Are Organic Foods Healtheir?

New research says no, but the fight isn’t over yet.
The nutrition world has been abuzz ever since researchers at Stanford University released a study finding that organic food is no more nutritious nor is it any less likely to contract contaminating diseases such as E. colithan other, dubbed, “conventional food.”
Of course what these food experts neglected to expand upon is that organic foods were found to contain 30 percent less pesticide residues than conventional food. This is logical considering organic farmers do not use artificial pesticides, antibiotics or hormones in producing their crop. Though conventional produce contained more residue, they were still within safe limits.
Organic chicken and milk also contained slightly more omega-3 fatty acids, heart-healthy fats also found in fish.
However, antibiotic and hormone levels were not variables in this study, and they may cause reason for concern.
A small international group has been researching the impact of antibiotics in chicken meat on female bodies in the United States. The group found that the rapid increase in the rate of urinary tract infections among women in the United States can be traced back to antibiotic resistant infections that may be incurred through antibiotic-pumped chickens. The chicken meat becomes resistant to certain infections, including the most common cause of UTI’s, the E. coli virus.
A few years back, there was an inconclusive argument between concerned moms, scientists and nutritionists regarding the high levels of growth hormones in milk and whether or not they stimulate early puberty in young girls. The evidence was inconclusive, but there was and still is great speculation surrounding the argument that had many moms flying in the direction of organic milk products.
Organic farming started as an environmental initiative. What followed was the belief that what’s better for the environment is better for you. The rise in organic products has stemmed from consumers’ desires to avoid harmful ingredients found in the processing of other conventional foods.
Though this study provides an interesting contrast to common beliefs about organic products, the results are inconclusive. Scientiest are still studying what exposure to pesticides, hormones and antibiotics does to your body. Until then, you’ll have to decide if organic foods fit your lifestyle and your budget.