Some organic foods, including fruit, vegetables and milk, may be more nutritious than non-organic produce, according to an investigation by British scientists.
Early results from a £12m study done by the European Union funded Quality Low Input Food project (which basically means using less fertilizers and chemicals) showed that organic fruit and vegetables contained up to 40% more antioxidants than non-organic varieties, according to Professor Carlo Leifert at Newcastle University.
Larger differences were found in milk, with organic varieties containing more than 60% more antioxidants and healthy fatty acids, he said. Antioxidant-rich food is often promoted as healthier because in lab tests the compounds neutralise free radicals that are thought to contribute to ageing. The findings contradict advice from the Food Standards Agency, which maintains there is no scientific evidence to suggest organic food is healthier.
During the four-year project, Prof Leifert's team, based at the university's Tesco centre for organic agriculture, reared cattle and grew fruit and vegetables on adjacent organic and non-organic sites across Europe, including a 725-acre farm attached to the university. The full results will be released in full over the next 12 months.
What a surprise.
http://www.qlif.org/
Source: The Guardian
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