A recent trip to the farmers market along with my weekly
grocery store trips has left me faced with the conundrum of whether to go
natural or organic. Does that apple that is rich in vitamin A, beta-carotene and
fiber matter when choosing between organic or non-organic? In the
“natural/health” section of the grocery store, should I buy the natural or
organic choices of my favorite snacks? With a little reading and research I
have started to build my personal conclusion behind this subject matter.
Natural foods are those that are minimally processed with no additional hormones, antibiotics, sweeteners, food colors or flavorings added. Natural foods are not recognized by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). With this being said, natural foods do not have strict regulations to follow. Determining if the food is natural depends on the process of how the food is made. One example would be High Fructose Corn Syrup, which has drawn a lot of attention in the field of nutrition. According to a letter from the Food and Drug Administration in 2008, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) can be considered natural if it does not come in contact with the enzymes used during processing. Therefore, if you are trying to avoid HFCS then natural foods may be something to reconsider. However, with much controversy concerning HFCS, it may be worth your time to think about…Are the products containing HFCS and those not containing HFCS similar when broken down and digested in the body? Just leaving you with some food for thought!
Organic foods however do follow strict guidelines and are
defined by uniform, federal regulations. When the food bears the label
“organic” then the food was made following practices defined by the US Department
of Agriculture. With organic on a label the food does not contain toxic,
pesticides, GMOs, antibiotics or artificial growth hormones. Foods that are produced organically are grown
by rotating crops, planting cover crops, releasing beneficial insects and
adding plant wastes to the soil. The livestock on the organic soil are fed
organic feed, hay and pasture. Organic
vs. non-organic is a continued topic of discussion among many individuals,
specifically with the focus on what foods are beneficial to eat organically.
There are some nutritional benefits that have been noted through research
concerning organic foods. A study on strawberries showed that antioxidants, substances
that may help protect cells from damage and possibly help reduce the risk of cancer,
are found higher in organic foods. Other studies focusing on fruits have found
increased nutrients when they are organically produced. Look for the USDA
Organic seal to ensure you are consuming a 95%-100% organically produced food.
Back to the grocery store trips and filling my shopping
cart, or need I say “buggy” since I am currently residing in Tennessee, my
conclusion sways my food choices toward organic. There are foods that I do not
purchase organically, however when given the option of commercially produced
foods or organically produced I will pick the foods bearing the USDA organic
label.
References
and Research
Reganold JP,
Andrews PK, Reeve JR, Carpenter-Boggs L, Schadt CW, et al. (2010) Fruit and
Soil Quality of Organic and Conventional Strawberry Agroecosystems. PLoS
ONE 5(9): e12346. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0012346
Wang,
S. Y., Chen, C. T., Sciarappa, W., Wang, C. Y., & Camp, M. J.,(2008). Fruit
quality, antioxidant capacity, and flavonoid content of organically and
conventionally grown Blueberries. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
56 (14), 5788–5794. Available on-line at: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/jf703775r
Benbrook CM,
Zhao X, Yanez J, Davies N, and Andrews P. New evidence confirms the nutritional
superiority of plant-based organic foods. The Organic Center Report.
March 2008. Available at: http://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/NutrientContentReport.pdf/.
Butler
G et al., Fat compostion of organic and conventional retail milk in northeast
England. Journal of Dairy Science. 201
94:24-36.
http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Business/HFCS-is-natural-says-FDA-in-a-letter
http://www.stonyfield.com/why-organic/organic-defined
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