In the ongoing debate about the relative health
benefits of organic food, there is positive news from France. A report published this
summer by the French Agency for Food Safety (AFSSA) has found that organic
foods are better for you and contain less pesticides and nitrates, which
have been linked to a range of health problems including diabetes and
Alzheimer’s.
The study was published in the peer reviewed scientific
journal Agronomy for Sustainable Development and organic experts feel that
gives it a great deal of credibility, unlike an earlier UK Food Standard
Agency Study that was widely criticized for using flawed methodology and a
conclusion that contradicted its own data.
The major points of The French Agency for Food Safety
study are:
Organic plant products contain more dry matter (more nutrient dense).
Organic plant products have higher levels of minerals.
Organic plant products contain more antioxidants such as phenols and
salicylic acid (known to protect against cancers, heart disease and many
other health problems).
Organic animal products contain more polyunsaturated fatty acids
(protect against heart disease).
Between 94 and 100 percent of organic foods do not contain any pesticide
residues.
Organic vegetables contain about 50 percent less nitrates than
conventional (high nitrate levels are linked to a range of health
problems including diabetes and Alzheimer’s).
The full report can be found
here.
