Does organic food have health benefits?
The benefits of conventionally grown produce over organic foods
was the focus of a recent debate between food technologists with
scientists warning it is too early to reach conclusions, despite
new research that suggests some organic produce could have added
health benefits.
Meeting at the Institute of Food Technologists annual meeting in
Las Vegas, Alyson Mitchell, a food chemist at University of California
at Davis reported that she had found organic tomatoes had higher
levels of secondary plant metabolites and higher levels of vitamin
C.
"In looking at the (California) supermarket varieties of broccoli,
we also found significantly higher levels of the flavonoids in organic
broccoli," said Mitchell, reported the IFT.
Flavonoids, metabolites known to act in the body as antioxidants and found
in a variety of plants, have been shown to promote several beneficial effects
in the cardiovascular system, including decreasing oxidation of LDL cholesterol,
inhibiting aggregation of blood platelets (which contributes to the risk of
blood clots that produce stroke and heart attack); and decreasing the body's
inflammatory immune responses, which contribute to atherosclerosis.
According to the report, Mitchell added: "It is recognised
that high-intensity agricultural practices can disrupt the natural
production of secondary metabolites involved in plant defense mechanisms."
The study author said her findings add to a small body of literature
that suggests higher levels of antioxidants exist in some organic
produce.
The soil association gives a more detailed
review of organic food here.
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Reference
Brown MJ, Ferruzzi MG, Nguyen ML, Cooper DA, Eldridge AL, Schwartz
SJ, White WS. (2004). Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from
salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings
as measured with electrochemical detection. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 80, 396-403
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