Myth busters: Is organic food really worth the hype?

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As well as Jennifer Bowden’s columns in the NZ Listener and here listener.co.nzSubscribers can access her biweekly column, “Myth Busters,” where she explores myths about food and nutrition.
Once a week, she considers whether organic food is worth the extra cost.

Organic foods have taken on an almost mythical status on supermarket shelves. They’re often seen as the holy grail of healthy living, promised to be safer, more nutritious and better for the planet than their conventional counterparts, all of which marketers use to justify the price premium that accompanies the “organic” label.

So is this just clever marketing or is there some truth behind the hype? Let’s dig into the facts and find out if organic food lives up to its healthy reputation or if they’re simply cashing in on a seemingly healthy image.

Organic foods are grown without the use of man-made fertilizers, pesticides, certain drugs (like antibiotics), growth hormones, food additives, and most synthetic chemicals. In other words, organic foods are produced with more traditional farming and food production practices than non-conventional organic foods.

Consumers choose organic foods for a variety of reasons, often centered around its potential positive impact on our environment, animal welfare, and human health and safety. Consumers expect organic foods to contain less pesticide residue than conventional foods.

Although agricultural compounds such as synthetic pesticides are recognized to increase crop yields and therefore the quantity and price of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts, they also have risks.

Some agricultural compounds, when taken in high doses, can cause serious damage to the nervous system, lungs, reproductive system, endocrine and immune systems, and even cancer.

Long-term, low-level exposure can also be a concern. For example, French researchers found that greater exposure to pesticide residues was associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes over a four-year period. Furthermore, there are real concerns about the impact of agricultural residues on infants and children, who are more susceptible to chemical toxicity; exposures in childhood may carry a much greater risk of cancer than equivalent exposures later in life.

Not surprisingly, studies routinely find that organic produce contains less pesticide residue. A 2012 systematic review of studies published between 1966 and 2011 found that organic produce had a 30% lower risk of pesticide contamination than conventionally grown produce.

More recent studies confirm the former. At the same time, clinical trials on children and adults have confirmed that switching to an organic diet for just one week significantly reduces the levels of pesticide residues excreted from the body.

Additionally, according to a clinical study published in 2022; American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, The shift from a nutrient-poor Western diet to the much-admired Mediterranean diet, rich in fruits and vegetables, has increased the intake of pesticide residues. However, pesticide residue levels decreased when switching to organic produce, regardless of diet.

Contrary to popular belief, however, organic foods do not contain more nutrients than conventionally grown foods, as confirmed by numerous studies. However, a large observational study from Harvard University found that eating lots of fruits and vegetables with low pesticide levels (like organic produce) was associated with longer life. It appeared that higher pesticide residues in produce may have counteracted the health benefits of fruits and vegetables.

However, as an observational study, the Harvard study does not prove that pesticide levels cause a shorter lifespan; instead, a number of other lifestyle and dietary factors may also contribute to these findings.

Therefore, it is premature to attribute the credit for increased longevity to organic foods. Indeed, a 2020 Australian review reiterated the conclusion of earlier reviews, stating that “the current evidence base does not allow a definitive statement about the health benefits of organic dietary intake.”

As a result, organic foods are more expensive, but the long-term health impact of lower levels of pesticide residue is unclear. What’s more, organic foods do not contain more nutrients or significant health benefits than conventionally produced foods, but we do know that eating more whole foods is good for your health.

So if you want a safer bet for your food budget, focus on eating a variety of whole foods, organic or not, instead of a few pricey organic items.