We have been hearing about the importance of feeding our families organic foods for the past few years, and many grocery stores now have whole sections devoted to organic foods, including fruits and vegetables. Eating organic is more expensive than non organic, but many of us have been spending the extra money, thinking that we are getting more out of our food because we’ve been eating all organic. There have been many studies on the benefits of eating organic versus normal foods, but some new research that was done on the past research may prove otherwise.
Scientists in the UK recently looked into a bunch of studies that were done on organic foods in the last few years, and they are saying that those past studies were inconclusive. In fact, less than half of them even met all of the criteria for analysis. So these scientists started a new study and really looked into the matter of organic food vs. the more conventional food.
Think about everything you have ever heard about organic food, whether it was fruits and vegetables or meat. You probably heard that the organic stuff had more nutrients, that it was better for you, that your body could digest and process it better and that it was just better quality than the more conventional foods in the grocery store. Well, on some levels, a few of these things are still true, but technically, those scientists in the UK have proved that there are just as much nutrients in the normal foods.
However, they did not include pesticides, contaminants or chemical residues in their research, and they did admit that many more in depth studies still need to be done before we can really know the which side is the winner. They also admitted that they still don’t know what the long term effects are that pesticides can have on humans, and that is one thing that the organic foods do not have on them.
I would advise you to take this information with a grain of salt (organic or non organic salt – your choice!) because these scientists were sponsored by the UK’s FSA, or Food and Safety Association, which is the equivalent of our FDA here in America. They are the ones who are losing out when people buy organic foods, so it is hard to know whether this study holds water or not. However, they did admit that the results were conclusive, so maybe they can be trusted! The only thing that the spokesperson for one of the leading organic associations said to the press about the matter was that he was disappointed with the study conclusions. Maybe the organic associations should do some studies of their own?
The next time you go to the grocery store, you will have to make a decision whether or not you will spend more or less on those bananas and carrots! If you want to save some money, you can wash the pesticides off of most things you buy, but it is recommended that you do it with soap and then still peel the fruit or vegetable. Pesticides and other chemicals used by farmers can sink right into the skin.
