Organic Foods Not Healthier or More Nutritious, Study Says
MONDAY Sept. 3, 2012 -- Organic foods are almost invariably more
expensive than their conventionally produced counterparts but
they aren't necessarily healthier or more nutritious, new
research suggests. Scientists found no consistent differences in
vitamin content between organic and conventional foods and few
significant differences in health benefits. They did note,
however, that organic produce is 30 percent less likely to be
contaminated with pesticides than conventional fruits and
vegetables -- though the pesticide levels of all foods fell
within allowable limits -- and that organic chicken and pork
appeared to lessen exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "I
think different people will make different decisions based on
our findings," said study author Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler, an
instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine and a
physician-investigator at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System,
in California. "We thought we'd find mo