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Organic food not nutritionally better than conventionally-produced food
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine ^ | Jul 29, 2009 | Unknown

Posted on 07/29/2009 7:16:23 AM PDT by decimon

Systematic review of literature over 50 years finds no evidence for superior nutritional content of organic produce

There is no evidence that organically produced foods are nutritionally superior to conventionally produced foodstuffs, according to a study published today in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Consumers appear willing to pay higher prices for organic foods based on their perceived health and nutrition benefits, and the global organic food market was estimated in 2007 to be worth £29 billion (£2 billion in the UK alone). Some previous reviews have concluded that organically produced food has a superior nutrient composition to conventional food, but there has to-date been no systematic review of the available published literature.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have now completed the most extensive systematic review of the available published literature on nutrient content of organic food ever conducted. The review focussed on nutritional content and did not include a review of the content of contaminants or chemical residues in foods from different agricultural production regimens.

Over 50,000 papers were searched, and a total of 162 relevant articles were identified that were published over a fifty-year period up to 29 February 2008 and compared the nutrient content of organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs. To ensure methodological rigour the quality of each article was assessed. To be graded as satisfactory quality, the studies had to provide information on the organic certification scheme from which the foodstuffs were derived, the cultivar of crop or breed of livestock analysed, the nutrient or other nutritionally relevant substance assessed, the laboratory analytical methods used, and the methods used for statistical analysis. 55 of the identified papers were of satisfactory quality, and analysis was conducted comparing the content in organically and conventionally produced foods of the 13 most commonly reported nutrient categories.

The researchers found organically and conventionally produced foods to be comparable in their nutrient content. For 10 out of the 13 nutrient categories analysed, there were no significant differences between production methods in nutrient content. Differences that were detected were most likely to be due to differences in fertilizer use (nitrogen, phosphorus), and ripeness at harvest (acidity), and it is unlikely that consuming these nutrients at the levels reported in organic foods would provide any health benefit.

Alan Dangour, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine's Nutrition and Public Health Intervention Research Unit, and one of the report's authors, comments: 'A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance. Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority. Research in this area would benefit from greater scientific rigour and a better understanding of the various factors that determine the nutrient content of foodstuffs'.

###

For further information, or to interview any of the report's authors, please contact Gemma Howe in the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Press Office Gemma.howe@lshtm.ac.uk +44 (0) 207 927 2802 / 07828 617 901

Food Standards Agency Press Office +44 (0) 207 276 8888 Emer.timmins@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Notes to Editors:

Nutritional quality of organic foods: a systematic review

Authors: Alan D Dangour, Sakhi K Dodhia, Arabella Hayter, Elizabeth Allen, Karen Lock, Ricardo Uauy

External review

An independent expert review panel was constituted to oversee and advise on the conduct of the review. The panel comprised a subject expert, Dr Julie Lovegrove (University of Reading, UK) and an expert in public health nutrition with systematic review experience, Professor Martin Wiseman (University of Southampton UK and World Cancer Research Fund International, UK).

Funding

The study was commissioned and funded by the UK Food Standards Agency. The funder had no role in study design, data collection, analysis, interpretation or writing of the report. The review team held six progress meetings with the funder. The corresponding author had full access to all the data and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.


TOPICS: Food; Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: food; organic; organicfood
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1 posted on 07/29/2009 7:16:23 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

I don’t eat organic foods because they (may) have more vitamins and minerals... I try to eat organic foods because I don’t want to ingest man-made chemicals or growth hormones...


2 posted on 07/29/2009 7:19:14 AM PDT by John123 (Turn on your teleprompter Obama and read your lips... "No New Taxes!!")
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To: decimon

If those who think organic food is so great knew that it is grown in cow poop, they would go berserk.


3 posted on 07/29/2009 7:19:47 AM PDT by Loyal Buckeye
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To: decimon
To each his own. Organic food & locally produced food have a niche in the market.
4 posted on 07/29/2009 7:21:09 AM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: decimon

I’ve never comprehended this whole organic thing. “Organic” just means carbon-based. But according the Gospel of Saint Gore of the Church of Global Warming, carbon is a deadly poisonous toxin that is killing the earth. So why should we want to eat food that was certified to have been produced with deadly, earth-killing poison?


5 posted on 07/29/2009 7:22:37 AM PDT by Zeddicus
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To: John123

exactly.

people that eat the foods of the corporate agriculture-ama-pharma-ada-trial lawyers complex

get osteoporosis, coronary, diabetes, strokes etc.


6 posted on 07/29/2009 7:24:03 AM PDT by ken21 (i am not voting for a rino-progressive.)
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To: John123

I dont eat organic food because I refuse to buy anything that says “organic”, “green” or any other hippy fashionable food.
If its organic, fine, but I wont buy it just because its organic. And if I find out its marketed as organic I won’t eat it. I guess I am not “upwardly mobile”. Give me food. Regular food.


7 posted on 07/29/2009 7:30:10 AM PDT by envisio (95% of blacks voted for Hussein, but the whites are told to get past skin color.)
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To: decimon
I don't buy it!

