U.S. organic food sales have grown from $1 billion in 1990 to $31.5 billion in 2011 (1), and the demand for organic meat products has steadily increased over the last two decades. Most consumers cite an improved nutrient profile as their primary reason for buying organic (2). But is organic meat really better for us, nutritionally speaking? In this article, I’ll discuss the major differences between organic and conventional meat so that you can make an informed assessment of your meat purchases.
What Is Organic Meat?
Organic livestock must be raised on certified organic land meeting organic crop production standards and any feed must be 100 percent certified organic. Organic ruminants—such as cattle, sheep, and goats—must have free access to organic pasture for the entire grazing season, and 30 percent of their diet must come from organic pasture. Organic practices help to support animal health and are also markedly better from an environmental perspective (3).
Now that we’ve got a basic understanding of what the “organic” label actually means, let’s dive into the nutrition research.
Organic vs. Conventional: Fatty Acid Profile
Fatty acids are essential to health and are one of the key areas where organic and conventional meats differ. Two recently published meta-analyses assessed the differences in fatty acid composition between organic and conventionally raised meat and dairy products. We’ll look at the findings of each in more detail.
Meat: The amount of saturated fat was similar in organic and conventional meat, while monounsaturated fats were slightly lower in organic meats. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids were 47 percent higher in organic meat (4). Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and have been shown to be protective against cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline (5).
Dairy: The amount of saturated, monounsaturated, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids was similar in organic and conventional milk. Organic milk had 69 percent higher alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) than conventional milk. ALA is known to reduce levels of LDL cholesterol and enhance its clearance from the bloodstream (6). Organic milk also had 41 percent higher conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and 57 percent higher omega-3 fatty acids.
So what about the organic method is driving this difference? The authors suggest that the pasture-based diets prescribed under organic farming standards are the primary reason for differences in fat deposition in the meat. This is consistent with differences seen between grain-fed and grass-fed animals, as we’ll come back to later on.
Five good reasons to choose organic meat.
Organic vs. Conventional: Other Nutrients
While most studies have seemed to focus on the fatty acid differences, a few studies have attempted to assess minerals, toxic metals, and other parameters of nutrition in organic versus conventional meat. Both organic and non-organic meats are rich in essential nutrients, including protein, zinc, iron, phosphorus, and B vitamins.
In the same meta-analysis that looked at fatty acid composition, organic dairy was found to have slightly lower iodine and selenium levels, but higher iron and vitamin E levels (4). The authors of the study suggest that the iodine concentrations in conventional milk may be too high in animals receiving large amounts of fortified feed. On the other hand, organic dairy systems support a higher intake of natural alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and carotenoids (precursors to vitamin E), which surpasses the amount of vitamin E that conventional dairy animals get from synthetic alpha-tocopherol (7).
A different meta-analysis conducted in 2012 found that organic dairy had significantly higher levels of protein than conventional dairy (8).
Would You like Some Antibiotics with Your Chicken?
For many years, farmers did not know why antibiotics helped to make animals larger, only that they worked! We now know that it is their devastating effect on the gut microbiota, the microbes that inhabit the intestines, that produces this effect. By essentially inducing a state of chronic microbial dysbiosis, or an altered gut community, the antibiotics increase the amount of energy that the animals can harvest from the same quantity of food (9). Ironically, most people never think that the same agents that fatten up meat animals (antibiotics, grains) will likely also cause weight gain in humans.
Beyond changing the microbial composition of the gut, many antibiotics are absorbed systemically, meaning that they make their way into the bloodstream and can become “lodged” in various tissues. Antibiotic residues have been detected in meat and other animal products at low levels (10), despite the required USDA withdrawal period before slaughter to try to reduce the amount consumed by humans.
Organic products are also less likely to contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria. These “superbugs” pose a real threat to human health, as research and development for new antibiotics no longer interests most pharmaceutical companies. Bacterial contamination of meat products occurs at about the same rate in organic and conventional meat, but the risk for isolating bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics is 33 percent higher in conventional than in organic pork and chicken (11).
