Is organic right for you? - ABC 33/40 - Birmingham News, Weather, Sports
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We've all been there. In the produce department, trying to decide whether going organic is worth the cost. Now a new review on a series of studies might help you make that decision.
Standford University doctors have concluded there's little evidence that going organic healthier for you.
A local farmer and nutritionist say the study is valid. But it should not be considered the gold standard when deciding what to eat. Whether organic or conventional, the bottom line is it's not going to make or break your health.
"Most of our produce, our vegetable and peaches are grown here in Chilton county. We do use herbicides and pesticides,"said Mark Gray.
Mark Gray is owner of the Peach Mart in Clanton, Alabama. His father and grandfather were farmers. And passed their practices on to him
"As long as you use the pesticides as directed, so many days before harvest where they're out of the fruits before we pick and sell it," he said.
Gray doesn't sell organic produce, but doesn't feel his customers are at a disadvantage.
"We try to keep top quality stuff and keep them coming back in here."
A group of Stanford University doctors agree. In a recent review, they concluded eating organic fruits and vegetables did not prove to be more nutritious.
"As far as allergies, better nutrition as far as nutrients, or a lower risk of bacteria, you're probably not going to get those benefits by eating organic," said Beth Kitchen with UAB's Nutritional Sciences.
On the flip side of that, Beth Kitchen says the studies were not comprehensive. Not all possible health benefits were explored.
They found that organic foods did not have less bacteria than conventional food. And they were not more likely to prevent food allergies.
However, Kitchen had this to say.
"There are a lot of things they did not look at. A lot of people eat organic foods because they want to get fewer pesticides that could possibly be related to cancers down the road."
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