"Is Organic Food Better for Your Health?" by Healthcare Triage

Many extoll the wonders of organic food. Personally, I don't mind processed, unnatural food. Is it true that organic food from Whole Foods is healthier than non-organic food you can buy at Vons or Safeway?

I came across the following YouTube video (Video 1) which addressed the question of whether organic food is better for your health than conventionally grown food.  In particular, the narrator Dr. Aaron Carroll summarized the results of the paper Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review.

First a definition: Organic food is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, antibiotics, or hormones. 

Organic food represents 4% of the food budget in the U.S. totaling $31 billion in total annual sales. It has become big business.

Is organic food healthier? According to this review paper the answer is No:

"The published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods. Consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria."

Thus, there were no significant differences in nutrient content between organic and non-organic food including vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and flavonols.

As expected, conventionally grown food possessed more pesticides than organic food but the difference was insignificant compared to maximum allowed levels of pesticides by the FDA. In addition, there were no differences in bacterial contamination, fungal toxins, and heavy metals.

Non-organic food was 33% more likely to contain antibiotic resistant bacteria, but the overall danger is low because of the low level of bacterial contamination in inspected food.

Finally, there were no significant health differences in people who consumed organic versus conventional foods in terms of biomarkers and allergies.

Thus, Dr. Carroll concludes that the best evidence today supports the view that organic food is not better for your health than conventionally grown food.

Video 1. Dr. Aaron Carroll argues that organic food is not better for your health.