Organic foods are nutritionally superior to conventional products. This conclusion was made by the largest scientific study of its kind ever conducted.
Food grown by organic methods were shown to have a wide range of health advantages over conventionally-grown crops. Higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides were found in organically-produced foods, compared to conventional counterparts.
Conventional farm frequently use fertilizers containing high levels of synthetic nitrogen. This element helps the plants produce great amounts of sugars, which are stored as starches. Sugars can prevent the crops from storing other nutrients essential for human health, including anti-oxidants, the study found.
Antioxidants are chemicals in the body that prevent the oxidation of other molecules, which can produce free radicals, leading to cellular death. They are widely used in dietary supplements and are being studied as a potential tool in the fight against cancer.
This study showed organic foods contained between 18 and 69 percent more of the substance than their conventional brethren. Researchers calculated that a person eating exclusively organic fruits and vegetables would receive 20 to 40 percent more of the chemical than someone with a similar diet, eating conventionally-grown crops. Organic foods were shown to add the same amount of anti-oxidants as two extra servings of vegetables and fruits each day, without additional calories.
Phenols and polyphenols, chemicals related to alcohol, were also found to be higher in organic crops than conventionally-grown foods. These act in the plants to repel pests and heal injuries. When consumed by people, this class of chemicals goes to work, assisting in the prevention of cancer, as well as minimizing coronary heart disease and stroke.
"This study is telling a powerful story of how organic plant-based foods are nutritionally superior and deliver bona-fide health benefits," Charles Benbrook, a researcher at Washington State University, said.
Pesticides were found to be three to four times more common in conventional crops than in organic foods. Organic crops, by definition, are not grown using synthetic chemicals to fight pests or weeds. However, some residue from their use on other fields can make its way onto organic plants. When they are found, levels are just one to 10 percent as concentrated as on non-organic fields. Cadmium, a heavy-metal contaminant, was also shown to be less common in organic foods.
The meta-study examined data published in 343 peer-reviewed articles, which each examined the nutritional quality and safety of organic foods. Investigations studied grains, fruits and vegetables, most of which were grown in similar locales, under near-identical conditions.
Organic foods and how they compare to conventional crops was published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
