Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier?
Authors: Crystal Smith-Spangler, Margaret L. Brandeau, Ingram Olkin, Dena M. Bravata
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

Letters19 February 2013Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier?Crystal Smith-Spangler, MD, MS, Margaret L. Brandeau, PhD, Ingram Olkin, PhD, and Dena M. Bravata, MD, MSCrystal Smith-Spangler, MD, MSFrom Stanford University, Stanford, California., Margaret L. Brandeau, PhDFrom Stanford University, Stanford, California., Ingram Olkin, PhDFrom Stanford University, Stanford, California., and Dena M. Bravata, MD, MSFrom Stanford University, Stanford, California.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-4-201302190-00019 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail IN RESPONSE:There has been considerable attention from the media, medical and agricultural research communities, and the general public since the publication of our review, including several comments posted on the Annals Web site. Many of these inquiries asked similar questions, and we would like to share our responses in summary for interested readers. At the end of this letter, we respond to specific comments posted by Dr. Brandt and Dr. Andrews.Purpose of the StudyWe were interested in the evidence of whether organic foods are more nutritious, safer, or healthier than conventional alternatives. Although consumers are probably most interested ...References1. Brandt K, Leifert C, Sanderson R, Seal CJ. Agroecosystem management and nutritional quality of plant foods: the case of organic fruits and vegetables. Crit Rev Plant Sci. 2011;30:177-97. CrossrefGoogle Scholar2. Smith-Spangler C, Brandeau ML, Hunter GE, Bavinger JC, Pearson M, Eschbach PJ, et al. Are organic foods safer or healthier than conventional alternatives?: a systematic review. Ann Intern Med. 2012;157:348-66. [PMID: 22944875] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Knoblauch W, Brown R, Braster M. Organic Field Crop Production: A Review of the Economic Literature. Ithaca, NY: Cornell Univ Pr; 1990. Google Scholar4. Ried K, Sullivan TR, Fakler P, Frank OR, Stocks NP. Effect of cocoa on blood pressure. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;8:CD008893. [PMID: 22895979] MedlineGoogle Scholar5. Reganold JP, Andrews PK, Reeve JR, Carpenter-Boggs L, Schadt CW, Alldredge JR, et al. Fruit and soil quality of organic and conventional strawberry agroecosystems. PLoS One. 2010;5:. [PMID: 20824185] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From Stanford University, Stanford, California.Disclosures: None disclosed. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M12-0192. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoAre Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives? Crystal Smith-Spangler , Margaret L. Brandeau , Grace E. Hunter , J. Clay Bavinger , Maren Pearson , Paul J. Eschbach , Vandana Sundaram , Hau Liu , Patricia Schirmer , Christopher Stave , Ingram Olkin , and Dena M. Bravata Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier? Kirsten Brandt Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier? Preston K. Andrews Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier? Sari Lisa Davison Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier? Charles Benbrook Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier? Donald R. Davis Metrics Cited ByBehavior-Based Pricing of Organic and Conventional Agricultural Products Based on Green SubsidiesAssociation of Frequency of Organic Food Consumption With Cancer RiskFoodborne Disease Outbreaks Associated with Organic Foods in the United StatesReduced risk of pre-eclampsia with organic vegetable consumption: results from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort StudyThe Position of Mineral Nitrogen Fertilizer in Efficient Use of Nitrogen and Land: A Review 19 February 2013Volume 158, Issue 4Page: 297-300KeywordsBacteriaConflicts of interestFoodGeneticsNutrientsQualitative studiesRisk managementSafetyUndergraduatesVitamin C ePublished: 19 February 2013 Issue Published: 19 February 2013 CopyrightCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...