Organic produce is better for you

So here it is - a study by Carlo Leifert, a professor working with the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group in the UK, has concluded after a four year study set in the European Union that organically grown vegetables have 40% more antioxidants than conventionally grown food crops. "The results of this largest project to date is welcome news, as scientists believe that increased amounts of antioxidants cut the risk of heart disease and cancer. Professor Leifert said the differences were so marked that the organically grown produce would increase the nutrient intake of people who don't eat the recommended five portions a day of fruit and vegetables." (Tom Johns, President of Territorial Seed Company)

I've read in other books about why plants raised organically have more antioxidants - of course they would. These plants have to have a better immune system in order to fight off disease and infestations. By being more hardy, the level of antioxidants goes way up as opposed to plants raised with chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Studies on antioxidants have been going strong for the past few years. It's one of the new buzz words in nutrition and for good reason.

Speaking of buzzwords...
I'm beginning to wonder about our American culture and how we, as a product of groupthink, grab hold of certain words. One minute something is good for you - the next it is bad. Look at what's happened to carbohydrates for instance or different kinds of fats. So while all the news about antioxidants is great, I can't help wondering if there will be some kind of odd backlash - like adding synthetic antioxidants into a protein bar.If a word means 'good for you' and it appears on the label of a highly processed food source then we look no deeper. Omega 3 fatty acids is a good example of this. Do I buy the eggs that are from pastured chickens or the ones that have Omega 3 in big bold letters across the top. I've often done the later without looking any farther. I believe the reason salmon has become ultra popular is because of it's Omega 3. Now the fish case is full of previously frozen salmon all year round in every market I go into. That is a lot of fish and we wonder why our salmon populations are decreasing? It ain't because of the sea lions at the Ballard locks (but's let's kill them anyway).

Latching on to a life ring of health means that we often just pay attention to what we want to hear and let the rest fall away as less than important. I'm wary of that tendency and even when I hear something that supports my viewpoint I would like to be very clear on why.

What I did find out about Professor Leifert's study also goes way beyond antioxidants. Read on if you are interested....
Here are some of the links that I found about this study:
Medical News Today
Science Network