Its been going on for years, the
debate over whether organic food is healthier than conventionally
grown food. Well the European Union funded research has now come back
with the results that we all thought for years, according to results
from a €17-million study into organic food. This is the largest
research of its kind to date.
The four-year research study found that:
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Organic fruit and vegetables
contain up to 40 percent more antioxidants
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Organic produce had higher
levels of beneficial minerals like iron and zinc
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Milk from organic herds
contained up to 90 percent more antioxidants
Professor Carlo Leifert, the
co-ordinator of the European Union-funded project, said the
differences were so marked that organic produce would help to increase
the nutrient intake of people not eating the recommended five portions
a day of fruit and vegetables. “If you have just 20% more antioxidants
and you can’t get your kids to do five a day, then you might just be
okay with four a day,” he said.
This weekend the Food Standards
Agency confirmed that it was reviewing the evidence before deciding
whether to change its advice. Ministers and the agency have said there
are no significant differences between organic and ordinary produce.
Researchers grew fruit and
vegetables and reared cattle on adjacent organic and non-organic sites
on a 725-acre farm attached to Newcastle University, and at other
sites in Europe. They found that levels of antioxidants in milk from
organic herds were up to 90% higher than in milk from conventional
herds.
As well as finding up to 40%
more antioxidants in organic vegetables, they also found that organic
tomatoes from Greece had significantly higher levels of antioxidants,
including flavonoids thought to reduce coronary heart disease.
Professor Leifert said the
government was wrong about there being no difference between organic
and conventional produce. “There is enough evidence now that the level
of good things is higher in organics,” he said.
