Organic Foods Little Different From Non-Organic Foods Say New Study

[taxi]

Regardless of health benefits, they're are other reasons to buy organic, or more importantly IMO local. Especially with meat. And it doesn't have to be more expensive.

Periodically me and a few friends will buy half a cow together. The cows have been grass fed in a farm just outside of town. It works out to about $5.00/pound. The meat is incredible, hormone free, and I know the animals have been treated well. I also know the meat hasn't been dragged from the other side of the Earth so the carbon footprint is much less.

You can find similar deals with all sorts of meats and vegetables. You don't have to buy "organic" foods from Whole Foods for 10x the price to get food that is both higher quality and more ethical.

[canucklax]

No, you're right. People are just trying to feed their families. That's fair. It's the politicians who are truly shortsighted. People just get caught in the middle. All the more reason to be an educated voter. Heck if we're going to insist on subsidizing farming, why not subsidize organic instead?

Not sure where you're going with the off-tangent geography...?

[Raph]

It's easier to put stuff into your body then to get it out. Those chemicals, pesticides, and salts stay in your body for years.

[Master Mind]

I won't buy organic after watching Penn & Teller's video about it

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

Looked it up. I suspected that just mortality was on the decline as well, but apparently cancer incidences between 1998-2008 were found to be on the decline. You have to assume that getting rid of some cancer-causing agents would factor into that.

However at the same time other studies predict that cancer rates will increase by 75% by 2020. So wtf?

I don't buy organic because it appears to be a scam. Esp. bananas and oranges. (hello? you're peeling off the pesticides regardless) My wife has a small garden and that produces some of the vegetables that we eat. No pesticides. Big difference between those and non-organic? Not really. The beans are good. The broccoli wasn't all that different. The peas are about the same. I'm having higher hopes with the fruit. Fresh strawberries are vastly superior and i think the tomatos will be the best of the bunch. We'll see.

[DonLever]

On TV, there was a guy who said if you put a piece of organic carrot next to a non-organic carrot on the same plate, the consumer will not tell the difference between them. They taste the same.

If pesticides are so bad, how come people have been living longer than ever? The life expectancy of people seem to keep rising despite the so called "poisons" in the foods. You realize pesticides have been put on crops since the end of WWII. That is more than 60 years of accumulated toxins.

[aGENT]

On TV, there was a guy who said if you put a piece of organic carrot next to a non-organic carrot on the same plate, the consumer will not tell the difference between them. They taste the same.

If pesticides are so bad, how come people have been living longer than ever? The life expectancy of people seem to keep rising despite the so called "poisons" in the foods. You realize pesticides have been put on crops since the end of WWII. That is more than 60 years of accumulated toxins.

[aGENT]

Also, FYI...out of curiosity, I checked the prices on Banana's while at Save-On Foods last night. $1.96/kg for organic and $1.72/kg for "regular". Hardly enough of a difference to cause distress..and definitely not the fear mongering "double the price".

[TOMapleLaughs]

You do realize the soft skin fruits and vegetables cannot stop the pesticides from entering the fruit right ? The worst fruits are strawberries , blueberries, kiwis the soft outer shell types. How can you not understand you are basically eating poison ? It may not show up now but when your body needs it's true strength when you get older and weaker like we all do the rate of deterioration is very quick. Face it we are a very lazy species and could care less where the food in front of us comes from. Pretty pathetic really.

If anyone wants to really learn the truth about foods and crops just look up the History of The Monsanto corporation. Your eyes will pop out of their heads !

[Kamero89]

Don't look for an "organic" label, because that's just a buzzword these days

Just don't eat processed food, and eat as locally as possible

Sage Michael Pollan says so.

[Mr. Ambien]

I won't buy organic after watching Penn & Teller's video about it

[D-Money]

Same deal with lettuce. Grows like a weed.

[bjh]

There seems to be some pretty grand misconception regarding "Organic" produce. The "Organic" label does NOT mean that the food was grown without using pesticides. For a product to be labelled "Organic" it must simply use pesticides that are derived from natural sources (there are other requirements obviously but I'm focusing on pesticides). Do you know what the problem is? There are just as many carcinogenic naturally derived pesticides as there are synthetic ones.

Chemicals are chemicals, whether naturally or synthetically derived. The alternative is allowing the various microbes and insects on our produce to run rampant.

The bottom line is that humans have gotten pretty damn good at chemistry and we are able to manufacture effective pesticides and many other synthetic products. Sure some produce will be better tasting and better looking than others and you get what you pay for. Making a correlation between eating a non-organic tomato and not living as long is asinine.

If you're that scared of chemicals think about what you rub on your skin every day in the shower, what you put in your hair, and what you wash your clothes in.

Every single banana on this planet is a genetically modified sterile mutant plant that we have continuously produced. Here here! Get your local organic bananas! Pfft. Eat what you want but you can't fool everybody.

All of that being said, growing produce and herbs in your garden is going to yield a better product. There are many facets of mass production that are a detriment to the quality of our food. I am very lucky to live on the island and have access to tons of quality produce and meat.

[aGENT]

If you're that scared of chemicals think about what you rub on your skin every day in the shower, what you put in your hair, and what you wash your clothes in.

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

There seems to be some pretty grand misconception regarding "Organic" produce. The "Organic" label does NOT mean that the food was grown without using pesticides. For a product to be labelled "Organic" it must simply use pesticides that are derived from natural sources (there are other requirements obviously but I'm focusing on pesticides). Do you know what the problem is? There are just as many carcinogenic naturally derived pesticides as there are synthetic ones.

Chemicals are chemicals, whether naturally or synthetically derived. The alternative is allowing the various microbes and insects on our produce to run rampant.

The bottom line is that humans have gotten pretty damn good at chemistry and we are able to manufacture effective pesticides and many other synthetic products. Sure some produce will be better tasting and better looking than others and you get what you pay for. Making a correlation between eating a non-organic tomato and not living as long is asinine.

If you're that scared of chemicals think about what you rub on your skin every day in the shower, what you put in your hair, and what you wash your clothes in.

Every single banana on this planet is a genetically modified sterile mutant plant that we have continuously produced. Here here! Get your local organic bananas! Pfft. Eat what you want but you can't fool everybody.

All of that being said, growing produce and herbs in your garden is going to yield a better product. There are many facets of mass production that are a detriment to the quality of our food. I am very lucky to live on the island and have access to tons of quality produce and meat.

[Mr. Ambien]

Who said people didn't? I'm VERY cautious about what products I use on my skin as well.

[Dittohead]

Well it certainly sounds like a very scientific and conclusive study done by "a guy on TV"

As for the second, bolded point, as has already been covered, not it isn't. Life expectancy is actually going down along with far more health problems in the process. But don't worry the company that makes the pesticides that cause those have a medical wing that has a cure to sell you

[aGENT]

He's just making a point, I don't see a reason why you have to defensively declare you're an exception to the rule.

[aGENT]

life expectancy is not going down people are living longer than ever before... just a 100 years ago 60 was old. 40 was over hill. pesticides have helped in improving food production and bringing food from all over the world to your plate....

Only some pesticides accumulate in your body like organochlorines and you have to have constant exposure to these chemicals over years and years the amounts that may be in your food is measured in parts per million.your liver filters out the toxins from your body.

Everything is a chemical. we live on a chemical ball floating in space.

[Dittohead]

For the first time in generations life expectancy is going down. Not up. You are not expected to live longer than your parents. Why do you suppose that is?