 What is Organic?
Following are several articles that talk about the benefits of Organic living.
Organic Agriculture Key in Reducing Global Warming
The world is what we eat: food choices and climate change
By Wylie Harris
Prairie Writers Circle
The movie "The Day After Tomorrow" gives people a technicolor take on the havoc that global climate change might wreak. Despite President Bush's reassurances to the contrary, the growing consensus among scientists is thatthe problem is real. No less sober a source than the Pentagon recently madepredictions rivaling the movie's for grimness.
No one can say when, where and how global warming will actually play out.That makes it even scarier. With this uncertainty, 'better safe than sorry' seems the best prescription.
So what can you and I do?
We can push policy changes. We can drive less and practice other forms of conservation. And we can consider other ways we spend our money -- in particular, what kinds of food we buy.
There are two strategies for lessening the atmosphere's load of the heat-trapping greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. One is to emit less of it. The other is to reduce what's already there by sucking it out of the air and storing it somewhere else, such as in the soil. Certain kinds of farming -- and shopping -- can do both.
Pound for pound, growing food organically emits less carbon dioxide than the methods most commonly used to grow food today. Conventional agriculture uses large amounts of synthetic, fossil-fuel-based nitrogen fertilizer, whose
production and use account for as much as a third of agriculture's carbon dioxide emissions. Organic farms don't use synthetic nitrogen, relying instead on crop residues and manure for fertility. What's more, Rodale Institute studies show that this recycling of organic matter back into the soil can increase the amount of carbon stored there.
So organic farming takes the prize in today's agriculture for addressing the problem of mounting carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere. And organic has an added benefit: It doesn't poison our soil and water with the synthetic
pesticides so widely used in conventional farming.
Growing food, however, is only half the battle. Getting it to the table also puts out a lot of carbon dioxide. Food in the United States typicallytravels 1,500 miles before landing on the dinner plate. The food industry is the largest user of freight transportation in the country. Buying more locally grown food would reduce those miles, keeping more fossil-fuel carbon in the tank and out of the sky.
Local foods might seem hard to find at first, but there's no better way ofincreasing supply than to make demand felt. And demand is already growing. The number of farmers and customers at farmers' markets and other direct sales outlets is up 20 percent annually over the past decade. Web sites like localharvest.org, csacenter.org and eatwellguide.org are good places to start looking for local sources.
Buying organic and local food is a nearly unbeatable combination. Home gardening is another option, and is also a great source of exercise -- without the gym fees.
If you're concerned about global warming, you can -- and should -- express that concern to your elected representatives, and get them to start applying your tax money to keeping the worst-case climate change scenarios in the movies. Meantime, you can send a more immediate signal in the way you buy -- or grow -- your food each week.
Wylie Harris is a Food and Society Policy Fellow, funded by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. He ranches with his family in north-central Texas. Harris is a member of the Land Institute's Prairie Writers Circle, Salina, Kan.
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Organic produce business skyrocketing, lots of room for growth
November 8, 1996
From CNN Correspondent Carolyn O'Neil
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Raising and selling organically-grown foods is no longer the business solely of flower children in tie-dye overalls, transporting their wares in Volkswagen microbuses.
Today, people who grow fruits and vegetables without using pesticides are finding their basic business plan is one with strong growth potential, as the demand for organics rises exponentially.
Sales of organic produce have risen to a record $2.8 billion per year. And according to the Organic Market Overview Report, organic sales have increased by more than 20 percent per year for six years in a row.
Farmers who bring their produce to the weekly farmer's market in Napa, California, say business has never been better. "It's definitely every year, more business," said one seller. "It's an undersaturated market."
In the Morningside community of Atlanta, Saturday mornings are becoming prime organic shopping time, as a tiny locally-organized farmer's market springs up for a few hours every weekend.
"People are glad to get fresh most of what we see here. It hasn't been sprayed," said Bonnie Nichols, who runs Purple Moon Farm in Acworth, Georgia. "No pesticides produces a better product."
Guenter Seeger, the chef at Seeger's Restaurant in Atlanta, agreed. "I think when you've tasted these products you don't want to eat anything else," he said.
Concerns about pesticide residue and for the environment have created a legion of loyal fans nationwide, who make a special trip to find their favorites, and often pay 20 percent or more for organics than for conventional foods. Organic aficionados are confident that the food they consume is both safer and healthier.
