(April 23, 2008)

They look the same, they feel and smell the same, but are organic food better for you than non-organic products?

Organic foods are free of conventional pesticides and fertilizers, but the USDA makes no claim organically grown food is safer or more nutritious than non-organic products.

But new research may prove otherwise, says Doctor Andrew Weil, the author of "Eating Well for Optimum Health."

He says, "Organically grown fruits and vegetables experience more stress from insect predators and in response to that they produce higher levels of these defensive compounds which also are of benefit to us when we take them into our bodies."

Those on a budget may have to pass. Organic foods are often more expensive than their conventional counterparts because of costlier farming practices, tighter regulations and smaller harvests.