Cozad 1

Zach Cozad

Professor Johnson-Taylor

ENG.1201.205

21 April 2017

Organic foods: are they better?

Organic products have taken the world by storm lately. It seems like everytime we go to

the store for eggs, we find a duplicate cage-free version. Or when we get milk, theres a plethora

of high priced, organic alternatives. The question to ask, though, is it really worth the few extra

bucks? Luckily theres plenty of fresh research out there to show the positive and negative effects

of organic marked products, and the answer may surprise you.

When we think of organic, we think of healthy. Its an easy association that drives

consumers to pick up a USDA certified organic product over a highly processed, cheaper

alternative. There are a number of things that a product must include, or not include, in order to

be USDA certified organic. For starters, any organic animal product must be fed organic food.

Thats right, and it sounds like a bonus, doesnt it? They also must be pasture fed for at least 30

percent of livestock's nutritional needs during grazing season. This all must be accompanied by

healthy living conditions and access to the outdoors. For the farmers, they can use mulch to

cover weeds, but not pesticides. Compost can enhance the soil, but no synthetic fertilizers are

allowed, and instead of insecticides, farmers can use insect traps. A lot of these practices have

been used for centuries, and thats the goal that organic products strive to deliver. Over time, this

will add up to enhanced soil and water quality, reduced pollution, safe, healthy livestock habitats,

natural livestock behavior, and a self-sustaining resource cycle on farms (Smith-Spangler, 2012)
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So there it is seen that organic products have a clean background, and a long valued

process from the farmer to the store shelf. But just how many people are buying them? Well,

over $39.1 billion (with a b) has been spent on organic produce in 2014, with sales increasing

11% from 2014 to 2015, and theres good reason behind it, too.

Research has shown that organic products may have more antioxidants, vitamins, and

other health benefits. In a certain study, organic foods contain more micronutrients (Brandt,

2011). It compared the contents of secondary metabolites and vitamins in organically and

conventionally produced fruits and vegetables, and showed that in organic produce the content of

secondary metabolites is 12% higher than in corresponding conventional samples. A total of 66

studies (describing 1440 micronutrient comparisons) were identified to evaluate the

micronutrient content of plant foods produced by organic and conventional agricultural methods.

33 studies (908 comparisons) met the screening criteria which considered cultivar, harvesting,

and soil conditions. In studies that satisfied the screening criteria, the absolute levels of

micronutrients were higher in organic foods more often than in conventional foods. Most

importantly, the concentrations of a range of antioxidants such as polyphenolics were found to be

substantially higher in organic crops/crop-based foods, with those of phenolic acids, flavanones,

stilbenes, flavones, flavonols and anthocyanins being an estimated 69% higher (Baraski, 2014).

In conclusion, organic crops, on average, have higher concentrations of antioxidants, lower

concentrations of dangerous metals (Cadmium) and a lower incidence of pesticide residues than

their non-organic counterparts across regions and production seasons. Basically, this is because

organic plants do not have to rely on chemical protectants, as they produce their own protectants

through antioxidants. This alone shows us the need for the market, and the way in which it has

grown can be linked to concern with nutrition.

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Theres also important regard to nitrates in crops. Nitrates are usually added to

conventional crops to help them last longer, and for color. When added to processed foods in this

way, both nitrates and nitrites can form nitrosamines in the body, which can increase your risk of

developing cancer. Because organic crops do not use any chemical products, they tend to have

significantly lower levels of nitrates. On average, studies have shown a very bold 30% less

nitrates for organic crops in comparison to conventional crops (Baraski, 2014). Not only cancer,

but nitrates can be linked to Methemoglobin as well, which is a disease that obstructs the bodys

ability to carry oxygen effectively.

Organic dairy products may contain more omega 3 fatty acids, iron, vitamin E, and

carotenoids (Huber, 2011). The downside is that less selenium and iodine may be found in

organic dairy, which the body needs. 67 studies found that organic meat contained higher levels

of omega-3 fatty acids and slightly lower levels of saturated fats than conventional meat, which

is a great ratio. More omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial, and have proven to promote brain, eye,

bone, joint health, as well as decrease depression, inflammation, fat, asthma, along with many

other benefits (Hjalmarsdottir, 2016).

Organic products are not only nutritious, but they also avoid a lot of harmful things, too.