The Pavich Family Farms of California made the switch to organic 25 years ago, well before organically-grown food became a billion-dollar market. Today, their farms are the world's largest growers of organic table grapes.
Asking for organic produce used to be radical and unusual, but Tonya Pavich says today, "It's becoming conservative, it's becoming sophisticated." It's also becoming easier to find. Most major supermarkets, from D.C. to Des Moines, now feature a growing selection of organically-grown foods.
With the demand for their product becoming practically mainstream, organic farmers say their hard work -- spending long hours weeding instead of spraying, for example -- and innovations like fabric row covers, which keep bugs from chewing up the lettuce, are finally beginning to pay off.
What's more, "The competition has made each of us better," said Larry Tiller, of Warm Springs Farm in Healdsburg, California. "My product today versus 20 years ago is far superior."
Organics have plenty of room for future growth: Organically-grown fruits and vegetables still represent only 2 percent of overall produce sales.
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Eat and Be Well
Nutritionists name the 10 most important foods
By Marge Perry
June 22, 2004
Fat is bad, but some fats are good. Tofu prevents disease; tofu aids growth of certain tumors. Eggs promote cholesterol; eggs pack a nutritional punch.
So which is it?
The barrage of conflicting reports leaves many consumers with a distrust of nutritional information -- and a plate full of questions about how and what to eat for their health.
Despite contradictory reports and biases by researchers for or against proteins, fats and/or carbohydrates, there are certain foods and food groups about which many nutritional experts agree.
A number of foods were named to a Top 10 list by a half-dozen leading research nutritionists interviewed earlier this month. Some obvious candidates, however, didn't make the list, but were cited as beneficial. Broccoli, for example, was noted as being a rich source of vitamin C, and research points to its potential to reduce the risk of breast, colon and stomach cancers. Sweet potatoes, a potent source of vitamin A (which helps ensure healthy eyes), are high in fiber and low on the glycemic index, which means they are a carbohydrate that won't cause the same spikes in blood sugar as a white potato. Cooked tomatoes are high in lycopene (which helps decrease the risk of colon cancer) and vitamin C, and are low in calories.
Melon, which is in peak season, has more water, ounce for ounce, than most juices. In addition, melon is loaded with potassium. Watermelon is also a good source of iron and lycopene.
Keith Ayoob, associate professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, named his Top 10 most important foods and added a caveat that seems to be the consensus among food experts: Don't limit yourself. "Use the list as a springboard to try other foods in the same categories," he advises. "It's all about variety."
Here are some of the best disease-fighting, health-promoting foods that came up on our nutritionists' Top 10 lists:
1. BLUEBERRIES. Blueberries are a particular favorite among researchers because they have more antioxidant power than any other fruit. Kathy McManus, director of nutrition at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, explains: "The blue color comes from the presence of anthocyanin, a flavonoid which has been found to retard the effects of aging in animal studies. We're talking about motor and cognitive function."
There is also strong evidence that blueberries help fight heart disease and cancer. And blueberries may help improve night vision and slow macular degeneration (a leading cause of blindness in the elderly).
McManus, who runs a weight loss clinic and research center, points out that blueberries are also low in calories -- just 60 in three-quarters of a cup.
2. GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES. Some green vegetables, like kale and spinach, are particularly good sources of lutein and zeaxanthin, which may help prevent macular degeneration. And lutein, especially when consumed with the lycopene found in tomatoes, may slow the growth of prostate cancer cells, studies show.
Leafy greens are a good source of folate, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease and blood clots; magnesium, which helps maintain blood pressure; beta carotene to fight cancer; and some, like collards, are an excellent nondairy source of calcium.
Leafy greens are also high in fiber and very low in calories. The darker the leaf, the higher the concentration of beta carotene. Field green lettuces and mesclun mixes available in many supermarkets offer a good variety.
3. NUTS. "A nut is the seed for a new plant. When you eat a nut, you're getting a compacted source of all the nutrients that plant is going to need in order to grow," said Christine Pelkman, assistant professor of nutrition at the State University at Buffalo. Nuts contain healthy monounsaturated fats, protein, fiber and a host of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, selenium and magnesium. Every nut has its own particular nutritional strengths; walnuts are high in omega-3 fatty acids, and Brazil nuts are one of the best dietary sources of selenium, for example.
