Is organic really that much healthier?

Those who eat organic usually do so for their health. But is it true that fruits and vegetables from organic farming are healthier anyway? It is not easy to answer that question clearly. The experts do not agree on this.

In 2009, the British published a report that showed that there are no clear differences between organic food and regular food. Although we have to take this study with a grain salt to take. Because what have the British researchers done? They summarized existing international studies on the subject. Only they used such radical selection criteria that ultimately only 55 studies remained. “A ridiculous figure by statistical standards when the aim is to map all nutrients in all cultivated plant species,” say most nutritionists.

magnesium, iron and zinc
The full version of the UK report – a version that covered 162 studies but was never published – is more compelling. “The results appear to largely coincide with the results published by the French Food Safety Agency AFSSA in 2003,” says our nutritionist.

What the French and British experts agree on? They all come to the conclusion that organic vegetables and fruits contain more dry matter (up to 20 percent more) compared to conventional products. That means less water and more nutrients. They also found that the content of some essential minerals such as magnesium, iron and zinc was slightly higher.

But these are moderate differences from classic vegetables and fruits. The question is whether these differences are really big enough to have an effect on health. “Organic food is of course not a panacea. But every extra nutrient, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. We know, for example, that two thirds of all women have an iron deficiency: if they can increase their iron status by a few percent with the help of organic food, jacking it up, that’s a good thing anyway,” said the nutritionist. In other words, every little bit helps.

More polyphenols
The French and British also agree on another trump card of organic food: organic vegetables and fruits contain up to two times more polyphenols than their non-organic counterparts. “We don’t yet know exactly how these molecules work. But it is certain that they have a beneficial effect on health, mainly thanks to their antioxidant properties.” Polyphenols should, in addition to heart and vascular disease, also certain forms of cancer help prevent. And they would delay cell aging.

It is no coincidence that organic potatoes or pears, for example, contain a high concentration of polyphenols: they make them to defend themselves against external attacks (by bacteria, insects). Since organic crops are not protected by pesticides, they naturally perfect their own defense mechanism. The skin in particular is particularly rich in polyphenols. And with organic vegetables and fruits, the peel can be eaten with peace of mind, as it does not contain any pesticides.

Almost no pesticides
Can you really be sure that you do not ingest chemical pesticides if you choose organic food? Let’s go over some numbers. In January 2007, the Belgian consumer organization Test-Achats published the results of a large-scale investigation into pesticides: in four countries, 361 products were checked for the presence of 153 types of pesticides. Just over a quarter of the Belgian samples contained pesticide concentrations above or around the established MRL value.

It is much better with organic food. “Several studies in different countries indicate that only 2 to 3 percent of organic vegetables and fruits are contaminated,” says our expert. We do not yet know exactly how toxic pesticides are for humans. But in animals, the findings are increasingly clear and alarming: leukemia, lymph node and other cancers.

Bye bye nitrates
Nitrates become extremely toxic when the body converts them into nitrites: they are then carcinogenic. Our traditional diet also scores poorly on this point. Vegetables from conventional agriculture – fruit is not a problem – contain a lot of nitrates. Since the soil contains far too many nitrates due to the fertilization, the vegetables do not manage to use them completely.

Globally, organic vegetables contain half the amount of nitrates. Interesting to know: those who eat a lot of non-organically grown vegetables often flirt with the maximum nitrate intake set by the World Health Organization (200 mg/day). This is not surprising, if you know that lettuce or spinach from conventional agriculture contains 1000 to 2000 mg of nitrates per kilo…

What about fungi?
Finally, we zoom in on an argument that opponents of organic food often use: since organic vegetables and fruits are not treated with fungicides, they are said to contain mycotoxins; extremely dangerous substances that are also carcinogenic.

Nutritionist Lairon sees no cause for concern, however. “According to the studies at our disposal, organic crops do not contain more mycotoxins than conventional ones. In addition, the controls are particularly strict, especially for cereals, which are the most susceptible to these mycotoxins,” he concludes.

However, we must not lose sight of the fact that there is still an acute shortage of scientific data on organic food. Further research is necessary and an unequivocal conclusion cannot yet be drawn. Unless you count the fuller flavor, according to connoisseurs.