Organic Foods: Is It Worth It? Essay

Organic foods cost more than regular food, but are they worth it? Is it really better for your health? And are they really more nutritious? Should you buy organic food even though you are a student and has very little money? These are all questions that have probably passed through your mind now that you no longer have your parents to go grocery shopping and cook for you. But because there are no research that can prove that eating organic is healthier, and there is no research that shows that eating regular food is just as healthy, no real answer for your question exists. However, there are some articles like Alex Berger’s â€Å"Organic Foods are a Healthier Alternative† and Nancy Sprague’s â€Å"Counterpoint: Organic Food is Unnecessary and the Current Food Supply is Safe† that can help you make a decision. Alex Berger, the writer of â€Å"Organic Foods are a Healthier Alternative†, however, believes that eating organic food is not only beneficial to one’s health; organic foods also have many other benefits. He says, â€Å"Organic foods tend to be richer in nutrients, perhaps because they are grown in soil with more complex micronutrients. †[1] Gerber then continues to say that organic foods have more than just health and nutritional benefits; it also has environmental benefits and social stability. [2] Berger views organic foods as a friend. Although, they are expensive, they are much healthier, provide much more nutrition, and they also help the environment. The benefits of organic foods outweigh the negativities that were never mentioned in his article. Berber’s argument is truly persuasive. His words makes the reader feel moved to believe that organic food is healthy, such as â€Å"agricultural chemicals may pose a greater risk to some individual. †[3] His threat makes the reader feel scared that eating normal, processed food can harm them, which will lead readers to feel that organic food is the healthier option. Although Berger seems to be a very reliable source, Berger is just a writer with no scientific background except for a PhD in Anthropology, a degree that doesn’t have anything to do with nutrition. This makes him seem to be a rather unreliable source for nutritional advice. Another writer, Nancy Sprague, thinks otherwise. She believes that the food supply that we have now is safe as it is. Organic food is an unnecessary luxury that is expensive and there is no guarantee that it is healthier. She says, â€Å"When food is defined as organic, it simply means that the producer has employed an approved organic food production system—the producer is not guaranteeing the safety or quality of the product. By being misled into believing that buying organic guarantees food safety, consumers are sometimes more likely to be harmed by an organic food than by one purchased from a commercial supplier. †[4]. Sprague views organic food as a luxurious item that she doesn’t need. She argues that there are no research that can prove organic food is healthier. Instead, research have shown that organic food has as many bacteria, vitamins, and etc. as processed food. [5] Sprague’s method of writing easily persuades her readers. Her choice of words scares readers into believing that the organic industry’s goal is to fool their consumers. For example, she says, â€Å"Organic raw mulch is outlawed by many farm bureaus because it is likely to carry pathogens and infectious potential†. In one sentence, Sprague overrides the other sides’ argument that organic food is safer, and points out that instead of being safe, organic food is more likely to carry infectious bacteria. This scares readers into wondering whether or not the organic food industry is lying; and forces readers to think, have I been a fool for trusting the companies’ advertisements all this time? Sprague’s writing style of inflicting fear and doubt into the reader makes readers feel that she is a knowledgeable source. This in turn develops her credibility as an author in nutrition. However, before trusting Sprague completely, readers have to realize that her opinions are very one-sided and they should question their trust in all of her information. Both sides have points that make their side very convincing, both sides have research that proves their points, and both sides have important things to say. However, in the end it is still up you, as the reader, to decide what you want in your food. It is up to you to decide if you want junk food, healthy food, and/ or organic food. But, you have to choose wisely because food has the power to decide your future. Food affects everything from your weight, to your health, and many times it even has the ability to affect your person as a whole. Today, you might be eating a cheeseburger, but tomorrow you might be in the hospital emergency room with a heart attack. This is why a few bad food choices can put your education and, maybe one day, even your life in imminent danger. Overall, what goes into our food is so important that both sides of the argument agree that the government has and needs regulations that force both regular food processors and organic farmers to meet; and that the EPA has and needs their standards to rise continuously to improve our food source. Both authors believe what you put into your mouth is an important issue. But, their beliefs are not enough to change the world. In the end, their belief systems are not the most important thing because you are the one who chooses what you eat. You are the one who has to find the answer. So, please tell me, who are you and which side of the food debate are you on? Bibliography Berger, Adam. â€Å"Point: Organic Foods are a Healthier Alternative. † Points of View Reference Center: EBSCOhost. August 2009. (accessed June 14, 2010). Lindner, Larry. â€Å"Organically Grown Food: Is it Really a Better Choice?. † Environment Complete: EBSCOhost. May 2002. (accessed June 14, 2010). Peterson, Elizabeth. â€Å"Organic Foods: To Buy or Not To Buy?. † Environment Complete: EBSCOhost. October 2004. (accessed June 14, 2010). Sprague, Nancy. â€Å"Counterpoint: Organic Food is Unnecessary & the Current Food Supply is Safe. † Points of View Reference Center: EBSCOhost. 2009. (accessed June 14, 2010). [1] Adam Berger, â€Å"Point: Organic Foods are a Healthier Alternative,† Points of View: Organic Food (August 2009): 2. Points of View Reference Center, EBSCOhost (accessed June 14, 2010). [2] Adam Berger, â€Å"Point: Organic Foods are a Healthier Alternative,† Points of View: Organic Food (August 2009) [3] Ibid. 2. [4] Nancy Sprague, â€Å"Counterpoint: Organic Food is Unnecessary & the Current Food Supply is Safe,† (2009): 3, Points of View Reference Center: EBSCOhost (accessed June 14, 2010). [5] Ibid.