Are Organic Foods Really Better for You?

Organic Foods and Your Health

You’re at the grocery store and see that green USDA Organic label on your favorite food product. That must mean it’s healthier than the alternative – right?

Not necessarily.

While for many, organic foods are an unquestioned part of a healthy lifestyle, the truth is murkier than you might think.

What Exactly Are Organic Foods?

The organic label has little to do with the type, quality or even nutritious value of a food product and everything to do with the way it was grown or prepared. To earn organic classification in the United States, growers must ensure that their products aren’t made with any of the following:

• Synthetic fertilizers or pesticides
• Antibiotics or growth hormones
• Artificial flavors, colors or preservatives

Organic farms also need to be free of sewage sludge and growers can’t use radiation treatment (which is sometimes used to kill microbes in foods like eggs). Livestock must consume organic diets and have regular access to fresh air, clean drinking water, open space and direct sunlight.

What Does the Research Say About Eating Organic?

Like many other health trends, there’s hype, promise, confusion and plenty of bold claims surrounding organic foods. Clinical researchers and organic food enthusiasts generally agree that eating organic exposes you to fewer pesticides, but there’s still much to learn about the specific health benefits.

A growing body of research shows that organic foods pack more nutrients and antioxidants than conventionally grown foods. Grass-fed organic beef, for example, contains less total fat and has more omega-3 fatty acids, while organic produce has higher amounts of vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

That research is promising, but important caveats need to be mentioned. The nutrient profile of a single food product is the result of a whole host of factors, including storage methods, soil quality, harvest practices and crop variety. Tinkering with any one of these may result in higher – or lower – levels of a specific nutrient, and right now we don’t know whether it’s the growing method or something else causing differences in nutrient balances.

There is also some research to suggest that those who regularly eat organic have a lower risk of developing conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, breast cancer and lymphoma. But for one simple reason we can’t draw hard conclusions from these findings: Those who prioritize eating organic are more likely to practice healthy habits in other areas of their lives.

In other words, good health may have nothing to do with eating organic at all; it may instead be a result of following the already-established pillars of wellness: eating well-balanced meals, exercising regularly and avoiding tobacco products.

How to Limit Your Exposure to Pesticides

Regardless of what we may eventually be able to say about the health benefits of eating organic, those concerned about pesticides may still want to take steps to reduce their exposure.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following:

• Wash your food: Thoroughly wash all fruits and vegetables, including those with a skin or rind, before eating to remove residual pesticides and/or bacteria. It’s important to remember that not all pesticides can be removed with washing.
• Peel and trim: Whenever possible, peel the outer layer of fruits and vegetables to reduce exposure to surface pollutants. You might also consider trimming the fat from meat, as these can hold onto certain pesticides.
• Eat a variety of foods: Different food sources have different growing and preparation protocols, so the more variety you introduce into your diet, the less likely you are to be repeatedly exposed to the same pesticides.

Eating organic foods can be a prudent way to safeguard your health, but at the end of the day, the quality of your food matters more than the methods used to produce it.

A well-balanced diet consisting of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and lean sources of protein remains the surest way to support your short- and long-term health and wellness – regardless of whether those foods are organic or not.