Study of Organic Crops Finds Fewer Pesticides and More Antioxidants

[donnay]

Study of Organic Crops Finds Fewer Pesticides and More Antioxidants

KENNETH CHANG
NY Times
July 12, 2014

Adding fuel to the debates over the merits of organic food, a comprehensive review of earlier studies found substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in organic fruits, vegetables and grains compared with conventionally grown produce.

“It shows very clearly how you grow your food has an impact,” said Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at Newcastle University in England, who led the research. “If you buy organic fruits and vegetables, you can be sure you have, on average, a higher amount of antioxidants at the same calorie level.”

However, the full findings, to be published next week in the British Journal of Nutrition, stop short of claiming that eating organic produce will lead to better health.

“We are not making health claims based on this study, because we can’t,” Dr. Leifert said. The study, he said, is insufficient “to say organic food is definitely healthier for you, and it doesn’t tell you anything about how much of a health impact switching to organic food could have.”

Continued...

[Zippyjuan]

However, the full findings, to be published next week in the British Journal of Nutrition, stop short of claiming that eating organic produce will lead to better health.

Nutritionally, there is not really any difference between organic and non- organic. Organic may contain more bacterium like E coli.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-persp...rganic-produce

Ordinary E coli was found in 9.7% of organic produce samples, versus 1.6% of the conventional produce, a significant difference, according to the report. However, E coli prevalence in produce from certified organic farms was 4.3%, which was not significantly higher than the level in conventional produce. The E coli prevalence in produce from uncertified organic farms was 11.4%, significantly higher than in the certified organic produce. In addition, 59% of uncertified organic farms had at least one sample with E coli contamination, versus only 12% of certified organic farms.

"Ours is the first study that suggests a potential association between organic certification and reduced E. coli prevalence," the report says. "Further research is recommended to confirm this finding."

E coli was 19 times more prevalent in produce from organic farms that used manure or compost less than a year old as fertilizer, compared with organic farms that used older materials, according to the report. In addition, E coli was found 2.4 times more often on produce from organic farms that used cattle manure as compared with farms using other kinds of manure. Among types of produce, organic lettuce had the highest E coli contamination, at 22% of samples (12 of 49).

[Zippyjuan]

However, the full findings, to be published next week in the British Journal of Nutrition, stop short of claiming that eating organic produce will lead to better health.

“We are not making health claims based on this study, because we can’t,” Dr. Leifert said. The study, he said, is insufficient “to say organic food is definitely healthier for you, and it doesn’t tell you anything about how much of a health impact switching to organic food could have.”

In the new study, an international team of scientists did not conduct any laboratory or field work of their own. Instead, they compiled a database from 343 previously published studies and performed a statistical procedure known as a meta-analysis, which attempts to ferret robust bits of information from studies of varying designs and quality.

Some of the studies reported many measurements, some only a few. Some included several crops grown over multiple years, while others looked at only a few samples. But if done properly, the results of a meta-analysis can be greater than the average of its parts.

Dr. Nestle said she buys organic foods, because she believes they are better for the environment and wants to avoid pesticides. “If they are also more nutritious, that’s a bonus,” she said. “How significant a bonus? Hard to say.”

She continued: “There is no reason to think that organic foods would be less nutritious than conventional industrial crops. Some studies in the past have found them to have more of some nutrients. Other studies have not. This one looked at more studies and has better statistics.”

Dr. Dangour, however, remained entirely unconvinced. He said the researchers erred in not excluding the weaker studies from the analysis. “To my mind, there’s no convincing evidence that these foods are different in nutritional composition,” he said.

Nutritionally, there is not really any significant difference between organic and non- organic. Organic may contain more bacterium like E coli.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-persp...rganic-produce

Ordinary E coli was found in 9.7% of organic produce samples, versus 1.6% of the conventional produce, a significant difference, according to the report. However, E coli prevalence in produce from certified organic farms was 4.3%, which was not significantly higher than the level in conventional produce. The E coli prevalence in produce from uncertified organic farms was 11.4%, significantly higher than in the certified organic produce. In addition, 59% of uncertified organic farms had at least one sample with E coli contamination, versus only 12% of certified organic farms.

"Ours is the first study that suggests a potential association between organic certification and reduced E. coli prevalence," the report says. "Further research is recommended to confirm this finding."

E coli was 19 times more prevalent in produce from organic farms that used manure or compost less than a year old as fertilizer, compared with organic farms that used older materials, according to the report. In addition, E coli was found 2.4 times more often on produce from organic farms that used cattle manure as compared with farms using other kinds of manure. Among types of produce, organic lettuce had the highest E coli contamination, at 22% of samples (12 of 49).

[donnay]

Benefits of organic food

What does organic mean?

