Why organic food may be worth the extra money
Do organic products warrant the higher price tag? Scientists have finally found out that they do – because they are probably better for you.
Researchers have discovered that organically-grown Golden Delicious apples have a 15 per cent higher level of health-giving antioxidants and phytochemicals than conventionally-grown varieties.
They tested the two types over a three-year period, between 2004 and 2006, and found the organic apples had up to 15 per cent more antioxidants and 10 per cent higher concentrations of phytochemicals.
The results were not consistent over each of the three years, however, say the researchers from the Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food in Karlsruhe. In some of the samples, there was no difference between the organic and conventional apples.
(Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, April 23, 2009; doi: 10.1021/jf803961f).