Does Organic Mean Healthier?

In a word… no. That’s according to CNN, who quotes a study by the British government as reported by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. To make this bold statement, researchers looked at “50,000 studies conducted over 50 years” and really studied things like how crops and livestock were raised and brought to market. What they found was that the biggest difference between “organic” versus everything else was in the kind of fertilizer used (nitrogen or phosphorus). But even then, researchers say the type of fertilizer had no effect on how healthy organic foods are.

Organic is more expensive, to be sure. While I understand not buying milk with certain chemical or hormones in it, for example, I have to agree with this study when it comes to things like “organic vegetables.” Vegetables are vegetables for the most part. They aren’t healthier necessarily if you buy them at a health food store.

I know this study will cause some ripples in the health food movement, however. So what do you think? Will you still buy food that is marketed as “organic”?

Image: sxc.hu