Organic means that no artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides or growth hormones, and no
genetically-engineered substances, have been used in producing the end product. In
essence, you get fruit, vegetables and meat that have been naturally produced.
Organic farmers use crop rotation instead of synthetic fertilizers to keep the soil healthy.
They also use natural pest-control systems instead of nasty pesticides and give animals
more space to live and roam, rather than cramming them into tiny cages — animals from
organic farms are given higher welfare standards. All in all, organic means healthier
insides, a cleaner environment and more humane conditions for farmed animals.

Why eat organic?

Well, for starters the chemical-free bit is appealing. Eating naturally-grown fresh fruit and
veggies straight from the farmer's market is even more appealing. Need more convincing?
Studies have shown that fresh organic produce contains more vitamins, minerals,
enzymes and other micro-nutrients than conventional farming produce, which means it's
better for you. A new study by researchers at the University of Washington in the US have
now also revealed that children who eat more organic food are exposed to six to nine
times fewer toxic pesticides than those kids fed a conventional diet.

http://newdawnretreats.com.au/wp-con...anic-food-.pdf

Organic Diets Significantly Lower Children’s Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1367841/

Organophosphorus pesticide exposure of urban and suburban preschool children with organic and conventional diets.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1241395/

Fruit and Soil Quality of Organic and Conventional Strawberry Agroecosystems
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%...l.pone.0012346

New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based Organic Foods
http://www.organic-center.org/report...R_FINAL_V2.pdf

WSU: Organic foods more nutritious than non-organic
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/wsu-...organic/ngdmW/

[IBleedNavyAndOrange]

However, the full findings, to be published next week in the British Journal of Nutrition, stop short of claiming that eating organic produce will lead to better health.

Of course. Because there are less healthy pesticides and more unhealthy antioxidants in organic food.

And don't forget the e coli. If you eat organic food you could die from e coli. Its something I have in my memory.

I usually dip my strawberries in pesticide to make sure there are no pests on them.

Healthy pesticides, though.

[squarepusher]

this is kind of funny, organic by definition cannot use pesticides, and their study found lower pesticide on them?

[presence]

this is kind of funny, organic by definition cannot use pesticides, and their study found lower pesticide on them?

aerial overspray is a bitch

keywords:

errant overspray
pesticide drift

[Acala]

Putting aside the pesticide issue, I would be surprised if it turned out that a plant grown with the application of industrial fertilizers and plants grown without the application of such fertilizers had identical constituents. Just as I would be surprised to find that a human who eats nothing but cheetoes would have the same body composition as a person who eats nothing but fresh vegetables and natural meat. It is absurd to think that what an organism eats has nothing to do with the biochemistry of the organism. And the biochemistry of plants incudes numerous micronutrients, both known and unknown, that are likely to be different depending on environmental factors.

This does not mean that organic is healthier than non-organic, but I think it is almost certain that there are differences in constituents.

[presence]

I would be surprised to find that a human who eats nothing but cheetoes would have the same body composition as a person who eats nothing but fresh vegetables and natural meat.

[]

This does not mean that organic is healthier than non-organic, but I think it is almost certain that there are differences in constituents.

Connect the dots.

If your beef was eating cheetos its the same as you eating cheetos.

You are what your food eats.

[dannno]

Putting aside the pesticide issue, I would be surprised if it turned out that a plant grown with the application of industrial fertilizers and plants grown without the application of such fertilizers had identical constituents. Just as I would be surprised to find that a human who eats nothing but cheetoes would have the same body composition as a person who eats nothing but fresh vegetables and natural meat. It is absurd to think that what an organism eats has nothing to do with the biochemistry of the organism. And the biochemistry of plants incudes numerous micronutrients, both known and unknown, that are likely to be different depending on environmental factors.

This does not mean that organic is healthier than non-organic, but I think it is almost certain that there are differences in constituents.

I think organic farms can sustain their nutrient content longer or indefinitely whereas depending on the watering and soil erosion, a conventional farm will produce food that is relatively devoid of nutrients over time and is less sustainable. So there may be very little difference in the first decade or two, depending on how they treat the soil, but eventually conventional farms will begin produce food that just isn't very nutritious.

An organic farm can be almost as bad if it is being poorly managed. That is why in these studies that Zippy is citing, it would be helpful to compare various organic farms with each other, some smaller ones and some bigger ones and see if you cannot find some differences among them.

[Acala]

Connect the dots.

If your beef was eating cheetos its the same as you eating cheetos.

You are what your food eats.

Sort of. My preferred plant foods eat $#@!, essentially. And my preferred meat eats grass. I don't eat either $#@! or grass. But I agree that the quality of my food depends on the quality of my food's food. I think all living things are healtheir eating their natural diet. So the things I eat will have been healthier in life, and therefore healthier for me when I eat them, if they had a natural diet.