Is Organic Food Actually Better For You?
Or is it a trendy scam?
Organic food started as a hippie dream, and is now a $50 billion business. But does it live up to the hype, or are we all getting played?
I dove into it with an open mind. I want to be healthy, but I'm skeptical when someone says "trust us, this one's better" while reaching for my wallet.
Here's what I found: The line between organic and conventional isn't as clear-cut as you might think.
First off, nutrients. Most people think organic produce has more vitamins and minerals. It doesn't. Stanford University reviewed 237 studies and found organic foods aren't noticeably more nutritious than conventional ones. Some studies show slightly higher levels of vitamin C and omega-3, but others found no real difference.
GMOs are a different story. Organic means no GMOs, period. But here's the kicker: almost all scientists say GMOs are safe. They've undergone more evaluation than any other group of plants we eat. The FDA and American Cancer Society agree. Over decades, there's no documented occurrence of health issues from GMOs.
Now, pesticides. Organic food definitely has less residue but do these small amounts actually harm us? Science is hazy. Agricultural workers face higher cancer risks, but governments set strict exposure levels for our food. Studies looking at self-reported diets show correlations between organic and health benefits, but causality is unknown. People who eat organic are probably less likely to smoke or be sedentary, so it's complicated.
Environmental impact? Once again, very mixed results.The science is frustratingly unclear on almost every aspect of this debate. There are no pat answers.
I made a video diving deeper into all of this. It's not a diatribe – I genuinely tried to understand the complexities of organic food. If you're interested in learning more about what "organic" actually means, how it impacts our environment, and whether it's truly healthier, check it out.
The bottom line? The world is complicated, and the answers aren't always straightforward. But at least now you'll be better informed next time you're staring at those pricey tomatoes.
—Ken
"Organic"
Old Indian word for "Sprays at night". Ha!
As a small, hobby grower of potatoes, I've watched the organic industry grow, usually because of USDA's heavy hand dumping promotional dollars into it.
Does organic produce taste better? Probably. Not because it's raised with organic processes, but because most growers are small like me and tend to choose varieties that TASTE BETTER. Big ag is saddled with varieties that must yield better and stand up better to mechanical harvesting. Taste takes a back seat to these traits because they are the basis of their economic viability.
It's always struck me as a scam, albeit a well-meaning and fairly harmless one. I never buy organic if I can find a cheaper non-organic alternative.
My wife, however, prefers organic, so she buys it all the time. I just go with the flow. As a husband I've decided this is not the hill I'm going to die on!