New study supports organic foods

An international team of experts conducted the largest study of its kind on organic foods.
The results were recently published in the British Journal, Nutrition. The study analyzed the past 343 studies comparing organic and conventional crops and it found there are health benefits to going organic.

In almost every aisle of the grocery store, you find yourself with a choice of buying organic or conventional food.

Bill Ayzin, owner of Wealth of Health in Idaho Falls, said over the years, customers have been taking to organic.

“Nation wide there is more and more demand,” said Ayzin.

Consumers are still reluctant to buy organic for one reason.

“Very simple: cost,” said Ayzin.

On average organic food costs up to 20 percent more than conventional food.

“Idaho Falls being a very price sensitive, the community balked at even 20 percent,” said Ayzin

According to this study, if a person spent that 20 percent extra, and bought the same produce they usually do, in organic, one would get a 20 to 40 percent increase in antioxidants.

“For the first time they showed significantly higher levels of antioxidants, Vitamin A, B, zinc, beta carotene in addition to benefits of no chemical exposure,” said Ayzin.

The study also showed organic foods have up to 87 percent less of those toxic chemicals.

Ayzin said getting rid of that toxic load is enough for some people to make the change.

“From the perspective of getting rid of pesticides and herbicides and cutting down risk of every known cancer driven by these chemicals you may save yourself many years down the road of healthy living,” said Ayzin.

Making that change on a bigger scale for farms and companies that mass produce food is something Ayzin says is a tougher battle.

“The country has to change the pastures and the field to go organic,” said Ayzin.

Ayzin said from a health perspective organic is worth it.

“If you can go organic, go organic, it’s probably the best possible investment you can make,” said Ayzin.

Not everyone can afford a 100 percent organic diet. The Dirty Dozen is a good way for people to see which foods contain the most and which foods contain the least pesticide residue.

In Idaho, organic foods generate more than $50 million in sales.