Is organic really healthier?

Organic food is hip, more and more people are opting for meat, bread, dairy, vegetables and fruit that use as little fertilizer or medicine as possible. That sounds healthy, but is it? There is no clear cut answer to that question.

Organic Brussels sprouts are themselves a bit healthier than non-organic ones (see below). But whether we also become healthier if we eat them is unknown. Strangely enough, very little research has been done on this – and also mainly on animals. The effect on humans has hardly been studied. But a good start is half the battle, according to Maastricht researchers. In the so-called Koala study, they examined a group of babies who were breastfed. Some of the participating mothers were used to eating organic, the other part was not. And what turned out? The ‘organic’ breast milk had a different composition and contained more of a healthy fatty acid (CLA).

What is ‘organic’?
The environment and animal welfare are central to organic farming and animal husbandry. Organic farmers do not use fertilizers, chemical pesticides or genetic engineering. Plants and animals get more time to grow. The demands placed on the welfare of the animals are much higher than in factory farming. In addition, antibiotics and other medicines are used as little as possible. There are therefore usually fewer residues of these substances in biological products. Incidentally, these substances are strictly monitored in the Netherlands, even in conventional products. In principle, the values ​​will never exceed the stated legal quantities. And with regard to hormones in meat: it is prohibited throughout Europe to use hormones in livestock farming. You can assume that they do not occur in your ham steak or tartar, not in organic meat, but also not in meat from factory farming. Milk, porridge and custard
The study also looked at the diet of toddlers. The young toddlers who were served organic milk, porridge and custard had 30 percent less eczema than children who consumed a conventional diet. The difference was not seen with other organic products, such as vegetables, fruit and meat. The children in the study will be followed for even longer, to see whether the health effects remain visible in the longer term. Some research has already been done in animals. The result is ‘somewhat disappointing’. At least that was the reaction of Minister Verburg of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) when a study funded by her ministry into the health effects of organic food on chickens was presented in December 2007. The immune system of the organically fed chickens turned out to be slightly more alert. They were able to recover more quickly after a condition, such as an infection. But otherwise there were no spectacular differences between the two groups of chickens. The researchers find this interesting enough to investigate further, but conclude that you cannot just say that organic is healthier.

Organic Brussels sprouts
Then the organic sprouts. Organic crops contain more antioxidants than conventional products, is the main result of a major study by the European Union. The EU funded this research (cost: €18 million, duration: four years) into whether organic foods have more ‘health value’. The fact that there are more antioxidants in wheat, vegetables and potatoes seems beneficial, because antioxidants help protect our body against diseases. But studies with large amounts of antioxidants in pill form are more likely to show a negative effect. That does not mean that you will get sick from organic beets, because those vitamin pills contain sky-high doses that are not found in food. But it does illustrate that more is not necessarily better. The researchers themselves emphasize that one sprout is not the other. The mutual variation between the crops is so great that an ‘ordinary’ Dutch potato can score much better than a Spanish organic potato. Less nitrate
A number of other studies have also shown that organic vegetables contain more of the (antioxidant) vitamin C than regular vegetables. And especially in potatoes and in leafy vegetables, such as spinach, lettuce, savoy cabbage and chard. The organic variants often also contain less nitrate. In combination with proteins from fish, this substance may be carcinogenic. But here too the following applies: there is a large mutual variation. There is no final verdict yet. For example, in 2006 the Consumers’ Association conducted a study into organic vegetables and found few differences in amounts of vitamin C and nitrate.

green milk
Almost every supermarket sells ‘green’ milk and yoghurt. They are often much more expensive, but are they also much healthier? “Maybe,” is the short answer. There are in any case more antioxidants in organic milk, just like in vegetables and fruit. There may be more differences, but they are less hard. For example, there are indications that organic dairy products have a higher content of the fatty acid CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Babies who ingest a lot of CLA have less eczema, as we saw above. These healthier fatty acids may also help with weight loss, improve the immune system and reduce the risk of some cancers.

Organic dairy also contains more of another type of fatty acid, the omega-3 fatty acids. The health effect of this is somewhat clearer. They keep the heart and brain in good shape. However, this advantage no longer applies exclusively to organic dairy. Some ordinary dairy farmers are also focused on the healthy fats in dairy. The cows of dairy giant Campina, for example, have recently been given special supplementary feed. They are also allowed to graze more in the meadow. For example, ‘normal’ milk also contains more healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, there are studies that show that there are different proteins in organic grains than in conventional grains. Organic grains contain less protein, but the proteins are of better quality. This means that they are a bit better in line with the proteins that occur in the human body and are therefore possibly better absorbed. Whether those better proteins lead to better bread or pastries is another question.

How can these differences in organic products be explained? Manure may be the cause of vegetables, fruit, potatoes and grains. (Artificial) fertilizer ensures that products grow quickly. Because less manure is used in organic farming, the crops grow more slowly and are often smaller and less ‘pumped up’. Difference in wateriness
Furthermore, organic products contain less water and more ‘dry matter’. And it is precisely in that dry matter that the nutrients, such as vitamins and antioxidants, are found. You can clearly see the difference in wateriness with meat. An organic pork chop often shrinks a lot less in the frying pan than a regular pork chop. Organic meat contains 10-20 percent less moisture than meat from factory farming. This is because the growth rate of the organic animals is not artificially boosted with antibiotics (which have a growth-stimulating effect) and concentrates, and because other breeds are used. More dry matter actually also means more value for money: you pay for less water and more nutrients. The dry matter content is also an explanation for the taste differences between organic products and conventional products. Although in taste tests by, for example, the Consumers’ Association, the organic products do not always come out as the best… Maybe we are no longer used to that full, less watery taste?

Meanwhile, organic products are not always the best. For example, the Consumers’ Association discovered that some brands of organic chicken breast contain a lot of antibiotics, while organic animals are given much less antibiotics. Fewer antibiotics can also have disadvantages, because there are studies showing that organic chickens are more susceptible to diseases as a result. There is also a greater chance that biological animals are infected with bacteria and parasites. They forage or graze more in groups, so that they can infect each other more easily. In the past, the toxic substance dioxin has been found in organic eggs.

Organic fruits and vegetables can contain more natural toxins, such as fungi. That is the ‘change’ for renunciating pesticides. Is that bad? Toxicologists believe that people should not be so concerned about these toxins. Nor about pesticide residues on ‘normal’ products. “Almost all foods contain substances that can be harmful to health,” says Jacob van Klaveren of the Rikilt Institute for Food Safety. “These can be pesticides left behind, but also toxins that are naturally found in plants.”Pink glasses
Is organic really better for health? If you wear rose-colored glasses, it is best to answer this question with ‘yes’. For example, the composition of organic products sometimes comes out better. But if we are very honest, there is still no level to measure. Not enough research has been done. The moral of this story? An apple is an apple, organically grown or not. The most important advice remains: eat a varied diet and make healthy choices. A banana is better than a biscuit, salmon with boiled potatoes and asparagus is healthier than a pizza. Even though that pizza is still so ‘organic’ baked.

Green and greener
Organic food is a trend: in 2007, Dutch consumers spent more than 13 percent more on organic products than one year previously. In Europe, Denmark is the country with the largest market share of organic products (5.1 percent). The Netherlands is in the middle class with 2 percent.

Pluses and minuses of organic products