© Getty Images

What is organic food? -

This has to do with the process of how the foods are produced. Organic foods are produced without the use of artificial chemicals, hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified organisms.

© Getty Images

What is organic food? -

Organic foods are also free of artificial food additives, such as artificial sweeteners, monosodium glutamate (MSG), preservatives, coloring, and flavoring.

© Shutterstock

What is used to produce organic food? -

Farmers use natural fertilizers, such as manure, instead of artificial products.

© Shutterstock

How about animals? -

Animals raised in organic farms are free of antibiotics and hormones.

© Shutterstock

Are organic foods more nutritious? -

Research is not conclusive. There are a number of studies that point to numerous benefits, while others found no differences between organic and non-organic foods.

© Shutterstock

Studies that found differences -

According to a number of studies, organically grown crops are actually richer in antioxidants and vitamins.

© Shutterstock

How much more nutritious? -

A study found that organic berries and corn contained 58% more antioxidants and up to 52% more vitamin C than those grown through conventional farming methods.

© Shutterstock

More antioxidants -

Because crops are not protected by chemical pesticides, they develop higher levels of antioxidants.

© Shutterstock

More antioxidants -

According to a study, replacing regular fruit and veggies for organic ones is comparable to eating an extra one to two portions a day.

© Shutterstock

Nitrate levels -

High levels of these chemical compounds can be harmful for our health. Organic foods have lower levels of nitrate.

© Shutterstock

Cadmium -

This metal can be potentially toxic, and organic crops do have less cadmium than non-organic produce.

© Shutterstock

Organic dairy -

Organic milk and other dairy products are richer in omega-3 fatty acids, iron, and vitamin E.

© Shutterstock

Non-organic dairy -

Though non-organic milk actually has higher levels of selenium and iodine, when compared to organic milk.

© Shutterstock

Organic meat -

Similar to milk, there are also more omega-3 fatty acids in organic meat. In addition, it has slightly lower levels of saturated fats than non-organic meat.

© Shutterstock

Health benefits -

Animal studies suggest that organic food can be beneficial for things such as the immune system and reproduction. A study found that chickens that were fed an organic diet had stronger immune systems and had a healthier weight.

© Shutterstock

Health benefits -

A study found that consumption of organic dairy products was associated with lower eczema risk in children under the age of two.

© Shutterstock

Mixed evidence -

While some studies found benefits in consuming organic foods, other studies concluded the opposite. Let’s take a look at what research says.

© Shutterstock

Systematic review -

A systematic review done to find out whether organic foods are safer or healthier than conventional alternatives concluded that “the published literature lacks strong evidence that organic foods are significantly more nutritious than conventional foods.”

© Shutterstock

Systematic review -

But the review also concluded that “consumption of organic foods may reduce exposure to pesticide residues and antibiotic-resistant bacteria.”

© Shutterstock

Nutrients -

An observational study comparing the nutritional intake of almost 4,000 people eating organic and non-organic vegetables found that “there is insufficient evidence to recommend organic over conventional vegetables.”

© Shutterstock

Nutritional quality of organic foods -

Another systematic review, covering a period of 50 years (1958 to 2008), found that “there is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs.”

© Shutterstock

Nutritional quality of organic foods -

The review also concluded that “the small differences in nutrient content detected are biologically plausible and mostly relate to differences in production methods.”

© Shutterstock

Cancer risk -

An observational study of over 600,000 women found no evidence that an organic diet reduces cancer risk.

© Shutterstock

Organic processed food is still bad for you -

Junk food is junk food, regardless of the label. Organic cookies or sodas, for example, are also harmful for you.

© Shutterstock

Organic processed food is still bad for you -

It doesn’t really matter if a product uses raw cane sugar or organic corn syrup instead of regular plain sugar. In the end, it’s all sugar.

© Shutterstock

Labels -

Depending on the country, there are different labels for organic foods. Not all foods labeled as “organic” are 100% organic.

© Shutterstock

Considerations -

Buying from local producers, whether or not these are ethically-sourced products, your income, and other factors all play a role in whether or not people choose to consume organic products.

© Shutterstock

Bottom line -

Organic food might be free from chemicals, but more research is needed on whether it makes a significant difference in nutritional value and health benefits.

© Shutterstock

See also - How to eat to save the planet

© iStock