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