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Hormones May Alter the Composition of Animal Products
Hormones are another factor to consider when weighing the merits of buying organic meat. Estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, zeranol, and trenbolone acetate are among the most commonly used hormones, typically implanted in the ear of the animal three months before slaughter to help promote growth (12). Most of these hormones have been banned in Europe since 1989.
Okay, but do we really ingest enough of these hormones to make a difference? Probably not, but studies have shown that hormones might alter the composition of the meat or dairy product in other ways. For example, while recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) is not itself found to be present in dairy products (because the hormone denatures during pasteurization), it may increase the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) (which survives the high heat of pasteurization). Increased IGF-1 levels have been associated with both colon and breast cancer (13). Today, the European Union, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and Canada all do not allow the use of rBGH due to both animal and human health concerns.
Pesticides from Animal Feed End up in Meat
Organic meat also has fewer synthetic pesticides involved in its production, which lends to improved animal health and less environmental impact.
This is particularly true for fatty meats. Pesticides, hormones, and other toxins tend to concentrate in the adipose tissue. This means that choosing organic may be a particularly wise choice for fattier cuts of meat. It also means that when we ingest these toxins, we store many of them in our fat tissue. Repeated exposures can allow these substances to “bioaccumulate” over time, particularly if you don’t have a healthy detoxification system.
Putting It All Together
Taken as a whole, organic meat tends to have a more favorable fatty acid profile and reduces exposure to antibiotic, hormone, and pesticide residues. In reality, organic or non-organic is just one factor to consider when sourcing animal products for your next meal. Other important considerations include:
Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed
If you remember from the beginning of this article, organic livestock are required to be get at least 30 percent of their nutrition from pasture. However, ruminant slaughter stock are exempt from this requirement for the last fifth of their lives (up to 120 days). The organic label therefore tells you nothing about the animal’s diet—in fact, most organic meat in the U.S. is fed at least some grain prior to slaughter. Check out my previous article on this topic for more about the nutritional difference between grass-fed and grain-fed animals.
Source
If you look closely next time you’re at the supermarket, you’ll likely see that some of the meat that has the USDA certified organic label was not even produced in the USA! In other cases, the animals were raised in the US, but the meat itself was shipped to another country for packaging. Unless immediately frozen and shipped, it’s likely that the meat has lost some of its nutrients. Look for locally produced meat when possible.
Cost
Cost is, of course, one of the biggest hurdles to many people choosing organic. Organic meat tends to be more expensive, not only because of the effort to use sustainable practices, but also because of the cost of organic certification for the farmer. In most cases, there is an application fee, annual renewal fee, assessment on annual sales or production, and inspection fees, in addition to the time required to complete extensive paperwork. Instead of charging conventional farmers for using synthetic chemicals, the burden is on organic farmers to prove the quality of their methods to the USDA. The best option? Get to know your local farmers, and ask about their growing practices! Many small farmers use organic and sustainable practices but do not find it cost effective to get the certified organic label. They are usually more than happy to discuss their methods or even let you visit the farm. Look for cheaper cuts of meat like organ meats, chuck roast, or round steak. Many of these cheaper cuts are just as, if not more, nutritious than their pricier counterparts.
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Thank you for the comprehensive article. Thinking about self-planted vegetables :p Even products is marked “organic”, I still feel doubting.
I buy organic produce in the UK produced from local farms with a commitment to utmost animal welfare, from rearing, to minimal transportation, to the slaughtering process whereby staff accompany the animals to the slaughterhouses, watch the slaughter and bring the meat back to butcher for thee farm shop and farmers market.
This, for me is the way forward. Respect the animals, make sure they are treated and slaughtered well.
Have an open-door policy to visit the farms any time.
And how long do they get to live before being slaughtered?
Do you think it is a natural state for prey-type animals (grazing animals, chickens, etc.) to die of old age? In their natural state, most don’t even make it to maturity. Depending what predator cuts its life short, the end may be quick or may involve getting eaten alive — literally. And, even for those that do manage to survive to adulthood, life is hard. All creatures — yes, even vegans — survive at the expense of other creatures.
You didn’t answer the question! Meanwhile, as you weren’t even asked the question, as you didn’t post the original and cannot know the answer, I’ll thank you to keep your castigations and diatribe to yourself.
