Truth About Organic Foods - Is Organic Really Better For You?

As supermarkets boast aisles of organic foods and well-known name brands from Tositos to Nestles roll out their own organic products, the conscientious grocery shopper - with cart in tow - might wonder, "Is organic really better for me?"

Organic foods are those created with certain production standards in mind. Farmers must take care to keep certain chemicals and pesticides away from the produce and the food cannot be genetically altered. Producers growing foods meeting the criteria must obtain a special license to call their foods organic, but it's important to keep in mind that there is not just one type of certification. Some allow the use of certain chemicals and pesticides on their products.

When it comes to the debate over whether organic foods or traditional foods are more nutritious, the jury is still out.

"We don't know enough to say that one is better than the other," says David Klurfeld, chairman of the Nutrition and Food Science Department at Wayne State University.

Some studies say the nutritional value of the organic food is higher then regular food, but the difference is minimal, producing little to no life-changing effects in your body.

One thing experts can say for sure about organic food, however, is that is uses less pesticides and chemicals in the production process. This means organic foods are safer for you. It also means that by eating organically, you will be doing your part to make sure those chemicals stay out of our soil, water and air. Some foods you might want to be particularly weary of are:

• Strawberries
  
• Apples
  
• Peaches
  
• Spinach
  
• Potatoes
  
• Pears
  
• Cabbage
  
• Cherries
  
• Celery
• Grapes
  
• Sweet Bell Peppers
  
• Nectarines

For those shoppers on a budget, traditional foods take the lead in being the more economical purchase, but if you are concerned, the best advice is to stay aware of the products you are buying and continue to educate yourself. If nutritional value is your main concern, however, both products equal out to about the same.

By Jason Yun