It's a rip off. Any food problem has been traced back to “organic” farming. I'll take the pesticides and wash my veggies and fruits well. I don't want the other stuff that comes with the “organic” stuff. FOr many organic eating food is a RELIGION.

8 posted on 07/29/2009 7:35:14 AM PDT by nmh (Intelligent people recognize Intelligent Design (God).)
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To: BGHater
Organic food & locally produced food have a niche in the market.

I've seen such food that is better for being fresh and naturally ripened. I've also seen some stunted gnarly misfits. I see them selling stunted gnarly vegetables. ;-)

9 posted on 07/29/2009 7:42:16 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

Organic and locally produced are leftist equivalents of communion or other Christian rituals. The organic food sacrament is a profession of faith


10 posted on 07/29/2009 7:55:11 AM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . fasl el-khitab)
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To: John123
Look for all the "all food is organic matter" kooks to come out on this thread, John123. Of course all food is organic matter so it's a stupid statement meant only to belittle and to be condescending. People who eat organic simply object to the adulteration of the "organic matter" they are putting into their bodies.

I prefer not to eat growth hormones, antibiotics, artificial colors and flavors, preservatives, etc. Organic also tastes better. Try eating organic potatoes for a couple weeks and then eat a "conventional" potato. The difference in taste cannot be denied.

My daughters especially noticed the difference in taste in beef and baked potatoes when they were teenagers who couldn't have cared less what we ate as long as it was food!

11 posted on 07/29/2009 8:04:03 AM PDT by My hearts in London - Everett (There is a demand today for men who can make wrong appear right. Terrence, c. 160 B.C.)
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To: John123
I try to eat organic foods because I don’t want to ingest man-made chemicals or growth hormones...

Hmmm... Not seeing the evil in man-made chemicals as opposed to 'nature made' ones. A chemical is either good or bad for you, doesn't matter where it got made. Cobra venom is not a man-made chemical but I doubt you'd want to ingest it.

My digestive system does a pretty decent job of sorting out food from non-food. I haven't been sick in years.

Needless to say, I won't eat anything that is labelled 'Organic' unless there's no other choice. The organic label is a political statement. All food is organic. What I want is cheap food that tastes good and that has plenty of nutrients in it.

12 posted on 07/29/2009 8:05:01 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
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To: decimon

That’s what I keep telling my wife. But she still likes wasting money at Whole Foods, by far the most overpriced grocery store there is. And also a big liberal hangout.


13 posted on 07/29/2009 8:11:32 AM PDT by Welcome2thejungle
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To: Welcome2thejungle
That is the one thing I don't like about organic shopping, I admit. It's overrun with the liberal crowd. It's a good thing I don't have to live at Whole Foods! :~)
14 posted on 07/29/2009 8:20:35 AM PDT by My hearts in London - Everett (There is a demand today for men who can make wrong appear right. Terrence, c. 160 B.C.)
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To: Prodigal Son

Many years ago a scientist was asked what people did before artificial fertilizers. His answer, “They died younger.”


15 posted on 07/29/2009 8:21:16 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
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To: My hearts in London - Everett

Not only that, but it’s way over priced. Even people who like shopping there call it whole paychecks. Seems that slapping an organic sticker on a food item gives you a license to steal. Now we learn there is no major health benefit to buying organic. Me, I’m sticking with Food For Less.


16 posted on 07/29/2009 8:33:38 AM PDT by Welcome2thejungle
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To: decimon

“Organic” foods are a scam. The only purpose is to convince people to pay higher prices for their fruits and vegetables by having them grown inefficiently.


17 posted on 07/29/2009 8:36:55 AM PDT by eclecticEel (The Most High rules in the kingdom of men ... and sets over it the basest of men.)
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To: ken21

>> people that eat the foods of the corporate agriculture-ama-pharma-ada-trial lawyers complex get osteoporosis, coronary, diabetes, strokes etc.

I have some news for you! Are you sitting down? It’s pretty startling:

SURPRISE! People who eat overpriced orgasmic food get osteoporosis, coronary, diabetes, strokes, etc. also.

But those of us who haven’t wasted our entire lives on others’ guilt trips die happier, I’m willing to bet.

Overall, last time I looked, the death rate is still 100%.


18 posted on 07/29/2009 8:42:09 AM PDT by Nervous Tick (Stop dissing drunken sailors! At least they spend their OWN money.)
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To: Prodigal Son

>> My digestive system does a pretty decent job of sorting out food from non-food.

You seem pretty sure of that. How do you know? ‘cause there’s only one way to tell for certain...

Ah, nevermind, now that I think about it I don’t really want the details.

:-)


19 posted on 07/29/2009 8:44:20 AM PDT by Nervous Tick (Stop dissing drunken sailors! At least they spend their OWN money.)
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To: Welcome2thejungle

It is more expensive, but shopping sales and using coupons helps. Once you begin eating organic, it’s hard to go back to conventional because the flavor is soooo different.


20 posted on 07/29/2009 8:44:51 AM PDT by My hearts in London - Everett (There is a demand today for men who can make wrong appear right. Terrence, c. 160 B.C.)
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