Shakerela Health Design

For the nutrition tip of the day, new research shows that apples grown from organic farming may be more nutritious than the apples grown through conventional standard methods. There has been an ongoing debate on the benefits of true organic farming relative to standard practices of modern farming. New findings were recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. “In the present study the organically produced apples displayed a higher phytochemical concentration and a higher antioxidant capacity than conventionally produced apples,” wrote the researchers, led by Bernhard Watzl from the Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food in Karlsruhe.

Watzl and his co-workers compared the polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity of Golden Delicious apples grown under organic and conventional conditions over a three year period (2004-2006). According to their findings, in 2005 and 2006 the antioxidant capacity was 15 per cent higher in the organic fruit than the conventionally produced fruits. Organic apples grown in 2005 also had a higher polyphenol concentration, said the researchers.
This data remains controversial, but many consumers are actively looking for foods that have been prepared through organic farming techniques free of herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers from petrochemicals.

"Organic farming represents a sustainable method of agriculture that avoids the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides and makes use of crop rotation and good animal husbandry to control pests and diseases," wrote Williamson. "From a nutritional perspective, there is currently not enough evidence to recommend organic foods over conventionally produced foods."

I am a big fan of supplements to support basic nutrients in the diet and of course eating healthy meals from good sources.
Wishing you the best of health,
Sincerely,
Dr. Luigi
Website: http://drluigi.com

Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Published online ahead of print, 23 April 2009, doi: 10.1021/jf803961f
“Three-Year Comparison of the Polyphenol Contents and Antioxidant Capacities in Organically and Conventionally Produced Apples (Malus domestica Bork. Cultivar `Golden Delicious')”
Authors: B.A. Stracke, C.E. Rfer, F.P. Weibel, A. Bub, B. Watzl