My dear fellow commenter, why the anger? Why is that so common among vegans? Sadly, I fear this may be a symptom of nutritional deficiency. It is a free country, I am a registered subscriber to this blog, and I am free to comment as I choose.
I note you are still unable to reply to the question, Sadly, I fear this may be a symptom of nutritional deficiency. And wrong again, I am not vegan, you really should avoid your sanctimonious assumptions.
I am not “unable to reply to the question”. You asked a specific question about a specific animal husbandry situation. I had no intention of replying to that. As the person of whom you asked the question noted, your phrasing of the question seemed to imply a certain mindset vis-a-vis animal slaughter for meat. How is pointing out the fact that animals in the wild seldom reach adulthood “sanctimonious”? Do you consider all statements about basic biology “sanctimonious”? That’s pretty strange.
You still can’t answer the question.
I see you allow yourself the leeway of an accusation of anger, to further your pious assumption regarding a vegan diet.
I am not a vegan.
As for your castigations, I fear it may be due to a mineral deficiency.
I’m afraid Samantha that you invited AnnieLaurie Burke response to your response. In her first post related to yours she asked you a question and followed that with some explanation. She made no personal attack upon anyone.
In your response to her post, you referred to her post as ‘castigations and diatribe’ with the implied suggestion that she had no business even posting. Neither of which was accurate.
While AnnieLaurie Burke’s reply to you did suggest that you are a vegan and why that might be a problem I seriously doubt that she thinks that being vegan means that someone is a bad person. Like most beliefs, vegan beliefs are only ‘really bad’ when the proponent tries to force their belief on others. Otherwise, the post asked why you seemed to be responding with anger and pointed out that, like I am doing right now, she is fully privileged to post a comment to another posting.
While there are additional posts, the personal attacks that you seem to have initiated serve no useful purpose to anyone other than maybe yourself.
Wow! I read no castigations. You seem like an angry and defensive person, Samantha. Perhaps you should cool your jets.
I am anything but religious, but my own take on this is that the Bible has it right: Man has dominion over the animals; they exist for humans. Plus, we evolved as omnivores, not herbivores, and our bodies are constructed to consume meat as well as plants.
It varies depending on the desired use of the beast. Veal is going to mean a young age kill, a calf, while other cuts for older ones, but usually under a year old.
But don’t you see how your question would prompt people to infer you have an anti-meat agenda? It’s not prefaced, nor followed up with why the age is relevant to you.
Plus your answer is easily Googled.
I borrowed a copy of “The Paleo Cure” that my sister keeps on her kitchen and got really interested in this whole Paleo thing. I’m probably 50 pounds overweight, lethargic, and worst of all, have a lousy self image (not to mention actual image.). All the aches and pains that go with being 73 years old. Anyway,my sister and brother in law swear by the Paleo Diet but that reset thing really freaks me out.
I’m going to give it a shot. A
Bob, understand that paleo diets can border on religious fanaticism. As other posters have noted there is no ‘one and only’ paleo diet. For example most paleo diets exclude legumes even though, 1 legumes have been consumed by ancient cultures, and 2 if properly prepared have been shown by modern research to be healthy.
In a like fashion dairy is generally excluded from paleo diets but here again raw dairy is shown to be a pretty healthy source of nutrition… particularly butter.
Also, people looking to improve their health through diet need, I believe, to embark on an effort to determine what foods, if any, that they personally should avoid.
A good example (which will really ‘trip off’ a few posters here) is that most people that have been eating the SAD diet should stop ALL grain consumption for about 4 weeks. Then add back one grain product and observe how it seems to effect them. Same process should be used to test for dairy sensitivities. Dairy is a very special case in that raw dairy and ‘supermarket’ dairy are two unrelated products.
I’ve tried grass fed frozen burgers at my local market. That is about all I can find. I must say that it was very awful. The grind is bigger and the meat tough, yes tough! I know, a tough burger. For now it’s wild fish mostly from trader joes, over an hour drive for me, and chicken also from there or the smart chicken without antibiotics or growth hormones. That’s the best I can find. Oh and foster farms has a green label without those two chemicals. Are they corn fed? I’ve no idea. I would have to buy online at crazy high prices and still not be sure. This world is designed by greedy selfish people that don’t care at all that they are poisoning us.
