without hormones or antibiotics, as noted on its label.

Even if we don't yet have all the evidence that organic veggies and fruit might be desirable, the Organic Center said it's time to change the old notion that "there's nothing wrong with a little pesticide for breakfast." Over the last two years, he said, "nearly every issue of Environmental Health Perspectives has had at least one new research report" on how pesticides can harm a child's neurological growth, particularly on "brain architecture, learning ability and markers for ADHD, [attention deficit hyperactivity disorder].

" While this falls short of incontrovertible "proof" that properly washed conventional produce can harm us, it does raise red flags ", environmentalists say.

Other studies have also shown nutritional advantages for organic food, according to the Organic Center, which reviewed 97 studies on comparative nutrition. Benbrook, the center's chief scientist, says that although conventionally grown food tends to have more protein, organic food is about 25 percent higher in vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Yet a recent Danish study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture showed no vitamins and minerals advantage to organic food.

So, what to eat?

I side with the nutritionists who urge us to eat more fruits and veggies, regardless of how they're grown. If you can afford it, common sense, though not necessarily science, would seem to favor the organics. But if you want, split the difference - buy organic for fruits and veggies that are thin-skinned or hard to wash or peel, and go conventional for those, like bananas, that you can peel easily.

Conclusion : Organic Food - Effective but not Effecient when compared to Conventional Food !!! In a way, nothing is worst and harmful.