Why I *heart* organic food: high antioxidant count confirmed in naturally grown toms
If, like me, you always thought organic fruit and veg tasted better, more nutritious and all round healthier, there may be a good reason for that, a recent study claims.
Furthermore, organic tomatoes in particular may be a juicy way to a healthier heart: compared with their intensively-farmed cousins, naturally grown tomatoes contain significantly more flavonoids - antioxidant compounds thought to be responsible for lower rates of heart disease and cancer in people who eat a diet rich in fruit and veg. The organic tomatoes contain 79 per cent more quercetin, a flavanoid with multiple health benefits, and 97 per cent more kaempferol, the same chemical present in tea that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks.
The findings, which form the results of a detailed, ten-year study, come as a welcome vindication to proponents of organic living, who often find themselves without the hard evidence they need to back up their claims that chemical free food is better for our health. New Scientist magazine commented on the findings, saying that it seemed likely the reduced flavonoid count in non-organic tomatoes may be a direct impact of nitrogen-based fertilizers on the fruit, which produce flavonoids as a natural defense mechanism to a lack of nitrogen in the soil.
