Aggressive marketing campaigns have many of us convinced that eating organic is healthier than conventional fare to the point where sales of organic food in USA increased by over 7-fold between 1997 and 2010. With organic food costing around twice as much as conventional food, we must ask is there truly a health benefit to eating organic?

First of all, lets talk about what is meant by organic. Organic certification requirements vary worldwide (a potential limitation in itself), but in general, organic foods are produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, without irradiation or chemical food additives, and without the routine use of growth hormones or antibiotics. Organic animals are fed organically produced food and are raised in an outdoor environment where they are free to move around. Also, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are not used in organic food production.

1. The differences in terms of nutrients in organic compared to standard fare are minimal.

There is a slightly higher level of phosphorous in organic food, but this is not thought to make a difference in overall health, as phosphorous deficiency is only seen in states of near-total starvation. There are also higher levels of beneficial fatty acids in organic milk and chicken, and a couple of other small nutrient differences of questionable significance.

2. There was no difference in allergic symptoms or outcomes (eczema, wheezing, etc).

3. There was a 30% higher risk for pesticide contamination in conventional produce compared to organic, but the differences in risk for exceeding maximum allowed limits were small. Two studies showed lower urine pesticide levels in children who ate organically.

4. Overall, E coli contamination risk was no different in organic produce, but the results of individual studies was conflicting and the authors noted that more research needs to be done in this area.

5. In chicken and pork, the risk of exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria was higher in conventional meat compared to organic meat. However, its not clear if this is of importance to human health, because it is inappropriate use of antibiotics in humans (not in the meat we eat) that is the major cause of antibiotic-resistant infections in humans.

6. There are no long term studies on the effect of eating organically on human health.

The authors conclude that eating organically does not seem to have a great health benefit But who really knows? Long term studies on human health would need to be done to know this answer for sure. I agree that there is not convincing evidence at this time to say that eating organically has big health benefits but this possibility has not been ruled out. The definition of organic is variable worldwide, and the first step to understanding the benefits of organic food would be to at least standardize how we define it.

See the original post here:
Is Eating Organic Really Better?

THIS MORNING, A WARNING ABOUT A FREE PIZZA OFFER THAT COULD GET YOU INTO TROUBLE. HEALTHCARE.GOV UNVEILS NEW PRICES FOR 2015. AMY DAVIS IS JOINING US WITH THAT AND MORE. TALK ABOUT YOUR MONEY AND HOW NOT TO THE IN TROUBLE. FIRST WE'RE STARTING OFF WITH PEOPLE WHO WANT TO ENROLL FOR HEALTH INSURANCE ON THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WEB SITE. WEB SITE ADMINISTRATORS SAY THEY'VE MADE A LOT OF CHANGES, INCLUDING ONE THAT LETS YOU SEE A PREVIEW OF 2015 PREMIUMS SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY BEFORE YOU GET TO THE END. YOU'LL NOTICE LOWER PRICES BUT YOU MAY HAVE TO SWITCH PROVIDERS TO GET THOSE LOWER PRICE PLANS. THEY CAN ENROLL UNTIL SATURDAY BUT YOU CAN GO TO HEALTHCARE.GOV NOW TO WINDOW SHOP AND SEE THE PLANS THAT YOU QUALIFY FOR. NATION'S LARGEST GROCER WANTS TO MAKE ORGANIC FOOD AVAILABLE AND AFFORDABLE TO EVERYONE. WE'RE TALKING WAL-MART. BUSINESS WEEK IS REPORTING THAT THE RETAIL GIANT IS EXPANDING ITS ORGANIC FOOD SELECTION AND NOW IT'S PROMISING TO SELL IT AT THE SAME PRICE AS ITS NONORGANIC FOOD. NO DATES WERE OFFERED TO KNOW WHEN WE MIGHT SEE MORE ORGANIC PRODUCTS AT THOSE LOWER PRICES, BUT LOOK AT THIS, WE'RE ALREADY SEEING RESULTS OF THE GROWING DEMAND FOR ORGANIC MILK. MAYBE YOU'VE SEEN A SIGN LIKE I SAID AT YOUR GROCERY STORE. I KNOW I HAVE. IT SAYS WE ARE CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING A SHORTAGE ON A VARIETY OF ORGANIC MILK PRODUCTS, SAYING IT'S CAUSED BY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN DEMAND AND THAT THE SUPPLIERS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF INCREASING HERD SIZE AND PRODUCTION BUT THEY EXPECT THE ISSUE TO CONTINUE THROUGH DECEMBER 2014. DON'T BE FOOLED WITH THE LURE OF FREE PIZZA OR FREE ANYTHING, FOR THAT MATTER. A LOT OF CUSTOMERS WHO CLICKED ON THIS, WHAT APPEARS TO BE A FREE PIZZA COUPON THAT WAS eMAILED TO THEM SUPPOSEDLY FROM PIZZA HUT, THEY ENDED UP WITH A VIRUS ON THEIR COMPUTER INSTEAD, A PLOY FOR SCAMMERS TO GET ACCESS TO eMAIL ACCOUNTS AND BANKING INFORMATION. IF YOU DID CLICK ON IT, RUN AN ANTI-VIRUS PROGRAM ON YOUR COMPUTER TO REMOVE THE INFECTION, AND I BET YOU'RE THINKING, WHAT HAPPENED? I DIDN'T GET THE DEAL. MAYBE MORE TO THAT THAN WHEN YOU KNOW ABOUT. THAT'S JUST WRONG.

Read the original here:
Walmart plans to expand organic food selection