Growing up in the 90’s there was not much discussion about ”organic” versus “non-organic” foods. Today every time you go into a grocery store it seems that you have the option of deciding between organic and non-organic. A majority of shoppers will naturally gravitate towards the non-organic options simply because they believe they are getting the same product for a cheaper price.  But are they really getting the same product and saving money? What really is the difference between organic and non-organic? Is there even a difference?

Look around your local area. Most people will see at least one all-organic food store such as Trader Joe’s, WholeFoods Store or other local organic stores only found in that area. In Virginia Beach where I live, for example, we have multiple: Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and two locally owned stores, Heritage House and Organic Food Depot. These stores listed above only sell organic products, including basic things like cleaning products, soaps and paper towels.  These stores over the years have become increasingly popular and are a very big hit in major cities such as Washington, D.C.  As stated in the article Marketing U.S. Organic Foods: Recent Trends From Farms to Consumers, “The marketing boom has pushed retail sales of organic foods up to $21.1 billion in 2008 from $3.6 billion in 1997.”  What is the reason for this? Many believe that organic foods because of the way they are grown, harvested, and handled contain more benefits for the human body.

What is organic? Organic farming began in the 1940s in response to the industrialization of agriculture known as the Green Revolution. “The word “organic” refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat,” according to the articleNutrition and Healthy Eating. According to this same article, organic farming benefits the earth because of the lack of pesticides and chemical fertilizers that are otherwise used during farming.

How is organic food healthier and more beneficial one might ask? Organic foods  are grown without the use of pesticides, they are not processed with irradiation (a process that is used to help products last longer on store shelves), and they also do not contain food or chemical additives.  “Annals of Agri Bio Research” (a collection of volumes about Agricultural and Biological sciences) states that the use of pesticides on foods consumed by humans have led to a “range of diseases and disorders.” When consuming organic food people are consuming the food in it’s natural form without it having undergone any modification. Personally, I choose organic when given the option. The reason for this is because I think that the more natural the food is the better it is for the body. Processed foods, and foods  grown with pesticides sprayed on them contain chemicals and other substances not meant for the human body.

According to the article “Give (Frozen) Peas a Chance and Carrots Too,” “Organic food is great, it’sjust not very democratic.” Organic products tend to have a significant mark-up on price when compared to non-organic products. This is the reason that many people would rather buy non-organic than organic. After conducting a survey of 10 freshmen college students in which I asked them about their views and beliefs on organic food the majority responded stating that they do believe that there are differences between organic and non-organic. These students continued to say that although they believe thatthere are benefits to eating organic they do not believe that these benefits warrant the need to go out and purchase groceries at a higher price.

So is organic food REALLY worth the extra dime? The article “Nutrition and Healthy Eating” also says that there has not been enough evidence to prove that organic foods are healthier to consume or that they taste better.  Experts disagree though. According to “Organic vs Conventional: What do the experts say?,” Marion Nestle, Ph.D, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University and also author of “What to Eat” states that “ Everyone wants to be healthy and these foods convey an aura of health.” Organic food is more expensive but in the long run will pose many more benefits to the body that conventional non-organic foods cannot. It just makes sense to avoid consuming pesticides and other chemicals due to the simple fact that these are not things meant to be in the human body.

There are numerous alternative medicines being advertised. Aromatherapy and essential oils are said to improve their physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of cancer patients. Coenzyme Q10 acts as an antioxidant and helps protect the heart from chemotherapy. Fish oil is used to reduce systemic inflammation and improve cardiovascular health, among other things. Probiotics increase the amount of healthy bacteria in the GI tract, which helps aid in digestive health. Garlic and garlic supplements are used to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, as well as prevent atherosclerosis.