ORGANIC VS. CONVENTIONAL ANALYZED

According to recent research led by Dr. Dena M. Bravata, health policy affiliate, Stanford University, little nutritional difference exists between organic and conventional produce. A press release issued by the university notes that Bravata and Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler, research instructor, Division of General Medical Disciplines, Stanford School of Medicine, led a team that performed the most-comprehensive meta-analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. The results of this research were published in the recent issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine (Sept. 4, 157(5): 348-366).

Although the researchers did find that consumption of organic produce limits exposure to pesticides, they did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious than their conventional counterparts. Their research also involved analysis of conventional vs. organic milk. While protein and fat levels varied little between organic and conventional milk, they did find that organic milk might contain significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

For their study, the researchers sifted through thousands of papers, analyzing select studies of populations consuming organic and conventional diets and those that compared the nutrient levels, or the bacterial, fungal or pesticide contamination, of various products (fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, milk, poultry, and eggs) grown organically and conventionally.

After analyzing the data, the researchers did not find any consistent differences in the vitamin content of organic products versus conventional—with one exception. They did find that phosphorus levels were significantly higher in organic produce compared to conventional. However, the researchers note that phosphorous deficiency is rare, making this finding of little clinical significance.

When looking at pesticides, the researchers found that organic provided a 30% lower risk of contamination. However, they found that organic foods are not necessarily 100% free of pesticides. Overall, they found that all of the foods “generally fell within the allowable safety limits.” Although two studies of children consuming organic and conventional diets did find lower levels of pesticide residues in the urine of children on organic diets, they said that the significance of these findings on child health is unclear. They also found that organic chicken and pork appear to reduce exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but—again—the clinical significance of this finding is unclear.