According to the findings in a recent Stanford University Study, fruits and vegetables sourced from organic suppliers turn out to be no higher in nutritional value than their factory farmed counterparts.  Moreover, these foods are often far more expensive than their non organic counterparts, leading some experts to conclude that consumers are overpaying for these products. 

Should you choose organics?  That’s really an issue for you, your family, and your budget to decide.  According to a recent article in the Harvard Health Blog (Watson, 2012) there are a dozen or so fruits and vegetables that tend to be higher on the pesticide contamination scale.  These range from apples and celery, through potatoes and lettuce.  Focusing on these core items could save your family money while reducing their exposure to dangerous pesticides.

Of course, there are other reasons to choose organics.  Factory farming has decimated to the traditional farm model, and corporate ownership of farm stocks has greatly decreased biodiversity.  More importantly, it’s been argued that importation of non seasonal produce and meat products leads to greater climate change, due in large part  to a combination of deforestation and carbon emissions.  

So, organic or non organic?  We’d love your feedback.

Brenda Rivera-Billings MS.c

Briggs, B. (n.d.). Organic industry crafts counterattack to threat from study. Life Inc. Retrieved September 8, 2012, from http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/09/07/13686882-organic-industry-crafts-counterattack-to-threat-from-study

Executive Summary: Eat your fruits and vegetables! (n.d.). Retrieved September 8, 2012, from http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/

Organic food no more nutritious than non-organic, study finds. (n.d.).msnbc.com. Retrieved September 8, 2012, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48888214/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-non-organic-study-finds/

Watson, S. (2012, September 5). Organic food no more nutritious than conventionally grown food - Harvard Health Publications. Harvard Health Blog. Retrieved September 8, 2012, from http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-than-conventionally-grown-food-201209055264

 

Creative Commons License
Organic vs. Non Organic by Brenda Rivera-Billings, MS.c is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at www.urbansculpt.com.
Dr. Brenda Rivera - Billings Dr.P.H., MPH, M.Sc.
Brenda Billings, principal consultant and CEO of UrbanSculpt, is a Health Educator focusing on issues related to nutrition counseling, body aesthetics, positive sexuality, and women’s self-empowerment issues. The organization's aim is to provide life-in-balance training, products, and services with a focus on solution based results to the many challenges facing the modern urban woman. Prior to UrbanSculpt, Brenda was a Founder, Chief Marketing Officer and content editor for DZineMedia, LLC., an entertainment and original content management company located in Silicon Valley. As principal she also oversaw day to day management, marketing, and content procurement efforts for Erotique!, a literary webzine and pioneering female-centric, online community focusing on cutting edge photography, the arts, poetry, original fiction and pop culture. In addition to her professional experience, Brenda was a founding board member of HCAA, a non-profit organization founded in cooperation with the City of San Jose. Its aims included: improving legal rights education, reducing inner-city blight, increasing volunteerism, and the encouragement of urban renewal. Brenda's educational background includes having graduated cum laude with a Master of Science in Health Science from TUI. She graduated summa cum laude from Touro College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Health Science Education specializing in Environmental Heath. She also holds a degree in Humanities / Art History from City College of San Francisco as well as honors certificates in both Nutrition Counseling and Multimedia & Digital Arts form San Jose City College
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