"It is very clear that those who eat five or more servings of nuts per week reduce their risk of heart disease by 32 percent and their risk of type 2 diabetes by 27 percent," McManus said.
4. FATTY FISH. While some nutritionists put all fish on their Top 10 list, most emphasize fatty fish, such as salmon, sardines and tuna, which are highest in omega-3s. "The benefits are humongous," said Ayoob. "Fish high in omega-3s can reduce heart disease by up to 30 percent."
There is a note of caution with fish. Farmed salmon has higher levels of PCBs (a chemical contaminate) than wild, but wild salmon is seasonal and far more costly. McManus therefore advises patients to limit consumption of farmed fish. Large fish, such as tuna, tilefish, shark and swordfish, should also be consumed in limited quantities because they contain higher levels of mercury than smaller fish.
Most nutritionists interviewed agree that the health benefits outweigh the risks and that eating a variety of fish minimizes the risk.
5. AVOCADOS. Avocados got a bad reputation because they have more calories and fat than many vegetables. But most of the fat in this fruit (yes, fruit) is monounsaturated, and avocados are packed with nutrients. Ounce for ounce, avocados contain about 60 percent more potassium than bananas and contain more vitamin E (which helps prevent muscle damage and reduce inflammation) than most other commonly eaten fruits.
6. WHOLE GRAINS. Highly refined carbohydrates such as white bread, cookies, sweetened and highly processed cereals can pack on the pounds and cause unhealthy spikes in blood sugar. But these refined carbohydrates should not be confused with whole-grain carbohydrates, which are a rich source of antioxidants, vitamin B, folate and fiber.
The powerhouse vitamins and minerals and the hundreds of phytochemicals in whole grains may help prevent cancer, heart disease and birth defects. And fiber, which according to the American Heart Association is greatly underconsumed (Americans average 15 grams per day rather than the recommended 25-35 grams), helps lower cholesterol, may protect against certain cancers (including gastrointestinal), aids bowel function and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes.
7. LEGUMES, INCLUDING SOY. Legumes and beans are an underutilized, inexpensive, near-complete nutrient package. "They have protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals," said Ayoob. "And diabetics need to know they won't tend to raise blood sugar."
Legumes contain a range of plant nutrients that few animal proteins deliver, along with fiber and very little fat.
Soybeans are higher in protein and fat and lower in carbohydrates than other legumes. There is conflicting evidence about soy's role in cancer protection, but it is clear that soy belongs in a heart-healthy diet.
8. LOW-FAT DAIRY (MILK AND YOGURT). Yogurt contains probiotics -- a "good" bacteria for the stomach that helps prevent infections and gastrointestinal distress. McManus especially values yogurt's "good balance of protein, carbohydrates and calcium," and recommends natural yogurts with active cultures and no added sugar.
Calcium, like fiber, is sadly lacking in American diets. Low-fat dairy is an easy way to increase calcium consumption, and milk also has vitamin D added. Vitamin D, which enables the body to absorb the calcium, comes from exposure to sunlight.
9. EGGS. Often referred to as one of nature's "perfect foods," an egg offers complete protein in a low-calorie package. It's quick, easy and inexpensive and rich in many vitamins (including vitamin E), minerals and micronutrients, like lecithin and lutein, that may protect against eye disease and certain cancers.
The American Heart Association removed restrictions on the number of egg yolks healthy individuals can consume. While yolks are high in dietary cholesterol, the AHA and many scientists agree that the saturated fat and trans-fats in the diet have a greater impact on blood cholesterol than the cholesterol in the diet. The AHA continues to recommend that people with heart disease limit their egg yolk consumption to two per week.
10. DARK CHOCOLATE. Yep, that's right, chocolate. Justify it nutritionally: dark (unsweetened chocolate) has compounds similar to red wine that benefit heart health. The flavonoids (an antioxidant-like chemical in plant foods) in dark chocolate fight free radicals and help blood vessels dilate, which improves blood flow. It doesn't take a nutritionist, though, to say that chocolate makes people feel warm- hearted.
Marge Perry writes regularly about food and nutrition.
Copyright © 2004, Newsday, Inc.
