Study finds little benefit in organic diets POSTED: Tuesday,
September 4, 2012 - 9:00am UPDATED: Tuesday, September 4, 2012 -
9:00am NBC NATIONAL NEWS — A new study suggests "organic"
doesn't necessarily mean "healthier." The popularity of organic
food and drinks has skyrocketed, growing from $1 billion in U.S.
sales in 1990 to nearly $30 billion last year. Dr. Crystal
Smith-Spangler and colleagues at Stanford University compiled
data from more than 200 studies of organic versus conventionally
grown food. "We thought we'd find more differences than we
actually found," Dr. Smith-Spangler says. What they found was
that the two groups were virtually the same in vitamin content,
and although the organic foods had less pesticide residue all of
the produce studied had pesticide levels that fell below
federally-set safety limits. "What we've gotten from this is
good, solid evidence that organic produce is not necessarily
superior in terms of safety or nutrition," says UH Case Medical
Center clinical dietitian Lisa C