Do you need to buy organic foods?

Last week I was chatting with some friends after a morning workout and one of them asked whether or not it was really necessary to eat organic foods.  This sparked quite a conversation.  Since organic foods tend to cost more than non-organic foods, they were questioning how important it was to purchase organic.  They were also wondering if buying organic varieties of certain foods was more important than others.

I was reminded of my own struggle and journey with these questions that began in 2009.  Prior to that, I didn’t pay much attention to organic vs. no organic foods.  Since then, I have become more educated about the foods we eat, where they come from, how they are grown and processed and their nutritional values.  One of the things that I have been most shocked by is how our food is grown and processed.  As a result of what I have learned, I now purchase organic foods whenever possible for myself and my family.     

The USDA Organic label tells you that fruits and vegetables weren't grown using manmade chemical pesticides, fossil fuel, sewage-based fertilizers or genetically modified seeds.  On meat, the label indicates that the feeds provided to the animals met those same standards and that the animals weren't administered hormones and antibiotics.  Growing produce and raising animals organically is more sustainable than using conventional methods and is healthier for the environment, farm workers and often for you and your family.

Some studies suggest that organic produce has more nutrients than their conventional counterparts, perhaps because the soil is left in better condition after repeated plantings. Organic produce may also be healthier for you because you avoid ingesting any harmful pesticide residues left on them, unlike with conventional produce.  While I haven’t seen enough data to fully support the claim regarding organic having more nutrients, I do think ingesting pesticides can’t be good for you and should be avoided when possible. 

For sure, organic foods cost more than conventional foods and it can be hard to afford the premium price typically charged for organic foods. It can also be more difficult to buy organic foods depending on where you live due to lack of options in your local markets. 

If transitioning to a fully organic diet is difficult for any of these reasons, I recommend you try to focus on the following types of food where purchasing the organic varieties will make the most positive impact to your overall health.

Fruits & Vegetables: Each year using data from the USDA and FDA, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) issues two lists with the latest compilation of government data about pesticide residue; the “Dirty Dozen” and the “Clean Fifteen”.  EWG has been publishing these guides since 1995.

The fruits and vegetables on the Dirty Dozen list are those containing the highest levels of pesticide. The fruits and vegetables on the Clean Fifteen list were the least likely to have pesticides detected on the parts you eat, after typical washing, whether or not they're certified organic.  At a minimum, try to avoid eating the items on the Dirty Dozen list unless they are organic.  When buying non-organic target those on the Clean Fifteen list.  Without committing these lists to memory, a pretty good rule of thumb is that if the item has a soft skin (like a berry or tomato), buy organic.  If the item has a thicker skin (like pineapple or melon), buy conventional.    

Meat: Raising animals with conventional modern methods often means the farmers use hormones to speed up growth, antibiotics to prevent or cure disease on crowded feed lots, and both pesticides and chemical fertilizers to grow the grain fed to the animals. If you want to avoid meats raised in these scenarios, seek out certified organic meat. To meet USDA organic standards, meat can come only from animals fed organic feed and given no hormones or antibiotics.

Milk: Twelve different pesticides have been identified in milk, and milk is of special concern because it is a staple of a child's diets.  In order to label their milk organic, dairies cannot feed their cows with grains grown with pesticides, nor can they use antibiotics or growth hormones like rGBH or rbST (which are often used to unnaturally increase milk production in cows).

There is a lot of information available on this topic and I encourage you to continue your own research.  I highly recommend two books by Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. My friend Laurie Warren also wrote this great article: Does “Organic” Matter.  If you haven’t yet watched Food Inc., that’s a real education on how meat is processed today.

From my perspective, the bottom line is: while it may cost more to buy organic, you can choose to “invest in your health now or pay with your health later.” I also think that by purchasing organic foods I am sending a message to food manufacturers that organic farming procedures are important to me.  I am casting a vote with my purchasing power. 

And don’t ever forget:

“You are what what you eat eats.” ~ Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto