Organic Food - Nutritious Food?

I have found an interesting research paper which I would like to share.

The following is an abstract from the article titled "Organic food: nutritious food or food for thought? A review of the evidence" by Faidon Magkos, Fotini Arvaniti and Antonis Zampelas

Apparently, one of the primary reasons for purchasing organic food is the perception that it is more nutritious than conventional food. Given the increasing interest towards organic food products, it is imperative to review the existing literature concerning the nutritional value of the produce, and to determine to what extent are consumer expectations met.

There are only few well-controlled studies that are capable of making a valid comparison and, therefore, compilation of the results is difficult and generalisation of the conclusions should be made with caution.

In spite of these limitations, however, some differences can be identified. Although there is little evidence that organic and conventional foods differ in respect to the concentrations of the various micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and trace elements), there seems to be a slight trend towards higher ascorbic acid content in organically grown leafy vegetables and potatoes.

There is also a trend towards lower protein concentration but of higher quality in some organic vegetables and cereal crops.

With respect to the rest of the nutrients and the other food groups, existing evidence is inadequate to allow for valid conclusions.

Finally, animal feeding experiments indicate that animal health and reproductive performance are slightly improved when they are organically fed. A similar finding has not yet been identified in humans.

Several important directions can be highlighted for future research; it seems, however, that despite any differences, a well balanced diet can equally improve health regardless of its organic or conventional origin.


It should be noted that this review is coming from the nutritious value perspective.


Let's Learn & Experience Organics for Better Personal Health & Our Planet Wellness

Organic Food - List of Foods with Pesticide Residue Levels

Most often, some people choose organic foods because they want to lower their exposure to pesticides. For these people, it makes sense to know which conventionally grown foods are good enough because they are low in pesticide residue.

Not all fruits and vegetables grown with conventional farming methods contain high level of pesticides, some simply don't absorb pesticides. The Environment Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization in Washington, has conducted tests on foods to determine which fruits and vegetables contain the highest pesticide residue. The list is given below.

As you can see the Peaches and Apples have the highest level of pesticide residue, while Onion and Avocado absorb the least amount of pesticide. So if you are on a budget, you can focus on organic foods that absorbs in a lot of pesticides when grown using conventional farming methods.

According to the EWG, the toxic effect of pesticides are still largely unknown, and therefore, consumers are advised to minimise exposure to them.

Although rinsing fresh fruits and vegetables will likely to reduce levels of some pesticides, it does not eliminate them totally. While peeling also reduces exposures, substantial amount valuable nutrients may be lost, for example apples. Nevertheless, the best approach is to wash all fruits and vegetables, and choose organic where possible to reduce exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

RANK -- FRUIT OR VEGGIE -- SCORE

1 (worst) -- Peaches -- 100 (highest pesticide load)
2 -- Apples -- 96
3 -- Sweet Bell Peppers -- 86
4 -- Celery -- 85
5 -- Nectarines -- 84
6 -- Strawberries -- 83
7 -- Cherries -- 75
8 -- Lettuce -- 69
9 -- Grapes (Imported) -- 68
10 -- Pears -- 65
11 -- Spinach -- 60
12 -- Potatoes -- 58
13 -- Carrots -- 57
14 -- Green Beans -- 55
15 -- Hot Peppers -- 53
16 -- Cucumbers -- 52
17 -- Raspberries -- 47
18 -- Plums -- 46
19 -- Oranges -- 46
20 -- Grapes (Domestic) -- 46
21 -- Cauliflower -- 39
22 -- Tangerine -- 38
23 -- Mushrooms -- 37
24 -- Cantaloupe -- 34
25 -- Lemon -- 31
26 -- Honeydew Melon -- 31
27 -- Grapefruit -- 31
28 -- Winter Squash -- 31
29 -- Tomatoes -- 30
30 -- Sweet Potatoes -- 30
31 -- Watermelon -- 25
32 -- Blueberries -- 24
33 -- Papaya -- 21
34 -- Eggplant -- 19
35 -- Broccoli -- 18
36 -- Cabbage -- 17
37 -- Bananas -- 16
38 -- Kiwi -- 14
39 -- Asparagus -- 11
40 -- Sweet Peas-Frozen -- 11
41 -- Mango -- 9
42 -- Pineapples -- 7
43 -- Sweet Corn (Frozen) -- 2
44 -- Avocado -- 1
45 (best) -- Onions -- 1 (lowest pesticide load)


Let's Learn & Experience Organics for Better Personal Health & Our Planet Wellness