Landmark Study Underscores Wide-Ranging Benefits of Pesticide-Free Farming
Published on Friday, July 11, 2014 by Common Dreams
Landmark Study Underscores Wide-Ranging Benefits of Pesticide-Free Farming
'Significant nutritional differences' between organic and non-organic foods, shows research
- Deirdre Fulton, staff writer
A meta-analysis of 343 previously peer-reviewed studies from all over the world has found that organic crops contain more antioxidants and fewer pesticides than their non-organic counterparts, according to reporting in the Guardian.
The research, conducted by an international team of scientists led by UK professor of ecological agriculture Carlo Leifert, is published in the British Journal of Nutrition. It shows that the increased levels of antioxidants (between 18-69 percent) could have significant impact on human nutrition.
"If you buy, consistently, organic fruits and vegetables...you get one to even two extra servings of antioxidants from those organic foods compared to if you bought conventional brands," said Charles Benbrook, a Washington State University researcher and the lone American co-author of the paper.
The frequency of occurrence of pesticide residues was found to be four times higher in conventionally grown fruits, vegetables, and cereals, which also contained significantly higher concentrations of the toxic metal cadmium. Cadmium has been linked to kidney damage and cancer.
"Most importantly, the concentrations of a range of antioxidants such as polyphenolics were found to be substantially higher in organic crops/crop-based foods," the study found. "Many of these compounds have previously been linked to a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative diseases and certain cancers, in dietary intervention and epidemiological studies."
More:
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/07/11-2