Study finds organic tomatoes contain more heart-healthy antioxidants
Could organic fruits and veggies be better for you? A study of samples collected over 10 years found that organic tomatoes contained far higher levels of flavonoids — antioxidants that reduce high blood pressure and have also been linked with reduced rates of some cancers and dementia — than conventional varieties. Researchers from the University of California-Davis say the boost may be related to nitrogen levels in soil, which are affected by the use of fertilizer. However, they hasten to point out that there are plenty of variables in this still-growing field: “For every study that shows there’s a difference, there’s another that shows there isn’t,” says researcher Alyson Mitchell. But a rep from Britain’s organic certification body, the Soil Association, didn’t carrot all about that concern: “These findings … confirm recent European research, which showed that organic tomatoes, peaches, and processed apples all have higher nutritional quality than non-organic.” Just don’t tell the kids.