I don’t know where you live, but usually you can google “100% grass-fed beef in ——-(Name your area), and all kinds of options will come up. As a sales rep out on the road in N. Calif., I do this all the time. When I get to an area, I google for 100% grass-fed beef at restaurants (in given area). From that list, I can call to find out what’s available. Salad dressings are the other thing. I try to bring my own, because most restaurants are cutting their olive oil with canola oil, which I won’t eat. Sometimes even their bottles of olive oil have been cut to save them money. Also, US Wellness Meats in Missouri is a great way to get pastured meats and 100% grass-fed beef if it’s not available where you live. his video on youtube, called The Grass-fed Difference, is worth watching, only 4 minutes long. No shipping charges! A flat $7.50 handling fee no matter how large your order is.I
I read a recent blog citing a 2015 Spanish study reporting consumption of organic meat does not diminish the carcinogenic potential associated with intake of persistent organic pollutants (Hernandez AR et al. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 2015 April 19 [PMID: 25893622]. They looked at 33 carcinogenic POPs. I have not read the entire study but am very concerned that I am spending money for grass-fed/organic meat and am still significantly exposed to POPs — just as if I purchased/ate conventional meats. Chris, please give your opinion on this article and its implications.
Look this is simple reasoning, fat makes you fat, it has 9 calories to a gram were as carbs and protein have 4 , a scientific fact , think about it . The American diet is not only lots of refined carbs [ white bread, candy bars , doughnuts, pastries , cakes, pop but also high in “saturated “fat red meat [steak , hamburgers , roast beef] and for sure Pork [ ham , bacon , sausage , kolbasi ] as well as lunch meats [ salami , baloney , chipped ham ] and look at the results in our country heart attacks as well as diabetes . No one’s eating how we should the bible way whole grains , fruit / veg, whole dairy , fish and chicken which are low in fat .
Wow Bill. Check out some more current nutrition research. Keep an open mind. I’m on a strict diet, no gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, soy, and probably a few more things. Trying to cure my Hashimotos. I add lots of fat, olive and coconut to salads and smoothies and am finally losing weight. It wasn’t until I added the fat that things began to change. There are too many people having great results, and too much research to believe that fat makes you fat. Wheat is the route to slow miserable death. I didn’t believe any of this till recently. The proof is in the pudding my friend. My diet has made me a believer. Mark Hyman said to stop counting calories and eat whole foods. It works.
Linda , no one’s eating “whole” wheat but refined [ white] bread loaded with cancer causing chemicals , dough conditioners , artificial colors etc .
Don’ listen to much of anything you hear today especially from Dr.’s Mk 5 : 26 [Niv] bible . Their not God which no one seems to understand . Whole grains and whole dairy are so important look at our country, no one’s eating whole grains or whole dairy but refine grains [ white] bread and 2%, 1 %, and skim milk and look at the results .
Check out the study that just came out a couple of days ago about the benefits of whole grains , your wrong .
Hyman’s right about that point eat whole foods so why would whole grains and whole dairy be bad it makes no sense .
Bill, PLEASE stop the ridiculous generalizations. You are only demonstrating how much you don’t know, and wasting people’s time. “No one’s eating ‘whole’ wheat”. Absolute demonstrable nonsense. Many people ARE eating whole wheat products. Many people make their own bread, even grind their own wheat, even make it with older forms of wheat, and other whole grains. I used to make my own bread with organic whole-grain flour. “Their (sic) not God”. Nor are you. There is no way you can possibly know what “everyone” or “no one” is doing. There are actually numerous studies that show that eating whole grains in moderation is beneficial. Whole grains (excepting modern standard hybrid wheat) are REAL Paleo, as science shows that humans have eaten grains, and, yes, ground it to flour, for more than 30,000 years. But Paleo man used grains like any other plant food resource – as a small, seasonal part of a varied diet. BTW, I will say it again. Anyone that wants a citation on a specific scientific claim I have made, please let me know. I will be happy to post one or more. But, with literally thousands of original source references I have looked at over the years, and continue to read, I cannot post them all. Nor am I intending to do an anthropology or physiology tutorial here. This is Chris Kresser’s blog, and not “Burke’s Introduction to Evolutionary Biology 101”. Commenters can check out the numerous references Chris provides, or they can Google specific topics in which they are interested. If their interest is genuine.
