New Studies Prove Organic and
Grass-Fed Are Worth the Price
February 29, 2016
Story at-a-glance
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Organic food crops have fewer, if any pesticide
residues, and about half the amount of cadmium, a toxic
metal and carcinogen. They also contain 18 to 69 percent
more antioxidants than conventionally grown varieties
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Organic grass-fed milk and meat contain a healthier
fatty acid composition, with higher amounts of omega-3
and CLA, and higher levels of essential minerals and
antioxidants
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Research looking at key sustainability metrics found
organic farms are more profitable, more
environmentally-friendly, and provide unique social and
ecosystem benefits
By Dr. Mercola
According to a Consumer Reports cost analysis,1
some organic foods can cost as much as 47 percent more than
conventional varieties. The question is, do the benefits of organics
outweigh the added expense?
A number of studies2
have confirmed that eating organic reduces your toxic load, as
synthetic pesticides are not permitted in
organic farming, and it’s a well-established fact that toxic
chemicals have the capacity to harm your health.
A 2014 analysis3,4,5,6,7
of 343 studies also found that, in addition to having fewer
pesticide residues, organic food crops also have about half the
amount of cadmium,8
a toxic metal and a known carcinogen.
More recent research again highlights the benefits of organic
foods — such as fewer pesticides and higher amounts of nutrients —
confirming there is indeed a difference, and that this difference
may very well be worth the added expense if you’re concerned about
your health, and the health of our environment.
Organics Have Fewer Pesticides, Higher Amounts of Valuable Nutrients
While conventional and organic fruits and vegetables contain
similar levels of many nutrients, there are a few key differences.
Previous research, such as the meta-analysis studies cited above,
have shown that organic fruits and vegetables contain anywhere from
18 to 69 percent more antioxidants than conventionally-grown
varieties — many of which have been linked to health benefits and
disease prevention in clinical studies.
Antioxidants are a very important part of optimal health, as they
can control how fast you age by fighting free radicals. So the fact
that organic foods contain far higher levels vouches for the stance
that organic foods are healthier in terms of nutrition, in addition
to being much lower or free of pesticides.
Organic foods also frequently contain higher amounts of vitamins
and minerals, and in the case of meat and dairy, higher levels of
healthy fatty acids as well. For example:
New Research Confirms Clear Health Benefits of Organic Milk and Meat
Most recently, research13,14,15
published in the British Journal of Nutrition found clear
differences between organic versus conventional milk16
and meat.17
Said to be the largest study of its kind, the researchers analyzed
196 and 67 studies on milk and meat respectively.
Echoing previous studies, the largest difference in nutritional
content was its fatty acid composition, certain essential minerals,
and antioxidants. According to Chris Seal, Ph.D. professor of Food
and Human Nutrition at Newcastle University:18
“Omega-3s are linked to reductions in cardiovascular
disease, improved neurological development and function, and
better immune function.
Western European diets are recognized as being too low in
these fatty acids and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
recommends we should double our intake.
But getting enough in our diet is difficult. Our study
suggests that switching to organic would go some way
towards improving intakes of these important nutrients.”
[Emphasis mine]
Grass-Fed Versus Conventional Meat and Milk
According to the review on milk, half a liter (16.9 ounces) of
organic full fat milk will provide you with an estimated 39
milligrams (mg) or 16 percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI)
of very long-chain (VLC) omega-3 (EPA, DPA, and DHA), compared to 25
mg (11 percent) from conventional milk.
As noted in the study,19
VLC omega-3s have been linked to a number of health benefits,
including “improved fetal brain development and function, delayed
decline in cognitive function in elderly men and reduced risk of
dementia (especially Alzheimer’s disease).”
Organic milk also contains lower levels of omega-6, providing a
healthier ratio between the two fatty acids. Compared to
conventional milk, organic milk was also found to contain:
- Higher levels of vitamin E
- Higher concentrations of iron
- Higher levels of antioxidant carotenoids
- 40 percent more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has
been found to have a wide array of important health benefits,
from fighting cancer to decreasing insulin resistance and
improving body composition
Other Factors to Consider With Drinking Milk
While these differences in omega-3 content are indeed
significant, the absolute value of mg is relatively low considering
there are only about 10 mg long-chain VLC omega 3 per glass of milk.
It is unwise for most to drink much more milk than that due to
the non-fiber carbs, like galactose, that it is in milk. Each cup of
milk has 12 grams of non-fiber carbs. While one or two glasses would
be fine, drinking four would exceed the recommended amount of
non-fiber carbs for most people.
