Living Maxwell
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Study: Organic has More Antioxidants, Much Fewer Pesticides, and Less Cadmium than Conventionally-Grown
The evidence as to why people should choose organic over conventional just keeps rolling in.
In a brand new study just published by researchers at Newcastle University in England, it was found that organic fruits, vegetables, and grains contained higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides compared to the same conventionally-grown food.
Some details of the study include:
– The concentration of a range of antioxidants was significantly greater in organic than conventionally-grown:
* Phenolic acids: 19% more
* Flavanones: 69% more
* Stilbenes: 28% more
* Flavones: 26% more
* Flavonols: 50% more
* Anthocyanins: 51% more
Many of these compounds have previously been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and certain cancers.
– The frequency of occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventional crops.
– Organically-grown foods, most notably grains, contained lower levels of cadmium, a toxic metal.
This study did not do its own testing of fruits and vegetables but was a meta-analysis based on 343 previous peer-reviewed publications.
MY TAKE
None of this surprises me in the least, and this is just more confirmation of individual studies we have seen, which said that:
– Organic milk offers higher levels of Omega 3-s.
– Organic strawberries provide greater concentrations of ascorbic acid.
– Organic tomatoes have increased amounts of antioxidants.
What I hope people take from this study is that when comparing the price of an organic food item vs. a non-organic food item, increased nutrition must be factored into the equation.
As this study has pointed out, we are getting more for our dollar when we buy organic and conventional offers inferior nutrition.
For one of my absolute favorite antioxidant-rich, organic superfoods that I consume daily, check out E3Live BrainON.
