Organic Vs. Nonorganic

April 4, 2023

Editor: Lauren Cuppy

What does organic really mean?

In produce, organic means that the fruit or vegetable was not grown in synthetic or artificial fertilizer,the fertilizer was free of pesticides, and that the produce itself was not genetically modified. In meat, organic means that the animal was not fed any hormones or antibiotics, was given organic feed, and was allowed to roam outside freely. USDA regulates the organic industry, and only food that is 95% organic is allowed to have a "USDA Organic" seal, according to Harvard Health (Should you go organic?, 2015).

What are the benefits?

Eating organic produce and meat protects yourself from pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics. However, they don’t have any nutritional benefit in that both organic and nonorganic have the same macro- and micronutrient content, like vitamins and minerals. Kathy McManus, director of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women's Hospital, explains that there isn’t a lot of research out about the health-effects of these pesticides, and explains truthfully that we don’t know whether organic farming is really pesticide free. The farmer can apply pesticides to the produce made from natural ingredients, which results in smaller amounts of pesticides, but still may hurt your health. The benefits of buying organic is protection, but we don’t really know what protection from pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics do for our health long-term.

Is it worth it?

Buying organic can be 10%-50% more expensive, according to Harvard Health. Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a nonprofit organization, releases a list of the produce that has the most and least pesticide residue. If you are on a budget, but are still worried about the effects of pesticides, consider buying organic for the “dirty dozen list”, which is the produce that is most contaminated. You can find the dirty dozen list here. Also, the produce that has the thickest outer layer, like avocado, mango, and eggplant, tend to have low pesticide levels because the pesticide residue is peeled off when you take off the skin. In the end, eating organic is really up to you and depends on your stance on what you think pesticides will end up doing to our health.

Sources:

E. W. Group (n.d.). Dirty Dozen™ fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides. EWG's 2023 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce | Dirty Dozen. Retrieved April 3, 2023, from https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php

Should you go organic? Harvard Health. (2015, September 9). Retrieved March 20, 2023, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-go-organic

Image: Julia Bonanno

The Benefits Of Cold Therapy

Periods are Important!