Conventional milk was also found to contain 74 percent more
iodine than organic milk, which may be detrimental or beneficial
depending on how much iodine you get from other sources.
One-half liter, or just over two cups, of conventional milk
provides as much as 88 percent of the RDI of iodine, compared to 53
percent from organic milk. As noted by co-author Gillian Butler:20
“There is a relatively narrow margin between dietary
Iodine deficiency (<140 µg/day) and excessive intakes (> 500
µg/day) from our diet which can lead to thyrotoxicoxis …
Optimising iodine intake is therefore challenging, since
globally there seems to be as much concern about excessive
rather than inadequate intake.”
How Your Food Is Grown Matters
Studies such as these drive home the point that HOW food is
raised does make a difference. You simply cannot cut corners during
production without impacting the quality of the food — and by
extension, human health. As noted by co-author Professor Carlo
Leifert, who participated in both the 2014 analysis of food crops
and the current review of milk and meats:
“People choose organic milk and meat for three main
reasons: improved animal welfare, the positive impacts of
organic farming on the environment, and the perceived health
benefits ...
Several of these differences stem from organic livestock
production and are brought about by differences in production
intensity, with outdoor-reared, grass-fed animals producing milk
and meat that is consistently higher in desirable fatty acids
such as the omega-3s, and lower in fatty acids that can promote
heart disease and other chronic diseases ....
We have shown without doubt there are composition
differences between organic and conventional food. Taken
together, the three studies on crops, meat and milk suggest that
a switch to organic fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products
would provide significantly higher amounts of dietary
antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids ...
[T]he fact that there are now several mother and child
cohort studies linking organic food consumption to positive
health impacts shows why it is important to further investigate
the impact of the way we produce our food on human health.”
Research Gives Thumbs Up to Organic Farming
A related study21
published in Nature Plants looked at the benefits of organics versus
conventional in terms of four key sustainability metrics. As noted
by Time Magazine,22
they found that “organic offers a lot of good that outweighs its
sticker shock.”
Co-author John Reganold, Ph.D. a professor of Soil Science and
Agroecology at Washington State University, notes that in the 1980s
when organic farming first began, very little research existed and
many claimed it was too inefficient to feed a growing population.
Today, at least 1,000 studies have looked at the benefits and
differences between organic and conventional farming, and the
current study analyzed data that have emerged in the past 40 years,
with a focus on how organic farming impacts sustainability in terms
of:
- Productivity
- Environmental impact
- Economic viability
- Social well-being
Overall, the study found that organic farms are more profitable,23,24
earning farmers anywhere from 22 to 35 percent more than their
conventional counterparts, and more environmentally friendly. They
also produce equally or more nutritious foods with fewer or no
pesticide residues. Organic agriculture also provides unique
benefits to the ecosystem, as well as social benefits.
According to Reganold:
“If I had to put it in one sentence, organic agriculture
has been able to provide jobs, be profitable, benefit the soil
and environment and support social interactions between farmers
and consumers. In some ways, there are practices in organic
agriculture that really are ideal blueprints for us to look at
feeding the world in the future. Organic may even be our best
bet to help feed the world in an increasingly volatile climate.”
Organic Farms Fare Better During Droughts, and Use Less Energy
Results vary when it comes to yield. Some farmers report dramatic
yield increases after switching to an organic biodynamic system that
builds the soil, but in this particular study, they found organic
yields tend to be on average 10 to 20 percent lower than
conventional. However, organic farms were found to be at a distinct
advantage during droughts. As reported by Time:
“Reganold found one scenario where the research shows
that organic yields are consistently greater than conventional:
during periods of drought. Organic soil is built up with organic
material, which can hold onto water, he says. That means that by
the time a farmer plants and grows a crop, the plant has access
to more water, so yields increase.
For every inch of rainwater soaked up by soil, a plant
can produce another 7 to 8 bushels of wheat, Reganold says.
Organic farming typically uses less energy, too. ‘When
you look at ecosystem services, organic agriculture really
shines,’ he says. ‘The value they bring in areas like
biodiversity, pollination, soil quality — if you were to put an
economic value on those, and some researchers have, then it more
than makes up for the higher price or price premium of organic
food.”