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Organic More Nutritious
University of California Study
Comparison of the Total Phenolic and Ascorbic Acid Content of Freeze-Dried and Air-Dried Marionberry, Strawberry and Corn Grown Using Conventional, Organic, and Sustainable Agricultural Practices, Asami, D.K., et al. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, February 2003, Vol. 51, No. 5).
Researchers at the University of California-Davis have found that organically or sustainably grown berries and corn contain up to 58% more polyphenolics (natural antioxidants that may help prevent heart disease and cancer) than their conventional counterparts grown in neighboring plots.
The work suggests that insecticides and herbicides may actually reduce the production of polyphenolics by plants. The study also shows that the organically or sustainably grown crops also had more ascorbic acid, which the body converts to vitamin C. The organic foods were grown according to the definition set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, without artificial pesticides or fertilizers used in conventional farming.
Sustainably grown produce was grown with artificial fertilizers, but without pesticides. Polyphenolics are natural chemicals a plant produces in response to pest presence, their bitter taste acting to drive pests away. This new research suggests that when pesticides are used, the plant is not required to make as much of these chemicals. Alyson Mitchell, an assistant professor of food science at the University of California, Davis, who led the study, stated that crops grown without using insecticides or herbicides might make more polyphenolics because they are more likely to be stressed by insects or other pests.
"This may reflect the balance between adequate nutrition in the form of fertilizers and external pest pressures because of the lack of pesticides and herbicides," she said.
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Organic Food Safer
University of Washington Study
Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure of Urban and Suburgan Preschool Children with Organic and Conventional Diets, Curl, C. L. et al. (Environmental Health Perspectives, March 2003, Vol. 111, No. 3)
According to the results of this University of Washington study, children who eat a diet of organic food show a level of pesticides in their body that is six times lower than children who eat a diet of conventionally produced food. To acquire the data, researchers collected 24-hour urine samples from 18 children with organic diets and 21 children with conventional diets and analyzed them for five organophosphate (OP) pesticide metabolites.
The children were recruited from the entryways of two grocery stores in the Seattle-metropolitan area; a local consumer cooperative selling a large variety of organic foods and a large retail chain supermarket selling mostly conventional foods. Parents kept food diaries for three days before urine collection, and they distinguished organic and conventional foods based on label information.
Children were then classified as having consumed either organic or conventional diets based on analysis of the diary data. Residential pesticide use was also recorded for each home. Significantly higher concentrations of OP (dimethyl alkyl-phospate) metabolites were found in the children with conventional diets. The researchers found that some of the levels exceed EPA's acceptable threshold exposure for no likelihood of "appreciable" effects, known as the reference dose. (RfD)
The researchers chose OP pesticides for analysis because of their widespread use, their reported presence as residues on foods frequently consumed by children, and their acute toxicity. Studies in animals show that even a single, low-level exposure to certain OP pesticides during particular times of early brain development can cause permanent changes in brain chemistry, as well as changes in behavior, such as hyperactivity. This may mean that early childhood exposure to such chemicals can lead to lasting effects on learning, attention, and behavior, just like the environmental neurotoxin lead.
The researchers state, "Our finding that children who consume primarily organic produce exhibit lower pesticide metabolite levels in their urine than children who consume conventional produce is consistent with known agricultural practice, because organic foods are grown without pesticides. Consumption of organic produce appears to provide a relatively simple way for parents to reduce their children's exposure to OP pesticides."
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The Case for Organic ~ Higher Nutritional Values
It looks like people who choose organic foods now have science to back up their view that these products are healthier. New research by the American nutritionist Virginia Worthington, M.S., Sc.D., C.N.S. compares the vitamin and mineral content of organic and non-organic foods. Under the title of" Organic Farming, Food Quality and Human Health Report," Worthington provides evidence that the nutritional content of organic foods is higher than that of non-organic produce. Her research confirms earlier findings that, on average, organic produce contains higher levels of vitamin C, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. In fact, all 21 minerals compared were higher in organic produce. Shane Heaton, researcher with the British Soil Association, comments on these findings on the Soil Association website. "The clear difference between the nutritional quality of organic and non-organic produce demands further investigation." In conclusion we can say that there are still some studies to be done, but all signs seem to indicate that organic food is not only better for the environment, it's also healthier for you.
