It is logical to think that organic food is healthier if it is relatively free of most herbicides and pesticides. The residue of such poisons on conventional food is not supposed to be a danger to human health, but since they kill weeds and pests — and accumulate in human bodies — it makes sense to avoid the chemicals.
Whether organic food is more nutritious is another question. While the American Academy of Pediatrics says that lower pesticide levels in organic foods could reduce the risk of ingesting drug-resistant bacteria, “in the long term, there is currently no direct evidence that consuming an organic diet leads to improved health or lower risk of disease.” And a controversial 2012 Stanford University study reported that it’s a waste of money to pay more for the organic label in an attempt to buy the most nutritious food available. “There isn’t much difference between organic and conventional foods, if you’re an adult and making a decision based solely on your health,” wrote Dena Bravata, the study’s lead researcher. However, critics of that study’s conclusions point out that the researchers narrowly defined “more nutritious” as containing more vitamins.