With all due respect to my fellow OrganicAuthority.com blogger, Gerry Pugliese, who recently shed doubt on whether organic foods are actually more nutritious: I strongly disagree!

It’s been proven, scientifically, that plant-based organic foods are higher in nutrients and better for our health. I am deeply passionate about this – in fact it’s one of the core reasons I launched OrganicAuthority.com several years ago!

After studying the science behind how conventional and organic foods are grown in culinary school, I had a paradigm shift. I discovered why organic foods taste better and are of superior quality: we aren’t spraying them with synthetic toxic pesticides that are designed to kill (see the EPAs definition of pesticides). And I discovered that we are poisoning the earth, humans, animals and everything in between with these same synthetic toxic pesticides (see our blog Carbofuran Gets the Axe – a single granule of the chemical can kill an adult bird).

Today, I consider organic food to be one of the most powerful forms of preventive medicine we have available to the human race; and is a key component to green and healthy living. The good news is, you can simply buy organic foods over the counter! If you think organic foods are expensive, I say try health care and prescription drugs. Now that’s expensive. There are truly miraculous stories of people healing themselves from serious disease and illness like diabetes, heart disease, cancer, MS and more, simply by switching to a pure organic whole foods diet. The added bonus, organic foods are of superior quality and flavor!

Myriad qualified experts agree that organic food is nutrient-rich and healthier than ‘conventionally’ grown foods…

Organic Produce: Nutritional Powerhouse

In a study published in March 2008 by The Organic Center,1 a host of past and present studies were analyzed.

One of them, The Worthington study, focused on fertilizers and food nutrition levels. In the study, four nutrients tested as being significantly higher than conventionally-grown food, while one “toxic” nutrient (Nitrate) was significantly lower in organic food (that’s a good thing):

• Vitamin C: +27%
• Iron: +21%
• Magnesium: +29%
• Phosphorus: +19%
• Nitrates: -15%

The same study also found higher quality protein in organic foods vs. conventional food (higher quality protein is determined by the number of amino acids that are evident).

Healthier Food, Organically Grown

In another recent study entitled “Living Soil, Food Quality, and the Future of Food,”2 the following was revealed:

• Organically grown spinach demonstrates significantly higher levels of flavonoids (an antioxidant) and vitamin C, and lower levels of nitrates.

• Organically farmed tomatoes have significantly higher levels of soluble solids and natural plant molecules called secondary plant metabolites, including flavonoids, lycopene, and Vitamin C. Most secondary plant metabolites are antioxidants, a class of plant compounds that have been linked to improved human health in populations that consume relatively high levels of fruit and vegetables.

Definition of Organic Food: Common Sense Dictates Better Health!

Organic foods are grown without the use of chemical fertilizer or pesticides and have not been processed using irradiation or added hormones.

Let me repeat:

• no fertilizers
• no pesticides
• no irradiation (the process of exposing food to radiation)
• no added hormones

I’m not a scientist, but this statement alone is quite convincing that organic foods are a healthier and more nutritionally rich option! Simply put, organically grown foods are not bombarded with synthetic, toxic chemicals that are linked to serious diseases like cancer.

As always, be an informed consumer:

• Products labeled “100 percent organic” must contain only organic ingredients with the exception of water and salt, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
• Products labeled “organic” must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients.
• Products that are made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients are allowed to be labeled “made with organic ingredients.

Interested in step-by-step, personalized guidance on creating a healthy, green lifestyle? Check out my free Green Club online introduction video to find out more!

1. The Organic Center, March, 2008 Report:
http://www.organic-center.org/science.latest.php?action=view&report_id=126

2. The Organic Center, March 13, 2009 Press Release:
http://www.organic-center.org/news.pr.php?action=detail&pressrelease_id=28