Organic Food, Conventional Food

[nancylebov]

Over at Less Wrong, I raised the question of whether there's evidence that organic food is better for health than conventional food, and asked for anything from anecdotes to studies.

Less Wrong being Less Wrong, someone raised the question of whether conventional food might be healthier.

In any case, they turned up nothing in the way of evidence, as distinct from heuristics or very vaguely related experiments. (Strange but true: food from plants which have to fight off insects for themselves is more mutagenic than food from plants which are protected with pesticides. Or at least sort of true-- I don't know how many mutations or species of bacteria this was tested on.)

So I'm asking a (mostly?) different bunch of people here. Have you heard or tried anything comparing the health effects of organic vs. conventional on people? Mammals? Multi-cellular organisms of any sort?

Comments

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

That's why we push for organic farming practices. Not so you can feel good about your diet.

I'm not sure who your "we" is.

I think a lot of people who prefer organic/sustainable food do share your larger concerns, though I don't see the health of farm workers mentioned much.

However, I also see claims that organic food is healthier for the people who consume it, and I'm interested in whether there's evidence for that part.

[ritaxis.livejournal.com]

Right, you don't see the health of farm workers mentioned much, and it's a problem.

Organic food is healthier for the people who do and don't consume it, because it entails less toxins in the overall environment.

Myself, because I'm this close to the wire, I do a calculation when I buy produce: can I possibly? Lately the answer is yes more often than not . . . except that, being in an agricultural area, I am also blessed with food banks that mostly give out produce, so I'm not actually buying that much produce these days. The Grey Bears bag is almost enough greens to get through the week all by itself, since I also get some meals from work.

edited for typo. Probably missed some.

[houseboatonstyx.livejournal.com]

Well, remember there is always more money behind research defending tobacco, air pollution, chemical foods, etc -- than behind research that might support the other side.