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Think About This
All in all, then, it looks like conventional versus organic diets are extremely similar. Here are a few things to consider when deciding whether or not to buy organic: -It is exceptionally difficult to
design a study that compares organic to conventional food in terms -There does exist sound evidence that organic foods contain more vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron than conventional foods. -Existing evidence also demonstrates that organic vegetables and cereals have less protein, less nitrate, and a higher concentration of essential amino acids than conventional vegetables and cereals. -HOWEVER, a balanced diet from either category should provide more than ample vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. Additionally, the vegetable portion of a diet contributes very minimally to one's daily protein intake, so organic diets per se should not be detrimental in terms of protein intake. -Sound evidence also exists to suggest that organic diets expose consumers to less pesticides. -HOWEVER, a conventional diet exposes consumers to levels of pesticides far below federally regulated standards. Pesticides are rigorously tested by the FDA and USDA and conservative limits are used in conventional foods. Exposure to low level dietary pesticides has not been studied in any long-term research to date.
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Creighton University School of Medicine: Complementary and Alternative Medicine |
of nutrients and pesticide levels. Reasons for this include climatic variations,
soil type and quality, planting and harvesting dates, nutritional analysis
completed, geographical location, seasonal variations, food storage methods, and
food processing methods. In order to truly compare organic versus conventional
food, every single one of these potentially confounding factors would have to be
exactly identical. A study such as this is nearly impossible to achieve. In any
case, intracrop variation seems to be far greater than intercrop variation.
-Fascinating
animal studies reveal that many organisms prefer organic food over conventional
food. While it is dangerous to extrapolate this and apply it to humans, one may
wonder if deciding between the two foods is really as simple as taste and
appearance alone!