Annie, yeah right, what % of people make their own bread are you kidding ?. In this age of fast everything [ food] etc . Most women are like career not housewives, their on the go working, they are not making their own bread give me a break . Stand at a super market observe ten people picking bread 9 of those will pick white bread your way off . I would say about 25% of Americans are eating real “whole” grains . At work places everyone I see and where ever I work has white bread and lunch meats .
99% of restraunts give you refined [ white] bread .
What are you talking about Paleo is all about low to no carbs . I’m saying they are thee most important food you can consume, the body’s designed for complex carbs it’s the body’s main source of fuel not protein or fat this a “scientific” fact , which the bible interestingly backs up Zech 9 : 17 [ Niv] bible .
“There is no one more difficult to argue with than the man that has no idea what he is talking about.”
No ,you’re the one that’s deceived not me. I eat lots of whole grains and fruit/ veg and my health at almost 60 is perfect .
Give me a break people baking their own bread in the fast food age[ LOL] . Everything I said is true and commonsense . You addressed none of the points I made .
Quit listening to all the nonsense Dr.’s are telling you they are the worst when it comes to nutrition . Don’t believe anything they tell you .
Go google” body’s main source of fuel”. I’m waiting for you to tell me the answer . unbelievable how you all believe nonsense Col 2 : 4 [ Niv] bible . .
Bill paleo is not low to no carbs. I don’t understand why everyone thinks that. I eat sweet potatoes, squashes, even white potatoes.
Yes, it is frustrating that so many people still have this ridiculous stereotype of the Paleo diet as all meat, all the time. If one examines the Paleolithic diet — realizing there were many versions over the 2.5 million-year and global span (excepting Antarctica) of the Paleolithic period, and the number of “historic” Paleo peoples — one sees a huge variation in the allocation of macronutrients. As I had noted in another comment, despite what some modern Paleo diet book authors might have said, the actual diet of Paleolithic man included grains, which have been consumed for well over 30,000 years. Just not 11 servings a day of Borlaug’ed wheat.
Annie, go google body’s main source of fuel tell me what it say’s . I don’t care what Dr.’s or Chris say’s but science .
As a matter of fact the definition of organic is not only food grown without chemicals etc but grown with the element” carbon” which is were carbohydrates comes from , which is everything . Bread [ whole grain] and beans are examples of complex carbs ,fruit is a simple carb, white bread is a refined carb, and potatoes are considered a starch or even a vegetable . it act’s as a simple carb in the body . Any way all carbs are “very” important one of the 3 macro- nutrients, common sense would tell you eliminating one of them is unbalanced .
And yes ,Paleo is all about low to no carb which will ruin you over time .
Dearest Bill, don’t believe everything you find by “googling”. Go Google “Roswell + aliens”. Go Google “reptilian conspiracy + world leaders”. I don’t believe what conventional doctors say about nutrition (they get no training on the subject), nor do I believe what some Internet commenter guy that does not understand basic biochemistry says, either. Nor do I use the Bible as a nutritional handbook. Yes, science. You should try science. Try it, you’ll like it.
By the powers vested in me, I hereby declare this post the winner! Now both of you return to your respective corners and don’t come back out…
It’s interesting the bible always talk’s favorable about grains , red wine and olive oil , and science keeps coming out how beneficial they are for one’s health .
Did you check out the very new study about how whole grains [carbs] are great for one’s health . Busted .
Are you twelve? What’s your need to be correct? When you are only partially correct. So the Bible might, one time or a few more get some random thing close to correct – big deal! It’s hardly worth now putting the Bible on the pile of dietary books. And too much wine can be bad for anyone…plus the wine being tested today is not the wine of biblical times. Especially the daily table wines.
You seem to miss the finer points of this discussion and that of the other poster. While grains are carbs they are complex ones, and most people today eating mainly processed foods are eating too much simple carbs. You do the know the difference, right?
You clearly do not fully understand the Paleo approach and there are more then one, and seem obsessed with Carbs as the ONLY good food.