Conventional Farming Has Led to Dramatic Decline in Nutrient Content
It’s important to remember that the nutrient content of foods has
dramatically declined across the board since the introduction of
mechanized farming in 1925. For example, as explained by
August Dunning, chief science officer and co-owner of Eco
Organics, in order to receive the same amount of iron you used to
get from one apple in 1950, by 1998 you had to eat 26 apples.
Other data25
reveal that between 1950 and 1999, levels of protein, calcium,
phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C levels in 43
different vegetables and fruits significantly declined. Another
analysis of nutrient data from 1975 to 1997 found that, on average:
- Calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables dropped 27 percent
- Iron levels dropped 37 percent
- Vitamin A levels dropped 21 percent
- Vitamin C levels declined by 30 percent
Taste has also diminished, although you’d have to be middle-aged
to recall that foods used to taste differently. One of the primary
reasons food doesn’t taste as good as it used to is related to the
deterioration of mineral content. The minerals actually form the
compounds that give the fruit or vegetable its flavor. All of these
issues go back to the health of the soil in which the food is grown.26
Healthy soils contain a large diversity of microorganisms, and it
is these organisms that are responsible for the plant’s nutrient
uptake, health, and the stability of the entire ecosystem. The
wide-scale adoption of industrial farming practices has decimated
soil microbes responsible for transferring these minerals to the
plants.
In 2009, the American Association for the Advancement of Science
featured a presentation on soil health and its impact on food
quality,27,28
concluding that healthy soil indeed leads to higher levels of
nutrients in crops. Agricultural chemicals destroy the soil by
killing off its microbial inhabitants, and this destructive trend is
perhaps one of the most important factors when considering the value
and necessity of organic farming.
If we do not change, we will eventually reach a point of no
return, where soils will be too depleted to grow food. And then what
will we do? Conventional may be more efficient, and may provide
somewhat greater yields in some cases, but in the long term it’s
unsustainable. Estimates suggest we have only about 55 to 60
years’ worth of productive topsoil left!29
Other Benefits of Organic Pastured Meat and Eggs
Your best bet for finding healthy food is to grow your own. If
that is not possible then connect with a local farmer that raises
crops and animals according to organic standards. In the case of
eggs, what you’re looking for is eggs from
pastured, free-range hens. The Cornucopia Institute’s
egg report and
organic egg scorecard ranks 136 egg producers according to 28
organic criteria.
Regarding meat, keep in mind that organic
grass-fed and grass-finished meats have other nutritional
benefits beyond being higher in healthy fats; they’re also free of
antibiotics and other drugs used in concentrated animal feeding
operations (CAFOs). With antibiotic-resistant disease being a major
public health hazard, buying organic meats is an important
consideration in more ways than one.
Unless labeled as grass-fed, virtually all the meat you buy in
the grocery store is CAFO beef, and tests have revealed that nearly
half of the meat sold in U.S. stores is
contaminated with pathogenic bacteria — including
antibiotic-resistant strains. Grass-fed beef is not associated with
this high frequency of contamination, and their living conditions
have everything to do with this improved safety.
Sustainable Food Sources
In the U.S., the following organizations can help you locate
farm-fresh foods, including grass-fed meat, dairy, free-range eggs,
and fresh organic produce:
Weston A. Price Foundation |
Weston A. Price has local chapters in most states, and
many of them are connected with buying clubs in which you
can easily purchase organic foods, including grass fed raw
dairy products like milk and butter. |
Grassfed Exchange |
The Grassfed Exchange has a listing of producers selling
organic and grass-fed meats across the U.S. |
Local Harvest |
This website will help you find farmers' markets, family
farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your
area where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many
other goodies. |
Farmers' Markets |
A national listing of farmers' markets. |
Eat Well Guide: Wholesome Food from Healthy Animals |
The Eat Well Guide is a free online directory of
sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs from
farms, stores, restaurants, inns, and hotels, and online
outlets in the United States and Canada. |
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
(CISA) |
CISA is dedicated to sustaining agriculture and
promoting the products of small farms. |
FoodRoutes |
The FoodRoutes "Find Good Food" map can help you connect
with local farmers to find the freshest, tastiest food
possible. On their interactive map, you can find a listing
for local farmers, CSAs, and markets near you. |
The Cornucopia Institute |
The Cornucopia Institute maintains web-based tools
rating all certified organic brands of eggs, dairy products,
and other commodities, based on their ethical sourcing and
authentic farming practices separating CAFO "organic"
production from authentic orga |
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