Organic Foods Taste Test

These days it is costing us more and more to treat our bodies like the temples that they are. According to the USDA, organic produce costs and extra $0.13 to $0.36 per pound! Organic milk can have the most overwhelming influence on our pocketbooks costing $6 per gallon. So why am I, along with other health professionals and food experts, still recommending sticking with organic foods as much as possible?

Although the nutrients in produce are arguably similar for both conventional and organic fruits and vegetables, it's the pesticides and added chemicals we are most concerned about. The conventional milk, for example, is made from cows treated with hormones and antibiotics. The hormones are given to the cows in order to produce more milk and antibiotics are used to keep the cows healthy since they are housed is such close quarters with other milking cows. As kids gobble down their bowls of cereal, think about the milk they are slurping with every bite. The antibiotics found in the milk can lead to resistance by our immune systems and the extra hormones disrupt hormonal balance, especially in sensitive individuals.

Besides avoiding the chemical burden, taste is also an upside of organic foods. Time Magazine gathered some of the leading chefs in the industry to sit down and do a taste test comparing organic versus conventional foods. Results were overwhelmingly in favor of organic, at least for such items as chicken, white nectarines, pork, tomatoes, and eggs.

Kluger J. What's so great about organic food? Time Magazine. 2010; 176 (9): 30-46.