If meat is bad or a no-no, how come humans can digest them? And more importantly have been pursuing meat based sources of protein for as long as we’ve been “human”.
Kelly , Paleo is low to no carbs , that’s the whole point of it , which is all wrong . Read all the arguments their telling me carbs are bad which is ridiculous. Just because their Dr.’s means nothing . They dismiss basic nutrition . Go google” body’s main source of fuel” , tell me what it say’s .
Check out my blog site foundation of nutrition the bible , google it .
And the foods you mentioned are starches not complex carbs .
First of all, Bill, starches ARE complex carbs. Sugars are simple carbs, starches are complex. Sorry, that’s just the chemistry of it. Second, you pan the Paleo diet, you don’t follow it, but you are an expert on what it includes? You disagree with published Paleo experts like Chris Kresser and Sarah Ballantyne (PaleoMom), but you admit you do not follow this diet? Amazing!
And so is fat important! Which is a scientific fact! You can deny it, but it don’t make it so.
As to how much fat a person, modern person can tolerate, is about the individuals overall health, fitness, etc. Not a government sponsored Food Pyramid.
Why did your God create meat and put fat in it? Did he make a mistake?
I rarely have time to make my own bread but react to all bread
except sourdough without yeast and can only eat organic meat as cannot absorb fat and have to take digestive enzyme with ox bile
Bill, perhaps reading more of Chris Kresser, and a book called “It Starts With Food” would be helpful in opening your mind. When I started eating compliant with the whole30 plan, I was eating more beef (100% grass-fed) and more fats (coconut oil, avocado, ghee, olive oil) than ever before. And lots of veggies, some nuts, some fruit. No wheat, no sugar or sugar-subs, except fresh fruit, no legumes, no grains. In 60 days my cholesterol dropped by 32 points and my weight dropped by 34 pounds in 90 days. My energy was amazing, my moods were constantly great, I felt wonderful. Healthy way to live!
Linda P, I was thinking about replying to Bill also and then read your post and was so delighted by what you wrote that I decided to reply to you instead. Sorry that you are having to employ such a strict and restrictive diet. You sound like a probable candidate for the GAPS protocol diet.
While it seems that I do not have any particular dietary restriction needed it was not until after I learned about the westonaprice.org site and began studying nutrition research and then increasing dramatically the amount of ‘good’ fats in my diet that I too began loosing weight.
Doctor Mary Enig author or co-author of ‘Eat Fat to Lose Fat’ was researching lipids starting back in the ’50s I believe. I think that she was one of the few researchers other than Dr. Price that considered the type and source of fats to be significant.
Some of the meta-studies that have been performed fairly recently have noted for example that studies that showed that people that ate considerable quantities of quality beef suffered more heart attacks than their vegetarian counterparts. However, the meta-analysis was able to show that the reason why that was the case was that the ‘beef eaters’ lived through their heart attacks and thus were still alive to have another one! Indeed, in several similar studies those eating saturated fats lived longer that those that did not consume saturated fats.
Thanks for the article Chris.
We live in Dubai and buy only grass fed beef and lamb. NZ and AUS beef and lamb are most often labeled so you can make the choice. There is no US beef on the market that I can tell.
We buy only German organic pork as I am impressed with the EU regulations concerning organic livestock regulations.
When we lived in the US, it was easy to find farmers whose methods are transparent and who followed management practices similar to the Salatin’s of Polyface Farm. It just took us buying a chest freezer to stock up on a half-beef or whole hog.
My family views the relative increase I cost per pound as worthwhile when you examine it against the hidden costs of environmental damage, likely negative health impacts, and economic degradation of rural communities caused by conventional farming methods. I’m pretty sure it’s cheaper in the long run to stay healthy.
Keep up the good work.
Good for you Sean! Great experience. I’ll check out the meat you mentioned.
Hi Chris,
just two little remarks:
Alhpa lipoic acid is not a fatty acid but an antioxidant. I think it should be Alpha linolenic acid instead.
And carotenoids are precursors to vitamin A, not to Vitamin E.
Oh, wonderful…..I was just wondering if this man, wearing a white lab coat, has any relevant credentials, and now I have an example of the dearth of information. Giving out advice, then adding that there have been no clinical studies or clinical trials says it all.