"Report Supports Organic Produce, but Not Milk"

"When it comes to feeding your children organic food, pediatricians have new advice for parents. Organic produce and meat might be worth the hefty price tag, but you can probably skip the organic milk."



"The advice is part of a new clinical report released by the American Academy of Pediatrics and published online in the journal Pediatrics on Monday. It is the first time the organization, which is holding its annual meeting in New Orleans this week, has weighed in on the sometimes-controversial topic of the relative healthfulness of organic food.

It comes on the heels of a much-discussed study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in September that concluded organic food isn't significantly more nutritious than conventionally grown food.

The pediatricians, who analyzed existing scientific evidence, also said there doesn't seem to be much difference in the vitamin and mineral content between organic and conventional foods. (Though they say some organic produce does have more vitamin C and phosphorus.)

Still, children may benefit from organic produce because it isn't grown with synthetic pesticides. The pediatricians cited several studies linking pesticide exposure to, for example, memory problems and cancer in adult farm workers and an increased risk of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children."

Andrea Petersen reports for the Wall St. Journal October 22, 2012.

SEE ALSO:

"Organic Food No Better Than Conventional for Kids, Pediatricians Say" (NBC)

"Pediatricians Offer First Report on Organic Foods" (AP)

American Academy of Pediatrics: Press Release of October 22, 2012
 

Source: Wall St. Journal, 10/23/2012