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You're eating organic? Bravo. Just don't expect more antioxidants.
Researchers in Denmark have found the levels of healthful antioxidants actually aren't any higher in organically grown onions, carrots and potatoes than in conventionally farmed vegetables.
The scientists with the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark examined antioxidants called polyphenols in organic produce, comparing them with the same types of vegetables that were grown using traditional pesticides and fertilizers, and determined there was no statistically significant difference between them.
"[I] cannot be concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated ones," according to the study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Of course, there are other reasons to go organic, including minimizing agricultural pollution and perhaps getting better flavour. But if you're simply looking to eat healthier, you may just as well get the benefits from eating more vegetables in general, regardless of how they're grown.
Wency Leung