The frequency of pesticide products was found to be 4 times higher in conventional crops, which

also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal Cadmium. Levels of

Cadmium are 48% lower in organic produce. Significant differences were also detected for some

other vitamin and mineral compounds. There is also evidence that higher antioxidant

concentrations and lower Cadmium concentrations are linked to specific agronomic practices

found in organic farming systems (Baraski M). A study has found that organic farming also may

contain lower levels of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, since they dont use antibiotics in animals. It
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tested organic and conventional chicken for Campylobacter spp. and Salmonella Serovars. Most

organic (76%) and conventional (74%) chickens were contaminated with campylobacters.

Salmonellae were recovered from 61% of organic and 44% of conventional chickens. All

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates from conventional chickens were resistant to

five or more antimicrobials, whereas most S. enterica serovar Typhimurium isolates (79%) from

organic chickens were susceptible to 17 antimicrobials tested (Cui, 2005). It should be noted that

while organic foods will reduce exposure to toxins, bacteria, and pesticides, the amount of toxins

in conventional produce are normally well below the safety limits.

Considering nutrients, some studies simply do not have the evidence to prove there to be

a difference between conventional and organic. Although, consumption of organic foods may

reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Additionally, a study

comparing the nutrient intakes of nearly 4,000 adults consuming either organic or conventional

vegetables found conflicting results. However, studies can vary due to many factors such as soil

quality, time of harvest, and weather. Similar factors are evident in dairy and meat products

(Brown, 2016).

The real misconception is when consumers assume that organic always means healthy.

That is not always the case. If its junk food, its junk food. These products are usually still high

in fat, sugar, sodium, and calories. For example, organic cookies, soda, cinnamon rolls, and chips

are still unhealthy foods. Youre essentially choosing higher quality, realistic foods over fake,

processed foods. But we all know, or should know, that sugar is sugar, whether organic cane or

processed. Not to mention sugar is processed no matter what, and Americans already get enough

of that. The positive side to buying organic junk food may be to avoid artificial ingredients and
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chemicals, but overall, junk food is junk food. Most people may have a difficulty recognizing

this, and its just how most of us were raised.

Weve acquired the taste of chemicals and artificial flavors for most our lives, and we fail

to understand what that can do to our bodies. Real, whole foods are what humanity expanded

upon. It worked and brought us to where we are now, so why use ingredients that our bodies

werent made to ingest? Why market a product as healthy and natural when the entire fact is, its

not? The very answer is money. Were a product of manufacturers, and we carelessly walk into

their deceitful trap. With organic products, weve come one step closer to where we need to be.

We still trust labels too much. Now instead of looking for natural and no sugar added, we

look for USDA Organic. We must take matters into our own hands and literally look at the

ingredients list, inform ourselves on ingredients, and judge based on what the product actually is,

rather than what the manufacturer wants you to think it is. So the message to take home, is the

choice to choose organic is up to you, but still be highly aware of what goes into your product,

because not any one label will save you from the consequences that await.

Works Cited

Baraski, M. "Higher Antioxidant and Lower Cadmium Concentrations and Lower Incidence of

Pesticide Residues in Organically Grown Crops: A Systematic Literature Review and

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Meta-analyses." (2014): n. pag. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Web. 21

Apr. 2017.

Brandt, K., C. Leifert, R. Sanderson, and C. J. Seal. "Agroecosystem Management and

Nutritional Quality of Plant Foods: The Case of Organic Fruits and Vegetables." Critical

Reviews in Plant Sciences 30.1-2 (2011): 177-97. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

Brown, Mary Jane, RD. "What Is Organic Food, and Is It Better Than Non-Organic?" Authority

Nutrition. Authority Nutrition, 17 Aug. 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

Cui, Shenghui et al. Prevalence and Antimicrobial Resistance of Campylobacter Spp. and

Salmonella Serovars in Organic Chickens from Maryland Retail Stores. Applied and

Environmental Microbiology 71.7 (2005): 41084111. PMC. Web. 22 Apr. 2017.

Hjalmarsdottir, Freydis, MS. "17 Science-Based Benefits of Omega-3 Fatty Acids." Authority

Nutrition. Authority Nutrition, 18 Aug. 2016. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

Huber, M. "Organic Food and Impact on Human Health: Assessing the Status Quo and Prospects

of Research." NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences 58.3-4 (2011): 103-09.

ScienceDirect. Web. 21 Apr. 2017.

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Smith-Spangler, C. "Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier than Conventional Alternatives?: A

Systematic Review." (2012): n. pag. National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Web. 21 Apr. 2017.