Still on the fence about organic?

Anonymous

Still on the fence about organic?

Anonymous

This is a sensible article regarding when to buy organic and when you can forego it:

The Organic Question

By Kelly Bastone
Runner's World

Head to the grocery store these days, and almost everything on your shopping list has an organic equivalent. And not just strawberries and spinach. You can buy organic cereal, soup, chicken, string cheese, and yes, even organic hot dogs. Since 2002, when farmers and manufacturers were expected to fully comply with the organic standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the availability of organic products has skyrocketed. Once confined to co-ops and out-of-the-way health-food stores, organics are now found on the shelves of 73 percent of U.S. supermarkets, some of which, like Safeway and Giant Foods, have recently launched their own brands of organic breads, cereals, juices, and other foods. Even Wal-Mart sells organic produce. Which is all good news for runners looking for the healthiest meals possible.

Organic foods, including produce, meats, grains, and ingredients used to make various products, must be grown without the use of potentially harmful pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or growth hormones. "We get healthier food when we eat organic," says Natalie Ledesma, R.D., of the University of California at San Francisco's Comprehensive Cancer Center. "There are studies that suggest organic produce has higher nutrient levels and studies connecting health risks to the hormones and antibiotics" used in conventional animal products. Some nutritionists argue the differences are negligible, but eating an organic diet is greater than the sum of its parts, Ledesma says, because like a savings account, the benefits accumulate over time.

Still, even with the introduction of lower-cost supermarket brands, conventional foods have one irresistibly attractive quality: price. Organic fruits and vegetables typically cost 10 to 30 percent more, and frozen produce, meats, eggs, milk, and processed foods like cereals, soups, and salad dressings run 50 to 100 percent more. So should a runner always shell out the extra cash for the healthier stuff?

Smart Shopping"There are clear differences among fruits and vegetables in their loads of pesticides," says David Schardt, senior nutritionist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest. "Some make sense to buy organic; others don't matter as much."

After analyzing more than 100,000 pesticide tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, the Environmental Working Group, a watchdog organization based in Washington, D.C., released the "Dirty Dozen," a list of fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticides (see "Spend Wisely" at left). "By eating the organic versions of the dirty dozen, you can reduce your exposure to contaminants by 90 percent," says EWG spokesperson Lauren Sucher.If your budget or options are limited, don't feel bad forgoing organic bananas, peas, and other produce from the EWG's "Consistently Clean" list. Though organic versions of these foods may provide a higher nutrient density, none poses much risk of pesticide exposure; in fact, no contaminants were detected on 90 percent of the conventional avocado, cauliflower, asparagus, and onion samples the EWG analyzed. The reason for the difference in pesticide levels varies from crop to crop; some foods require more pesticides than others, and some have their own protective shell, like the skin of a mango or a banana peel. And buy conventional, too, if you can't find or afford organic produce, says Ledesma. "Eating fruits and vegetables for the multiple nutrients they provide is the more important thing."

Springing for organic meats, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products limits your intake of the antibiotics and growth hormones given to conventionally raised livestock. "These chemicals may contribute to higher cancer rates," says Ledesma.

Fish is in a category of its own because, unlike other organic products, no U.S. standards yet exist to govern seafood. Salmon and other seafood labeled organic are certified by an independent group, often European. Britain's Marine Stewardship Council is the leading authority on environmentally sound fishing practices, and its blue "fish forever" label is found throughout the United States. That said, Ledesma says that "wild fish are generally leaner, contain less overall fat, and have higher omega-3 levels. More research is needed, but at this point, I favor wild fish over farm-raised."

Conventional processed foods like pasta, cereals, and salad dressings contain low levels of pesticides to begin with, says Schardt. But buying organic further limits your exposure. "It's good to play it safe and buy organic if you have small kids," says Schardt, "as they're the most susceptible to potential health hazards." Plus, packaged organic foods are good for the whole family because they contain no synthetic dyes or hydrogenated trans fats, and they avoid most preservatives commonly used in conventional foods.

The bottom line is that some foods expose you to more contaminants than others. If you can afford to buy organic all the time, it's better for you and the planet. But if that means sacrificing your whole paycheck, choose the foods that matter most to you.

Organic Shopping GuideWhat does the label mean?
The USDA National Organic Program regulates how the word organic can be used for both domestic and imported foods. The official "USDA Organic" seal signifies a product is at least 95 percent organic. Here's what the other labels mean:

100% Organic All ingredients must be organic
Organic Guarantees 95% of the ingredients are organic
Made with organic ingredients At least 70% of the contents are organic

Spend Wisely
These 12 fruits and vegetables contain the highest levels of pesticides; buy organic to reduce your exposure: Apples, Bell peppers, Celery, Cherries, Imported grapes , Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries

Also buy organic meats, poultry, eggs, and dairy to limit your exposure to antibiotics and growth hormones.

Don't Worry (As Much)
The pesticide levels of these 12 fruits and vegetables are low to undetectable; okay to buy conventional: Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kiwi, Mangoes, Onions, Papaya, Pineapples, Sweet corn, Sweet peas

Choose organic breads, pastas, cereals, and other processed foods when cost and availability allow it.
 

abbadoodles

Marin, this is a great post.  I have a couple of articles to this effect that I cut out of magazines.  I think even Consumer Reports had one.

When you're paying that much more for organic foods, it's smart to concentrate where you get the most bang for your buck.  Since I try to drink a quart of milk a day, I would not even THINK of regular milk.  It has to be organic even though it's considerably more expensive.  I like Organic Cow brand.

Since we eat a good amount of chicken and eggs, those are always organic.  Our occasional beef meal may not be organic but is at least "raised without antibiotics and hormones." 

Too bad we didn't know about these things years ago.  I grew up on a standard supermarket diet, but who knew any better?

Tina

Sierra

Good article



I buy beef .. organic now

for my meat loaf which I enjoy muchly



and chicken, fish, organic

v. pricey though, but I save

in other areas







Sierra