Features Production Research
Antioxidants same for organic root crops

November 9, 2010 – With
the demand for organically produced food increasing, scientists are reporting
new evidence that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally do
not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants and related substances than
vegetables grown with traditional fertilizers and pesticides.

November 9, 2010 – With
the demand for organically produced food increasing, scientists are reporting
new evidence that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally do
not have higher levels of healthful antioxidants and related substances than
vegetables grown with traditional fertilizers and pesticides.

The study appears in the
American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

In the study, Pia Knuthsen
and colleagues point out that there are many reasons to pay a premium for
organic food products. The most important reasons for the popularity of organic
food products include improved animal welfare, environmental protection, better
taste, and possible health benefits. However, the health benefits of organic
food consumption are still controversial and not considered scientifically well
documented.

The scientists describe
experiments in which they analyzed antioxidants termed “polyphenols” from
onions, carrots and potatoes grown using conventional and organic methods. They
found no differences in polyphenol content for organic vs. traditional methods
of growth.

“On the basis of the
present study carried out under well controlled conditions, it cannot be
concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have
higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with
the conventionally cultivated ones,” the report states.