Little evidence of added benefits.

• Position: Organic Food - Brief article

You are in the supermarket eyeing a basket of sweet, juicy plums, but then decide to spring the extra one dollar a pound for its organic cousin --and probably figure you just have made the healthier decision by choosing the organic product. However, findings from Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., cast some doubt on your thinking.

"If you're an adult and making a decision based solely on your health, there isn't much difference between organic and conventional foods," points out Dena Bravata, a senior affiliate with the Center for Health Policy.

A team led by Bravata and Crystal Spangler, an instructor in the Division of General Medical Disciplines and a physician-investigator at VA Palo Alto Health Care System, did the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. They did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives, though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

The popularity of...