Compared to products grown with common (conventional) methods, organically grown products have lower levels of pesticide residues. The safety regulations for the highest levels of waste allowed in conventional products have changed. In many cases, levels have been reduced. Organic foods are not healthier in and of themselves in terms of nutrients.
You're still getting the same benefits from conventionally grown foods as from organic foods. In essence, there isn't a big difference between the two. They look very similar and, in most cases, they also taste very similar. Organic foods usually contain the same amount of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals as non-organic foods.
For a food to be labeled as organic, the producer must have the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) verify their cultivation practices and approve all their production methods. Organic foods generally contain fewer pesticides, fewer multidrug-resistant bacteria, and no genetically modified organisms or foods. Organic products had a slight advantage in terms of food safety, with 30% less pesticide residues than conventional foods. Overall, the levels of pesticides in organic and non-organic foods were within the permitted safety limits.
However, it's not yet clear what that means for consumers' health. There haven't been enough studies evaluating exposure to pesticides to confirm health effects, especially in children and pregnant women, she adds. The team, led by Professor Carlo Leifert from the University of Newcastle, concludes that there are significant and statistically significant differences, since the range of antioxidants is substantially greater (between 19 and 69%) in organic foods. In the case of non-organic products, a positive aspect is that, in general, you can save more money than with organic foods.
Health experts and consumers have long debated whether organic foods are more nutritious and safer than conventional foods. A disadvantage of non-organic foods is that you may be consuming higher levels of pesticides, antibiotics or hormones, and that your food comes from growing conditions that are not as regulated as organic products. Agricultural products are one of the main foods affected by the seasons, but some organic meats and eggs may also be affected. If your family is on a tight budget, avoid eating organic products and instead try to meet the goal of five servings of fruits and vegetables with non-organic foods.
Check out the Environmental Working Group's Clean Fifteen list of foods you can buy normal and the Dirty Dozen list of foods you should spend more on to buy organic products. The Department of Agriculture defines organic crops as those produced on farms that haven't used most synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers for three years before the food is harvested. In addition, the “natural” label on foods means that they do not contain artificial flavoring ingredients or colors, but that doesn't mean that they are organic or pesticide-free. The international team responsible for the work suggests that switching to organic fruits and vegetables could offer the same benefits as adding one or two servings out of the five recommended per day.
Following their example with guilt, I can't help but wonder if organic food has as much of an impact on my family's health as it does on my wallet. If you want to choose a few things to buy organic products, the Environmental Working Group publishes a list every year of 12 foods that contain the highest level of pesticides and 15 foods with the lowest pesticide content. And when it comes to livestock, animals must be fed with organic feed, live on organic land and raised without antibiotics or routine hormones. .
