Many have not yet discovered the value of organically grown food. Some may think growing food without the aid of modern chemicals (fertilizers & pesticides), is inefficient and more costly, volumes of research are proving otherwise. Growing organic is not only healthier for the land and environment, but organic fruits, vegetables and grains are proving to be in many instances twice as nutritious as food produced by commercial agribusinesses. I have compiled here bits and pieces of many studies, which I believe present a good case for buying and eating organic as much as possible. Not surprisingly, much of the research is coming from Europe, where the chemical and drug lobby is not so powerful.

Organic produce is nutritionally superior. Organically grown produce was higher in most minerals and vitamins and lower in potentially harmful nitrates, which result from nitrogen fertilizers. Using the USDA recommendation of five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, it was determined that consuming organically grown produce might make the difference between a deficient and an adequate diet.

Scientists at the University of Washington investigated 43 children from the Seattle area who either ate mostly conventionally grown or organic fresh fruit and vegetables and fruit juices. The children eating primarily organic diets had only one-sixth the level of organophosphorus pesticide metabolite concentrations compared with those eating conventional diets.

"Chickens on organic grain began laying earlier, and at faster rates. They laid twice as many fertile eggs, and the eggs kept better."

Fruits and vegetables grown organically show significantly higher levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown foods, a new study suggests. The research found that pesticides and herbicides actually thwart the production of phenolics -- chemicals that act as a plant's natural defense and also happen to be good for our health.

Organic food is not just tastier and better for the environment, it also makes better business sense. The first comprehensive study of apple-growing systems provides evidence that there are financial as well as environmental rewards for apple growers who go organic. The study compared the economic and environmental sustainability of conventional, organic and integrated apple production systems in Washington State from 1994 to 1999, analyzing differences in yields, costs, taste, soil quality, energy use and environmental impacts. Headed by soil scientist John Reganold, the research project planted Golden Delicious apples on four acres loaned by a 50-acre commercial farm in the state's Yakima Valley apple district. Each growing system was tested in four different plots, laid out in a random fashion. The three systems gave similar apple yields. The organic and integrated systems had higher soil quality and potentially lower negative environmental impact than the conventional system. The organic orchard was more energy efficient than the conventional and integrated systems, requiring less labor and less water per apple produced. The organic system produced sweeter and less tart apples, higher profitability and greater energy efficiency. The organic system ranked first in environmental and economic sustainability, the integrated system, using a combination of organic and conventional techniques, ranked second and the conventional system last.

Over a two-year period, organically and conventionally grown apples, potatoes, pears, wheat, and sweet corn were purchased in the western suburbs of Chicago and analyzed for mineral content. Four to 15 samples were taken for each food group. On a per-weight basis, average levels of essential minerals were much higher in the organically grown than in the conventionally grown food. The organically grown food averaged 63% higher in calcium, 78% higher in chromium, 73% higher in iron, 118% higher in magnesium, 178% higher in molybdenum, 91% higher in phosphorus, 125% higher in potassium and 60% higher in zinc. The organically raised food averaged 29% lower in mercury than the conventionally raised food.

Danish scientists have substantiated a nutritional difference between organic and conventional vegetables. They found that organically grown vegetables have a higher concentration of flavonoids -- natural antioxidants.

The evidence from properly conducted scientific studies shows that on average organic food is better for you than non-organic food: It's more nutritious. On average our research found higher vitamin C, higher mineral levels and higher phytonutrients -- plant compounds which can be effective against cancer. There's also less water in organic vegetables so pound for pound you get more carrot for your carrot. Tests with people and animals eating organic show it makes a real difference to health. Alternative cancer therapies have achieved good results relying on the exclusive consumption of organic food. Animal feeding trials have shown better reproductive health, better growth, better recovery from illness."

Conventional oranges are larger than organically-grown oranges, and they have a deeper orange color. Because of their size, "we were expecting twice as much vitamin C in the conventional oranges," said Clark. But to his surprise, chemical isolation combined with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed that the organically-grown oranges contained 30% more vitamin C than the conventionally-grown fruits -- even though they were only about half the size.

A 21-year Swiss study of organic and conventional farming systems provides evidence that large-scale organic farming is economically viable and environmentally sustainable over the long haul. The trial demonstrates that organic crop production is amazingly efficient -- organic farming produced more food with less energy and fewer resources.

Alex Jack, a health writer in Massachusetts, and Anne-Marie Mayer, a nutrition researcher in Britain (now at Cornell), separately compared government reports on the levels of vitamins and minerals in fresh food in the 1990s and from several decades ago. Both revealed significant declines in calcium and iron in a variety of raw fruits and vegetables. Each comparison also noted declines in other nutrients, including vitamins A and C, and potassium.

Alex Jack reported on his comparison of US Department of Agriculture food composition tables from 1975 and 1997 that average calcium levels in 12 fresh vegetables have declined 27%, iron levels have dropped 37%, vitamin A levels, 21%; and vitamin C levels, 30%. "This suggests a steady deterioration in soil, air, and water quality, as well as reduced seed vitality, that is depleting minerals," he said.

The 1999 report on the University of Wisconsin-Madison's ongoing 37-year project monitoring the effects of nitrogen fertilisers in the US concluded that agriculture's continuing overapplication of nitrogen fertilizers is causing irreparable damage to the soil. It said US farms have "a 50% applied nitrogen efficiency rate" -- only half the nitrogen applied to the soil is actually used by the crop. The other half becomes harmful nitric acid. They said three decades of such overuse of nitrogen has destroyed much of the soil's fertility, causing it to age the equivalent of 5,000 years.

Few of us have the genetic constitution to escape the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. The answer is simple, but not necessarily easy. Eat whole natural and organic foods when possible. Avoid processed foods - whether it comes from the health food store or the junk food burger joint. Go out of your way to buy organic and increase the consumer demand for organic. Your money talks. We need to put the chemical fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide industry out of business through our refusal to buy their handiwork. Demand organic and farming will accommodate.

Because young children are more vulnerable to developmental damage from pesticide residues in foods, widening the margin of safety for them is appropriate. Why are children especially vulnerable? Partly, it's because of their fast growth and speedy metabolisms, partly because of their smaller size, which means they eat more fruits and vegetables in relation to their body weight than adults do. At least they should be eating fruits and vegetables, right?

When you choose organic, you're not only protecting your family's health, you're helping to protect the environment, too. The environment is our groundwater . . . it's our world. Organic is healthy for farmers, healthy for plants, healthy for animals, and healthy for kids. It's a legacy we can feel good about leaving to future generations.

~ Dr. Kyle D. Christensen D.C. ~

"Herbal first Aid is insightful, clear, and an easy to follow resource book on herbs. It covers herbal lifesaving techniques, storage of herbal remedies and ancient herbal wisdom. This book is a must for alternative health practitioners and I am looking forward to having it in my collection of books on remedies and first aid". - Ellen w. Cutler, D.C. Author of The Food Allergy Cure