Is organic food worth it? - Metafact

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Cynthia Curl has answered Uncertain

An expert from Boise State University in Public Health

It depends on what you mean by "worth it". On one hand, it has been well-established that consumption of an organic diet can quickly and significantly reduce one's exposure to several classes of synthetic pesticides. Organic produce has been shown to have slightly higher antioxidant levels than conventional produce, and organic milk has been shown to have an improved omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio, primarily due to the increased proportion of grass in the cows' diets. Organic production methods are less likely to result in acute pesticide poisonings and chronic pesticide exposures to farm workers and their families, and many ecological benefits are associated with organic production methods. On the other hand, organic food is more expensive than conventional food, its production is often more labor-intensive, and -- importantly -- organic food consumption has not been proven to lead to measurable health benefits to consumers. At the end of the day, the question of whether organic food is "worth it" must be decided based on what one hopes to achieve. If you expect to see clear and obvious health improvements by eating organic, probably not. If you hope to reduce use of synthetic pesticides, improve farm worker safety, and reduce erosion and increase biodiversity, then probably so.

Answered over 5 years ago

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Cynthia Curl

Verified Expert

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