IS ORGANIC THE HEALTHIER OPTION?
FOOD & DRINK
‘Organic’ is a common buzzword within the wellness sphere. This is often used to suggest that a food is superior in terms of quality or healthfulness, but is this actually the case? Organic food production focuses on the sustainability of soil, the wider environment and human wellbeing.1 This uses farming and production methods adapted to local conditions, which promote biodiversity.1 Organic food legislation varies between countries. In the EU, the ‘EU organic logo’ can be used if at least 95% of the agricultural ingredients meet the standards of the EU Organic Regulation.2 The EU has passed new legislation that will come into force on 1 January 2021.25 Examples of the changes that will be made include: • new rules for producers which will make it easier for smaller farmers to convert to organic production; • new rules on imported organics to ensure that all organic products sold in the European Union are of the same standard; • a greater range of products that can be marketed as organic. If a product carries the Soil Association organic logo then it has been certified to meet the standards of the EU Organic Regulation, as well as a set of higher standards devised by the Soil Association.3 Detailed guides can be found at: www. soilassociation.org/our-standards. There isn’t always a big difference between conventional farming and organic farming. For example, pesticide use is reducing in conventional farming in many countries and strategies such as crop rotation are often used in both types of farming.4 In some countries, organic products differ because they aren’t produced using hormones and antibiotics and cattle are more likely to be grass-fed. In the EU, there are laws against using hormones and antibiotics as a routine part
of food production and the majority of cattle are grass-fed.5,6 Similarly, synthetic pesticides may be used in some cases with organic farming; although this is less likely than with conventional farming. NUTRITIONAL CONTENT
Some minor nutritional differences have been found between organic and conventional produce. For example, systematic reviews found that protein levels may be slightly higher in conventional produce and phosphorus may be slightly higher in organic produce.7,8 However, these small differences are not thought to be clinically meaningful.7,8 Similarly, a meta-analysis of organic versus conventional milk, found higher levels of omega-3, iron, vitamin E and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in organic milk, but lower levels of iodine and selenium.9 However, these differences were relatively small overall. Furthermore, the authors acknowledged that the main reason for this difference was related to whether the cattle were grass-fed, rather than due to organic production overall. Seasonal and geographical differences are also thought to have a big impact on the nutritional content of milk. These authors also conducted a meta-analysis to compare the nutritional content of organic versus conventional meat.10 This found similar levels of saturated fatty acids, but slightly lower levels of monounsaturated fat and higher levels of omega-3 fat in organic meat. But the authors highlighted that the main differences were again likely related to grass-feeding, and that the reliability of the data in this study was found to be low. Studies examining biomarkers or nutrient levels, eg, serum and urinary antioxidant levels, have not found any
Maeve Hanan UK Registered Dietitian Freelance Maeve is a Consultant Dietitian and Health Writer. She also runs the blog Dietetically Speaking.com, which promotes evidence-based nutrition and fights nutritional nonsense.
REFERENCES Please visit: https://www. nhdmag.com/ references.html
www.NHDmag.com December 2019 / January 2020 - Issue 150
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FOOD & DRINK clinically significant differences when organic food was compared with conventional foods.7 It could be argued that the avoidance of genetically-modified (GM) technology in organic food production is limiting in terms of nutrition. This is because GM technology can be used in very beneficial ways. The most famous example of this is production of ‘golden rice’, which is fortified with vitamin A in order to combat vitamin A deficiency (a leading cause of mortality and childhood blindness) in the developing world.11 Another exciting application is the creation of a plant-based source of haem iron using the roots of soya plants from US company Impossible Foods. FOOD SAFETY
Pesticide residue has been found to exceed the maximum residue level (MRL) in both conventional and organic produce; however, this is more common in conventional produce.12 For example, organically grown fruit and nuts exceeded the MRL in 0.4% of cases, whereas this occurred in 2.7% of cases for conventionally grown versions.12 Similarly, organic vegetables exceeded the MRL in 0.5% of cases, whereas conventional vegetables exceeded this in 3.4% of the sample.12 But, it isn’t clear whether pesticide exposure has a direct impact on human health. A recent Danish study found that the effects of chronic pesticide residue consumption was insignificant to health.13 Specifically, chronic pesticide exposure was estimated to have the same health impact as consuming one glass of wine every seven years!13 A high exposure to pesticides in the womb, or in early life, may contribute to worsened cognitive development in children; but evidence is mixed about this.14 Other studies have found that organic vegetables tend to contain lower nitrate levels, although nitrate levels in conventional vegetables are still well below safety cutoffs.15 There is also uncertainty about whether consuming nitrates are harmful, as they have been linked with increasing cancer risk, but may also have heart health benefits, eg, reducing blood pressure.16,17 Organic fruit and vegetables may contain higher levels of natural toxins, but this is based on speculation rather than direct research.15 Organic production of animal-based products has also been associated with slightly higher contamination levels, but this remains within 42
food safety limits.15 Organic fruit and vegetables may have a slightly higher risk of E. coli contamination,7 but, overall, it seems that food safety is more highly influenced by other factors, rather than whether organic or conventional production methods have been used.15 OVERALL IMPACT ON HEALTH
There isn’t strong enough evidence to suggest that consuming organic food confers a significant health benefit.8 Some observational evidence exists around the consumption of organic food and the likelihood of consumers being within the healthy BMI range.14 But this link isn’t robust, as it is likely to have been confounded by the fact that those who consume organic food also tend to have other healthy habits.18 A systematic review from 2012 compared the safety of organic versus conventional food types.7 This identified no differences in terms of the risk of allergy or campylobacter infections between those who consumed organic or conventional food. The lower use of antibiotics in the production of meat and dairy is an important advantage of organic production, due to the global issue of antibiotic resistance.14 However, this is less of a concern in Europe.5 It could also be argued that the environmental and social benefits related to organic production methods may have a positive impact on human health in a wider sense. ORGANIC CONSUMERS
Some studies suggest that consumers who buy organic are more likely to be educated females in a higher income category.19,20 This may be related to the fact that organic produce can be 13% to 200% more expensive, often because of smallerscale production.21,22 It is commonly believed that organic food tastes better than conventional products. However, there is no strong evidence to back this up, as research in this area has been very mixed.23,24 CONCLUSION
Organic food isn’t necessary for good health. There is much more evidence to support the benefits of a healthy balanced diet, which includes plenty of plant-based foods, regardless of whether these foods are organic or not.
www.NHDmag.com December 2019 / January 2020 - Issue 150
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Click here to read the Dec/Jan issue Articles include: • Weaning preterm babies
• Nasogastric tube feeding • Fussy eating in toddlers • Constipation and treatment • Popular liquid diets
• Plant-based diets • Care caterers in social care • Follow-on formula new regulations