Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

No evidence organic foods benefit health: study
Reuters on Yahoo ^ | 5/24/10 | Reuters

Posted on 05/24/2010 4:24:51 PM PDT by NormsRevenge

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Consumers who opt for organic foods often believe they are improving their health, but there is currently no strong evidence that organics bring nutrition-related health benefits, a new research review finds.

A "disappointingly small" number of well-designed studies have looked at whether organic foods may have health benefits beyond their conventional counterparts', according to the review, by researchers with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Health in the UK.

Moreover, they found, what studies have been done have largely focused on short-term effects of organic eating -- mainly antioxidant activity in the body -- rather than longer-term health outcomes. And most of the antioxidant studies failed to find differences between organic and conventional diets.

The review, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adds to findings reported last year by the same research team.

In that study, the researchers combed through 162 articles published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years, and found no evidence that organic and conventional foods differ significantly in their nutrient content.

For the current review, the researchers were able to find only 12 published studies that met their criteria for evaluating the health effects of organic foods.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: alreuters; benefit; evidence; health; organicfoods
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-114 next last
To: mlizzy
We also drink raw cow’s milk, which is outstanding; I never knew milk tasted *that* good. Chemicals are rarely a positive.

Chemicals? What does pasteurization have to do with chemicals? If chemicals are a negative, are pathogens like salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella species, Campylobacter jejuni, and so on, considered a positive?

41 posted on 05/24/2010 7:52:40 PM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Porterville
That is caused by the processing.

I have tasted both in their raw state as well as processed and unless you have a farmer who is feeding the cows something like chives to give the milk a flavor it really does all taste the same.

42 posted on 05/24/2010 8:11:08 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (there are huge chunks of time...at night...where I'm just asleep...for hours...it's ridiculous....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: WriteOn
so pesticides are good for you?

As good as any plant would be. Plants do produce pesticides naturally you know.

43 posted on 05/24/2010 8:14:21 PM PDT by Harmless Teddy Bear (there are huge chunks of time...at night...where I'm just asleep...for hours...it's ridiculous....)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: Mase
Chemicals? What does pasteurization have to do with chemicals? If chemicals are a negative, are pathogens like salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, Brucella species, Campylobacter jejuni, and so on, considered a positive?
The cow's milk unpasteurized from cows fed with food not chemically doused is what I meant to say ... This is a good link on raw milk. My daughter, interestingly, was highly allergic to all dairy (her eyes would puff up), so she stopped with consuming it and took supplements instead, but when we switched over to raw milk, not only can she consume as much as she wants, she says she no longer feels weak with tough workouts (she's a polo player). And I notice a difference in the pool as well. More positive protein; more power!! I heard about raw milk years ago from a friend who would vacation in Ireland. She drank the milk there [unpasteurized] all the time without adverse reactions regarding her allergies.
44 posted on 05/24/2010 8:19:03 PM PDT by mlizzy ("Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" --Mother Teresa.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

Bull droppings !!

The decision to eat organic is Not whether the food has more vitamins or nutrition. They should be about the same.

The decision between the two is whether you want your apple With neurotoxic pesticides and herbicides, or Without.

It’s a simple choice, if you don’t like chronic neurological impairment or cancer.


45 posted on 05/24/2010 8:27:16 PM PDT by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mlizzy
The cow's milk unpasteurized from cows fed with food not chemically doused is what I meant to say

You realize that all food is made up of chemicals, right?

There was a kid I was friends with from the farm next to us as I was growing up whose family ran a small dairy farm. They only drank raw milk. One winter he quit going to school. We learned he had contracted brucellosis. He almost died and we didn't see him for about six months. He was never the same. It ruined his life. Brucella is just one of many very dangerous pathogens you risk whenever you choose to drink raw milk. Children are especially at risk. Infections are rare but they are serious and debilitating when they occur and it's usually the children who are hit the hardest. I never understood why anyone would accept the risk given that pasteurization kills the bugs. To each his own.

46 posted on 05/24/2010 8:37:26 PM PDT by Mase (Save me from the people who would save me from myself!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Mase
To each his own.
One of our family members runs an organic farm, and we feel very fortunate to benefit from same ... so, yes, to each his own! :)
47 posted on 05/24/2010 8:51:06 PM PDT by mlizzy ("Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" --Mother Teresa.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge
No surprise. Been saying this myself for years as fools willingly pay triple for something they THINK is better for them.

It's their money and they can do what they want, but don't force it on me.

48 posted on 05/24/2010 9:28:26 PM PDT by packrat35 (Planned Parenthood - Keeping healthcare costs down, one fetus at a time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MollyKuehl

And it still doesn’t help your health.


49 posted on 05/24/2010 9:29:12 PM PDT by packrat35 (Planned Parenthood - Keeping healthcare costs down, one fetus at a time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mlizzy; NormsRevenge
Chemicals are rarely a positive.

