Are organic foods healthier than inorganic foods?

Answer 1

[1] In theory, they should be. For organic foods aren't subjected to all the artificial, commercial, synthetic processing that conventional methods put their food products through. [2] Conventional production handles stresses such as disease and pests with artificial, synthetic chemicals such as the 'cides. And it can focus on quick growth to lush sizes through additives, fertilizers such as heavy-handed NPK [nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium], genetically modified organisms, and hormones. [3] Organic production responds with botanicals [made from plants], horticultural oils, and insecticidal soaps; and with compost, compost tea, and organic slow release fertilizers. [4] So a big concern with conventionally produced food is the barrage of chemicals before, during and after production; and the residues of the barrage. [5] That's not supposed to be a concern with organically produced food. [6] But some of the botanicals such as rotenone have turned out not to be so environmentally friendly.

Organic vegetables tend to be higher in antioxidants and beneficial phytochemicals like lycopene, lutein, and sulphoraphane, which are often produced by plants in response to environmental stresses and leaf damage by insect pests. Our bodies use phytochemicals like these to reduce UV damage to the eye and for tumor suppression. Conventionally grown produce is pampered: the roots are bathed in nitrate fertilizers, and prophylactic pesticide spraying kills anything that crawls, so they never get munched. Without these environmental stresses, plants produce fewer of these beneficial phytochemicals.