'Healthy Living for Summer': Eating organic

— -- Organic food can be more expensive at the grocery store but some experts say investing in your health is worth the cost. In the fifth episode of ABC News' "Healthy Living for Summer" series, we spoke with chef Tara Punzone from Real Food Daily, a Los Angeles-based organic restaurant.

But first, what does organic mean?

"The word 'organic' refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and meat," the nonprofit Mayo Clinic states on its website. Organic farming does not permit certain things, such as synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge as fertilizer, most synthetic pesticides, genetic engineering and antibiotics or growth hormones for livestock.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture also sets specific standards for what is certified organic. Food that is organic will carry a USDA Organic seal.

Punzone said eating organic is better because "you're avoiding chemicals that they're spraying on foods and chemicals in soil and all kinds of pesticides, and things they have no idea what it does to your health."

"Research shows people have lower levels of pesticides when eating mostly organic," according to Karen Smith, senior manager of clinical dietetics at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. "But there is no research linking that to disease risk or disease incidence."

But she did point out that there appears to be a health correlation between pesticides and people working or living in areas with high exposure to them.

"People living in areas where they’re spraying fields with pesticides or working in areas with high pesticide exposures - there are studies showing higher rates of cancer or children having increased risks of birth defects and other diseases," Smith said.

Punzone warns consumers to avoid non-organic soy, corn and wheat.

"Those three things they're tying to turn out at mass production and speed, they're inundating these crops with all kinds of chemicals to grow faster and be edible faster and they're using these products in everything," she said.

Below is advice Punzone and experts gave ABC News.

Quick tips

While higher prices may hinder some consumers from buying organic, Punzone said organic vegetables and fruits are worth the cost because they have more nutrients and enzymes.

"You [may be] saving money on non-organic now, but think about what will happen in the future [if you get] sick and you have issues to deal with," she said.

Overall, if you can eat organic, "go for it, because we don’t know the potential risks associated with consuming foods high in pesticides and if you’re able to afford and have access to organic foods then I think that’s a great option, but it definitely isn’t the only option," Smith said.

And just because a cookie is labeled organic, it doesn't mean it's healthy.

"You have to weigh the risks versus the benefits," Smith said.

Watch ABC News discuss organic foods in the video above.
This weekly health series will continue throughout the summer.