The following are excerpts from Virginia Worthington's report referenced above, published in the "Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine," 2002:
"Organic foods are required in a number of alternative treatments, including several alternative cancer therapies. It is widely assumed that any benefit derived from organic foods is due to an absence of pesticide residues. However, prior to the widespread use of pesticides, those in the health care community who advocated organic foods claimed that these foods contained a better arrangement of nutrients as a result of the superior soil management and fertilization practices used by organic farmers. As a corollary, they cautioned that food grown with chemical fertilizers caused deteriorating health in animals and humans (Chesire Panel Committee, 1939)."
"... there appears to be higher amounts of nutritionally significant minerals in organic compared to conventional crops. The organic crop had a higher mean mineral content for all 21 minerals considered in this analysis. In addition, there may be less of the toxic heavy metals in organic crops than in conventional crops. For all four heavy metals considered, the organic crop contained lower amounts of the heavy metals more often than comparable conventional crops. The number of comparisons where the organic crop had less and where the conventional crop had less were 7 and 5 for lead, 6 and 5 for cadmium, 3 and 2 for mercury, and 4 and 1 for aluminum.'
"A further trend indicates that the quantity of protein may be less but the quality may be better in organic crops than in conventional crops. In all but one of the few measurements that were included in this analysis, the quantity of crude protein was lower in organic compared to conventional crops but the quality was better as measured by essential amino acid content."
"... it is helpful to know something about the differences in organic and conventional fertilizers and fertility management. In organic farming, a number of methods are used to maintain soil fertility. These include: (1) crop rotation, which ensures that one crop does not deplete the soil of the nutrients that it uses most; (2) cover crops to protect against soil erosion; (3) the planting of special crops known as "green manures" that are plowed back into the soil to enrich it; and (4) the addition of aged animal manures and plant wastes, also known as compost, to the soil. The distinguishing feature of these fertility management practices is the addition of organic matter to the soil, in the form of plant and animal wastes, to preserve the soil structure and provide food for soil microorganisms. With these methods, soil nutrients are released slowly over time."
"In contrast, chemical fertilizers contain a few mineral substances, principally nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Sometimes trace minerals are also added. These fertilizers dissolve easily in the water that is present in soil. As a result, plants fertilized with chemical fertilizers are presented with large quantities of nutrients all at once, often in excess of their needs. Farmers who use chemical fertilizers control erosion of topsoil through methods such as no-till planting, where weed-killing pesticides are used in place of plowing to prepare a field for planting. With chemical fertilizers, there is no attempt to influence soil structure or to encourage soil microorganisms (Cacek and Lagner, 1986)."
"These differences in the management of soil fertility affect soil dynamics and plant metabolism, which result in differences in plant composition and nutritional quality. Soil that has been managed organically has more microorganisms (Hader, 1986; Henis, 1986). These microorganisms produce many compounds that help plants, including substances such as citrate and lactate that combine with soil minerals and make them more available to plant roots (Stevenson and Ardakani, 1972). For iron, in particular, this is especially important because many soils contain adequate iron but in an unavailable form (Allway, 1975). The presence of these microorganisms at least partially explains the trend showing a higher mineral content of organic food crops."
"Nitrogen from any kind of fertilizer affects the amounts of vitamin C and nitrates as well as the quantity and quality of protein produced by plants. When a plant is presented with a lot of nitrogen, it increases protein production and reduces carbohydrate production. Because vitamin C is made from carbohydrates, the synthesis of vitamin C is reduced also. Moreover, the increased protein that is produced in response to high nitrogen levels contains lower amounts of certain essential amino acids such as lysine and consequently has a lower quality in terms of human and animal nutrition. If there is more nitrogen than the plant can handle through increased protein production, the excess is accumulated as nitrates and stored predominantly in the green leafy part of the plant (Salunkhe and Desai, 1988; Mozafar, 1993). Because organically managed soils generally present plants with lower amounts of nitrogen than chemically fertilized soils, it would be expected that organic crops would have more vitamin C, less nitrates and less protein but of a higher quality than comparable conventional crops."
