The Proof is In: Organic is More Nutritious

It seems like every day someone emails me another news story about the hidden dangers of plastic, (like this or this).

I usually stop whatever I’m doing to read it, more convinced with every each new study and infertile rat that we’re doomed to extinction by plastic. When I’m done I usually look up to find my one year-old daughter trying to stuff something plastic into her mouth, despite the variety of brightly colored non-toxic wood toys lying around her on the floor.

So I was happy to read something good this morning about something that plays a big part in my life – they’ve proven that organic milk is better for you!. All the money I’ve been spending on the stuff -- and it’s up to $15 dollars a day because I’m pregnant and it really helps my heartburn -- is worth it. The same goes for organic food.

For the past seven years, the organic food lobby in England has been trying to get the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to change their claim that organic food isn’t safer or healthier. And now, after a 4-year, 12 million pound, European Union-funded investigation led by Newcastle University that shows organic foods have far more nutritional value, they may soon get their way. The study isn’t over yet and the results will be published over the next year, but the hope is that the FSA will change its claim that "the balance of current scientific evidence does not support" the idea that organic food is more nutritious than conventional.

The Quality Low Input Food project, the biggest of its kind, took a 725-acre farm in north-east England, grew conventional produce (like cabbage, lettuce, potatoes and what) next to organic produce, and compared the results.

The biggest contrast was found for milk. The study found that levels of antioxidants in milk from organic cattle were between 50% and 80% higher than conventional milk (60% to 80% more nutrients in the summer than conventional milk, and 50% to 60% more in the winter). Organic milk also has higher levels of vitamin E, and 60 percent more antioxidants and desirable fatty acids. Antioxidants help with a healthy circulatory system and help keep cancer and heart disease away.

Other highlights:

1. Fruit and vegetables contain up to 40% more nutrients if they are grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
2. Up to 40% more antioxidants could be found in organic fruit and vegetables than in those conventionally farmed.
3. Potatoes, kiwi fruit and carrots were among the organic produce found to be higher in vitamin C.
4. Higher levels of minerals and antioxidants were found in organically- farmed lettuce, spinach and cabbage. Organic spinach and cabbage have more minerals.
5. Organic produce also had higher levels of iron and zinc, vital nutrients lacking in many people's diets.
6. Organic cheese can have up to twice as many nutrients than conventional varieties.
7. Organic tomatoes, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, onions and wheat have 20 to 40 per cent more antioxidants than conventional fruit and vegetables.