Organic foods contain more antioxidants
Eat organic, eat healthy. It’s kind of the credo of anyone wanting to have a balanced, natural, chemical-free diet. Are we sure that eating organic is healthier than eating “normal”?
A study carried out at the University of Newcastle by a team of international researchers, was published in the British Journal Of Nutrition on July 15, 2014. This involved a health comparison between organic foods and non-organic foods (1)
The analysis was done on 343 studies on the differences in composition between conventional crops and organic crops. It emerged that a switch to a totally organic diet (fruits, vegetables, organic cereals) would provide many more antioxidants, as if we consumed up to 2 more servings of fruit or vegetables per day .
Organic crops also contain much lower amounts of toxic heavy metals than conventional crops.
The most comprehensive study ever conducted
This study is the most comprehensive ever conducted on the subject. The results obtained go against those of a study published in 2009 by the “ Food Standard’s Agency ” (FSA) which concluded that there was no difference or nutritional benefits between organic crops and conventional crops.
Pr LEIFERT Carlo, professor of ecological agriculture at the University of Newcastle, and having directed the current study, specifies that “the main difference between these 2 studies is time. Research in the field has been slow to take off and we have much more data at our disposal today than there were 5 years ago”.
To clarify the results, let us add that during this study, concentrations of antioxidants, such as polyphenols, were found to be 18% to 69% higher in organic cultures. A drop in nitrogen levels was also observed.
Remember that many studies have concluded that antioxidants are taken into account in the reduction of certain chronic diseases , such as cardiovascular and neurovegetative diseases, or even certain cancers.
Regarding toxic heavy metals, it should be noted that the level of cadmium, for example, was significantly lower (48% less) in organic crops.
Note that the study also found that pesticide residues were 4 times more likely to be found in conventional crops than in organic agricultural crops.
The study therefore shows that eating organic, eating healthy, is still a good credo to follow.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.