Is organic food really healthier?

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Is there really a difference between organic and non-organic food? Some families buy their groceries based off if they are organic or not. But is there really a point in paying that extra cash just to get an organic apple? A package of organic green beans? Organic juice? “Clear differences between organic and non-organic food, study finds” by Damian Currington and George Arnett argue on http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ 2014/jul/11/organic-food-more-antioxidants-study that there is a difference between the two and spending extra may pay off. These authors are knowledgeable because they use surveys, evidence, and data to back up their claims. Nowadays there’s so many different choices to pick from, from the grocery to fast food. With a variety of options to pick from, should one pick something organic or not? In reality, there’s only a few differences. Organic foods have pros and cons but so do non-organic foods. For example, prices, if one gives better health benefits than the other, or what happens if you do choose to eat organic food.  

Do you take the time to read every single food label? Do you take the time to compare each food product you’re buying at the store? Do you strategically think out the servings of each and how much you would potentially eat and make a decision based off of the amount of fiber, calories, calcium, and any other nutritional facts? If you do you might want to think of what Currington and Arnett suggest, “What is most important is what you eat, not whether it's organic or conventional. It's whether you eat fruit and vegetables at all.” This implies as long as you’re taking into account if what you’re eating is healthy or not, that is what counts. If it’s not organic, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s not healthy. They also analyzed a study, “The 2012 study did note that eating organic food might help people avoid pesticide residues.”This supports the idea that if people eat organic food that can help prevent issues in the future with their health and can hopefully reduce the risks of a health issue. All in all, it argues that by not eating organic foods, it won’t hurt you but eating organic food can help. To add, if it’s non-organic food, it’s just important to take into account of what it could actually be made of and not everything one eats needs to be organic.

Future analysis question: What role does GMO type foods play in the food industry?