Food is the smiley face label placed on an assemblage of chemicals, most of which, in sufficient quantity, would kill you.
50 posted on 05/24/2010 9:31:59 PM PDT by aruanan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: SeaHawkFan

Having raised chickens as a child, I can say you are absolutely correct.

White Rocks and most white feathered chickens lay white eggs.
Rhode Island Reds and Dominickers, among others lay brown eggs.


51 posted on 05/24/2010 9:32:22 PM PDT by packrat35 (Planned Parenthood - Keeping healthcare costs down, one fetus at a time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: mlizzy

No surprise then you endorse it, since you have a stake in keeping organics going.


52 posted on 05/24/2010 9:41:18 PM PDT by packrat35 (Planned Parenthood - Keeping healthcare costs down, one fetus at a time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: aruanan

When it comes to another killer like dihydrogen monoxide there should be no smiley face label like....water. :)


53 posted on 05/24/2010 9:53:16 PM PDT by xp38
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Ditter; SeaHawkFan; Aussiebabe; JustaDumbBlonde; gleneagle; Ronin; stubernx98; packrat35
Funny how everyone has something negative to say about my choice of using organic food yet at no time have I been disparaging about others' choice of conventional products.

I've seen it too often people using as an argument the use of cow dung as a fertilizer, something which has been used for thousands of years. It decomposes so fast while it releases much needed nutrients. The e-coli outbreaks are not caused by manure but by careless migrants defecating next to fully grown crop. And I witness too often, as many of you do too, I am sure, the mass majority of people sitting down and eating without washing their hands or opening that bag of chips from the vending machine, again, with same unwashed hands used to insert the money into the slot.

So if my choice of paying more for organic food, using the money I earn, caring for my family the way I chose makes me a .. chump in your eyes, well so be it.
54 posted on 05/25/2010 5:13:19 AM PDT by MollyKuehl (Contribute to FR: $10 $20 $50 $100 REMEMBER, LURKING IS A FORM OF ENTITLEMENT!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: MollyKuehl
No, you haven't been paying attention to what causes sprouts contamination...it has nothing to do with immigrants or fertilizers. The way sprouts, organic or not, are grown is the reason they are prone to biological contamination and it was because of salmonella contamination, not e. coli.
55 posted on 05/25/2010 5:18:53 AM PDT by Aussiebabe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: MollyKuehl

I don’t think people are criticizing you for your choice to purchase organic foods. People asre just pointing out that there is nothing inherently better about “organic foods”.

Did you know that there is no standard for determining what is “organic” so that the foods you buy may not realy be any different than non-organic foods.


56 posted on 05/25/2010 5:21:30 AM PDT by SeaHawkFan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: MollyKuehl

There is a big difference between local fresh organic vegetables and what you get in Whole Foods. The best french fries I ever had were made from organic potatoes grown on a small scale where they grew with all the minerals and trace minerals they need. The fries had such a full and complete taste. The organic carrots grown by big corporations are a step forward but many times they taste no better than the non-organic. This is what Whole Foods carries

When you get great taste from organic vegetables and fruits you know you are eating a better and healthier product than the conventionally grown product. Take the taste test

Everyone likes the CSA approach these days where you join up with a local farm and get weekly deliveries of produce. These farms grow on a human scale and will produce full taste vegetables and fruits. Not all the CSA farms are 100% organic but that’s OK. Sometimes you just have to waste an insect infestation so you use low level pesticides. But all these farmers are feeding their soil with natural amendments. Feed your soil right and you get the best fruits and vegs from it


57 posted on 05/25/2010 5:23:35 AM PDT by dennisw (The falser the prophet the more mentally deranged the adherents)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 54 | View Replies]

To: packrat35
No surprise then you endorse it, since you have a stake in keeping organics going.
No, there's no money for me in it ... it's my bro-in-law's farm, but yes, we get some veges from time to time at low or no cost. The nice thing about a farm in the family, is that you know for sure the produce is grown organically. Do you know why people are against organic farmers/farming, especially Republicans, who state they want their freedoms to stay intact?
58 posted on 05/25/2010 5:39:49 AM PDT by mlizzy ("Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person" --Mother Teresa.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Aussiebabe

And that has been the case for thousands of years :)


59 posted on 05/25/2010 6:00:36 AM PDT by MollyKuehl (Contribute to FR: $10 $20 $50 $100 REMEMBER, LURKING IS A FORM OF ENTITLEMENT!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 55 | View Replies]

To: NormsRevenge

I’m not surprised...


60 posted on 05/25/2010 6:01:53 AM PDT by GOPJ (...man was meant to be doubtful about himself, but undoubting about the truth-Gilbert K. Chesterton)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-114 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson