Well, according to a recent study released in the UK by the Food Standards Agency, the answer is a firm “maybe”. Their study was a review, looking at research conducted on organic versus conventional foods over the past 50 years. At the end of the day, they only included results from 55 of 160 plus studies and their conclusion was that organic food offers only a smidgen more nutrition than conventionally grown foods.

But, and this is a BIG OL' BUT, they didn't look at the longterm detrimental health effects of the pesticides used on the farming of conventional foods.

Aren't pesticides the main issue when it comes to organic versus conventional??

And, here's one more thing to ponder when considering the source of the research, the use of pesticides on conventional foods has increased 50-fold in the last 50 years. Hmmmm.

I'll leave you to draw your own conclusion. But, here are my two cents (you know I couldn't close up without giving them): maybe, just maybe the nutritional value isnt that different when it comes to organic vs. conventional, but the pesticide load sure is. And pesticides are toxic chemicals that wreak all sorts of havoc on our systems and cause hormonal disruptions, birth defects, nerve damage and cancer.

No thanks!

For more information on what foods are most important to buy organic, check out the Environmental Working Group's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides.