Organic food is a rich source of antioxidants and is nutritious, a new research shows.
Researchers from the United Kingdom conducted meta-analysis of 343 studies and looked into the compositional differences between the conventional crops and organic ones. They found that organic fruits, vegetables and grains have more antioxidants and fewer pesticides than those produced non-organically.
The present contradicts the earlier theories that argued that there organic food did not give any significant nutritional advantage.
"It shows very clearly how you grow your food has an impact," said study lead investigator, Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at Newcastle University in England, reports The New York Times. "If you buy organic fruits and vegetables, you can be sure you have, on average, a higher amount of antioxidants at the same calorie level."
The sample sizes of the studies were wide-ranging. Researchers found that organic fruits, vegetables and grains had 17 percent more antioxidants compared to non-organic crops. The results showed that the organic crops had higher concentrations of antioxidant polyphenolic, flavonoid and anthocyanin compounds
Researchers said that organically grown crops contained 69 percent more flavanones than the regularly grown crops. "While these compounds are believed to have beneficial human health effects, these benefits have not been confirmed. It is probably more accurate to say that they are candidate compounds for the beneficial effects seen from a diet with high consumption of fruits and vegetables. This point is acknowledged by the study authors in their discussion," researchers wrote in a press release.
The study also found that organically produced grains, contained lower levels of cadmium, a toxic metal found in some fertilizers.
The study is set to be published in the British Journal of Nutrition. The abstract can be found here.