"Potassium fertilizer can reduce the magnesium content and indirectly the phosphorus content of at least some plants. When potassium is added to soil, the amount of magnesium absorbed by plants decreases. Because phosphorus absorption depends on magnesium, less phosphorus is absorbed as well. Potassium is presented to plants differently by organic and conventional systems. Conventional potassium fertilizers dissolve readily in soil water presenting plants with large quantities of potassium while organically managed soils hold moderate quantities of both potassium and magnesium in the root zone of the plant (Bear et al., 1949; Hannaway et al., 1980). Given the plant responses just described, it would be expected that the organic crops would contain larger amounts of magnesium and phosphorus than comparable conventional crops."
"Several kinds of fertilizers contain toxic heavy metals that enter the soil and are absorbed by plants. Phosphate fertilizers often are contaminated by cadmium. Also, trace minerals fertilizers and liming materials derived from industrial waste can contain a number of heavy metals (Batelle Memorial Institute, 1999). These heavy metals build up in the soil when these fertilizers are used year after year. As the soil becomes more contaminated, the crops grown on these soils also become more contaminated. When chemical nitrogen fertilizers are added to these soils, plants may absorb even more toxic heavy metals (Reuss et al., 1976; Harmon et al., 1998). Organic farmers only rarely use trace mineral fertilizers and virtually never use fertilizers produced from industrial waste, which are the most contaminated (Organic Crop Improvement Association, 1996; Batelle Memorial Institute, 1999). As a consequence, it might be expected that organic crops would contain lower amounts of toxic heavy metals, but more investigation is required to confirm this expectation."
"Furthermore, it is reasonable to ask how the observed differences in nutrient content might affect a person's nutrient intake and health. Estimates of the nutrient content of organic and conventional daily vegetable intake were made, and the organic vegetables had higher amounts of all nutrients shown. For vitamin C, in particular, five servings of the organic vegetables met the recommended daily intake of 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men (Krinsky, 2000) whereas the same vegetables produced conventionally failed to do so. Considering that the recommended intake for vitamin C has been raised twice in the last 30 years, it is possible that the difference seen here could have significant effects on the public health."
"However, the health effects that might accrue from these differences in nutrient content have not been assessed to any extent. Animal studies suggest that such functions as reproduction and resistance to infection might be adversely affected by conventionally produced foods as compared to organically produced ones (Linder, 1973; Aehnelt and Hahn, 1978; Voghtmann, 1988; Plochberger, 1989; Velimirov et al., 1992). The one existing human study reported that the percentage of normal sperm increased as the percentage of organic food in men's diets increased (Juhler et al., 1999). Although preliminary, these findings are consistent with the results of the animal studies. Moreover, it should be noted that some of the animal studies included no pesticide usage at all so that the poorer outcome of the conventionally fed animals cannot be entirely attributed to pesticide residues. Soil factors appear to have an effect as well."
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Organic food may reduce strokes
Written by BUPA's* medical team - 13 March 2002
New research has revealed some of the first scientifically proven health benefits of eating organic foods. The findings are reported in the New Scientist found that eating organic foods may help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer.
A team of researchers from the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and the University of Strathclyde found that organic soups contain almost six times as much salicylic acid as non-organic vegetable soups.
Salicylic acid is produced naturally in plants as a defence against stress and disease. It is responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin, and helps combat the hardening of the arteries and bowel cancer. Non-organic foods would, in theory, not produce as much salicylic acid as they are more likely to be protected from infection by the application of pesticides.
The researchers looked at brands of soups in supermarkets and found that salicylic acid was present in all of the organic soups and most of the non-organic soups although not in such a high concentration.
The highest concentration of salicylic acid was found in an organic carrot and coriander soup, while no trace of it was detectable in four traditional non-organic soups.
Commenting on the research, John Paterson a biochemist at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary said: "Eating organic may be good for you, I'm not an evangelist for the organic food movement, but there was a fairly substantial difference."
The Foods Standards Agency now promises to study the new evidence. "We are aware of the suggested benefits of high levels of salicylic acid and will look at what the report has to say," says a spokeswoman.
The research was welcomed by The Soil Association who said it backed up independent research carried out in the last few years revealed, "Organic crops show high levels of vitamin C, iron, calcium and magnesium as well as other essential minerals." They went on to comment that they hoped the Food Standards Agency looked seriously at the new research.
Sarah Schenker a dietician at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "There is growing evidence that chemicals in plants can have a positive impact on health, but what we don't know yet is how readily they are absorbed by the body, so the next step would be to determine that."
*BUPA is a health insurance provider in the United Kingdom.
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