Comparing apples to organic apples

We'd like to think pesticide-free food is better for us, but scientific proof remains elusive

November 10, 2008|Judy Foreman

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Researchers at the University of California, Davis, did a 10-year study in which a particular strain of tomatoes was grown with pesticides on conventional soil right next to the same strain grown on soil that was certified organic. All plants were subject to the same weather, irrigation, and harvesting conditions.

The conclusion? Organic tomatoes had more vitamin C and health-promoting antioxidants, specifically flavonoids called quercitin and kaemperfol - although researchers noted that year-to-year nutrient content can vary in both conventional and organic plants.

Other studies have also shown nutritional advantages for organic food, according to the Organic Center, which reviewed 97 studies on comparative nutrition. Benbrook, the center's chief scientist, says that although conventionally grown food tends to have more protein, organic food is about 25 percent higher in vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Yet a recent Danish study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture showed no vitamins and minerals advantage to organic food.

So, what to eat? I side with the nutritionists who urge us to eat more fruits and veggies, regardless of how they're grown. If you can afford it, common sense, though not necessarily science, would seem to favor the organics. But if you want, split the difference - buy organic for fruits and veggies that are thin-skinned or hard to wash or peel, and go conventional for those, like bananas, that you can peel easily.

Judy Foreman can be reached at foreman@globe.com