Research Studies...

The following article appeared in my inbox this morning. I'm not going to lie, this is a slight rant. There might be touches of sarcasm throughout the article. I still have yet to decide why we, as a society, feel the need to spend money on 'research studies' to tell us some logical conclusions that most 5th graders are able to discern. You'll see what I mean when you read this current study based on organic vs. non-organic food. I'll post my own conclusions at the bottom. I also added the bold & italicized comments below throughout the article.
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The Proof is In: Organic is More Nutritious

By Deirdre Dolan Updated: 11/15/2007 2:36:02 PM

Ask an Organic Mom

It seems like every day someone emails me another news story about the hidden dangers of plastic.

I usually stop whatever I'm doing to read it, more convinced with every each new study and infertile rat that we're doomed to extinction by plastic. When I'm done I usually look up to find my one year-old daughter trying to stuff something plastic into her mouth, despite the variety of brightly colored non-toxic wood toys lying around her on the floor.

So I was happy to read something good this morning about something that plays a big part in my life —they've proven that organic milk is better for you! All the money I've been spending on the stuff — and it's up to $15 dollars a day because I'm pregnant and it really helps my heartburn — is worth it. The same goes for organic food.

For the past seven years, the organic food lobby in England has been trying to get the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to change their claim that organic food isn't safer or healthier. And now, after a 4-year, 12million pound, European Union-funded investigation led by Newcastle University that shows organic foods have far more nutritional value, they may soon get their way. The study isn't over yet and the results will be published over the next year, but the hope is that the FSA will change its claim that "the balance of current scientific evidence does not support" the idea that organic food is more nutritious than conventional.

The Quality Low Input Food project, the biggest of its kind, took a 725-acre farm in north-east England, grew conventional produce (like cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and what) next to organic produce, and compared the results.

The biggest contrast was found for milk. The study found that levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle were between 50% and 80% higher than conventional milk (60% to 80% more nutrients in the summer than conventional milk, and 50% to 60% more in the winter). Organic milk also has higher levels of vitamin E, and 60 percent more antioxidants and desirable fatty acids. Antioxidants help with a healthy circulatory system and help keep cancer and heart disease away.

Other highlights:

1 Fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more nutrients if they are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. (what a concept!)

2 Up to 40% more antioxidants could be found in organic fruit and vegetables than in those conventionally farmed. (that warms my heart.)

3 Potatoes, kiwi fruit and carrots were among the organic produce found to be higher in vitamin C.

4 Higher levels of minerals and antioxidants were found in organically- farmed lettuce, spinach and cabbage. Organic spinach and cabbage have more minerals. (you mean I don't get adequate levels of antioxidants from DDT? thanks for telling me 20 years later!)

5 Organic produce also had higher levels of iron and zinc, vital nutrients lacking in many people's diets.

6 Organic cheese can have up to twice as many nutrients than conventional varieties. (And all along I thought steriods and growth hormone given to little cows to grow into big cows were laced with Calcium)

7 Organic tomatoes, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, onions and wheat have 20 to 40 per cent more antioxidants than conventional fruit and vegetables. (where have I been the last 25 years of my coherent life?)

Deirdre Dolan and Alexandra Zissu are the authors of The Complete Organic Pregnancy. They write the Ask an Organic Mom blog for The Daily Green.com, where they answer your questions about how to raise a toxin-free baby.

www.thedailygreen.com is the new consumer's guide to the green revolution. From saving money to saving the planet, you'll find ideas, recipes, news and more every single day.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.
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I guess the powers that be in other nations have managed to model the U.S. government when it comes to wasting money doing studies that provide useless conclusions...unless they are 'providing jobs' which is an entirely different rant (which will becoming soon :)

My conclusion: The only thing that is left in our progressive world is 'uncommon' sense. Now go consume some high-vitamin/mineral-potent-organic-food! It may just help you gain some 'uncommon' sense :)