Organic vs. Non-Organic Fruits and Vegetables
What does switching to a primarily organic diet do to your body and how they can combat disease
Fruit and vegetable consumption in America is amongst the lowest globally. Only 1 in 10 Americans are meeting the recommended amounts of fruit and vegetable consumption.
It goes without saying that lower intake of these types of foods result in a higher risk of chronic disease.
With that being said, the conversation between organic and non-organic should not discourage you from eating more fruits and vegetables. Later in the blog I will go over the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen, two lists that track the 12 fruits and vegetables you should definitely buy organic, and the 15 you do not need to worry as much about buying organic.
What is the difference between organic and non-organic foods?
The difference between organic and non-organic food has to do with how the food is produced.
Organic foods are required to be produced without:
Synthetic (human made) pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. These synthetics are known carcinogens and their use on our fuel (food) has been proven to cause disease and harm the environment. The farming practices who use these materials are weighing profit higher than value. By using synthetics, you can produce more, thereby increasing profits.
Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) include: cornstarch, corn syrup, corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, or granulated sugar.
Antibiotics or growth hormones: can destroy our gut lining and weaken our immune system.
Irradiation: ionizing radiation which is a way of preserving food with radiation energy
Although some non-organic farmers may not use some of these above practices, there is no way to know for sure. The only sure bet you can avoid these practices is by buying organic.
Organic farmers use natural ways of keeping their produce protected from insects, bacteria, and weather. Some of these practices may include:
Plant waste left on fields (green manure), farm animals' manure or compost to improve soil quality
Plant rotation to keep soil quality and to stop cycles of pests or disease
Cover crops that prevent wearing away of soil (erosion) when sections of land aren't in use and to plow into soil for improving soil quality.
Mulch to control weeds
Insects or insect traps to control pests
Certain natural pesticides and a few synthetic pesticides approved for organic farming, used rarely and only as a last choice and coordinated with a USDA organic certifying agent
In the US, the U.S Department of Agriculture has strict guidelines that farms must follow before they get the organic label. These practices include the way food is grown, handled, and processed. Non-organic foods are still monitored, but do not need to adhere to such strict, health practices.
Some people get confused with the words “natural” and “organic.” The FDA allows foods to use the natural label if it has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. The word natural has nothing to do with how the food or ingredients are grown.
The GMO added sugar in your favorite “Natural” granola is not organic, or healthy.
Why Choose Organic?
There are so many reasons to choose organic produce. For one, you are getting the most bang for your buck. There have been several studies conducted to determine whether or not organic produce is truly healthier for you. Several conclusions have been drawn and people still debate the results to this date.
Without a doubt, organic produce contains more antioxidant properties. Therefore, if you are someone suffering from any range of disease or ailment, it is vital to consume organic produce in order to flood your body with even MORE nutrients.
In addition, to getting more, if your body is trying to heal, it is also important to get less of the bad stuff. That includes everything on the list above that non-organic farmers can still do to your produce including: the use of GMO’s, hormones, antibiotics, and irradiation.
If you want to heal effectively and efficiently it is imperative to get the right things into your body that does not at the same time, have your immune system working hard on eliminating antibiotics and GMO’s, rather, eliminating the cause of disease.
Other benefits of organic produce include:
· Nutrients. Organic produce may have more of certain antioxidants and types of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties.
· Toxic metal. Cadmium is a toxic chemical naturally found in soils and absorbed by plants. Studies have shown much lower cadmium levels in organic grains, but not fruits and vegetables, when compared with crops grown using usual (conventional) methods. The lower cadmium levels in organic grains may be related to the ban on synthetic fertilizers in organic farming.
· Pesticide residue. Compared with produce grown using usual (conventional) methods, organically grown produce has lower levels of pesticide residue. The safety rules for the highest levels of residue allowed on conventional produce have changed. In many cases, the levels have been lowered. Organic produce may have residue because of pesticides approved for organic farming or because of airborne pesticides from conventional farms.
· Bacteria. Meats produced using usual (conventional) methods may have higher amounts of dangerous types of bacteria that may not be able to be treated with antibiotics.
The downsides of organic?
The only true downside of buying organic is the cost.
On average, organic products are 47 percent more expensive than non-organic foods. This varies depending on the product and season, but if you buy organic, you are most likely going to pay quite a bit more.
Luckily for you, researchers have found that not every fruit and vegetable is the same and that sometimes, buying organic is not always necessary.
There are food lists that are compiled to help keep the public up to date on which fruits and vegetables are okay to buy non-organic and which need to be bought organic.
These food lists are always changing so it is important to stay on top of them by checking the list annually. The EWG (Environmental Working Group) is in charge of releasing this list called the Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce.
The guide includes the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen, two lists that analyze Department of Agriculture test data to identify which fruits and vegetables are most and least contaminated.
The Dirty Dozen
This year’s ‘dirtiest’ foods were strawberries, spinach, and kale. And yuk, they were really dirty! In one case, a single sample of kale was contaminated by 21 different pesticides,3 according to the report. The list reads as:
1. Strawberries
2. Spinach
3. Kale/Collard greens/ Mustard Greens
4. Nectarines
5. Apples
6. Grapes
7. Bell and Hot Peppers
8. Cherries
9. Peaches
10. Pears
11. Celery
12. Tomatoes
The Clean Fifteen
These fruits and vegetables are considered relatively safe to buy non-organic. They have been tested and show reduced amounts of pesticides so if you cannot buy all your produce organic because of your grocery budget, feel free to buy these items non-organic to save a buck or two.
1. Avocado
2. Sweet Corn
3. Pineapples
4. Onion
5. Papayas
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Honeydew melon
9. Kiwis
10. Cabbage
11. Mushrooms
12. Cantaloupe
13. Mango
14. Watermelon
15. Sweet Potatoes