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Although one study out of Stanford University found two years ago that organic produce isn’t actually much more nutritious than the GMO or pesticide-laced foods, a new study claims that organically-grown produce might actually contain more antioxidants, which have been found to protect cells from aging effects, cancer, and heart disease.
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Though the new study, which was published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found that vitamin and mineral levels were about the same for all produce, there were more antioxidants in the organic fruits and vegetables.
According to NPR, the new study analyzed 343 studies conducted over the past several decades to reach this conclusion, while the Stanford University study used a pool of 200 studies for its findings.
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However, NPR quoted Jeffrey Blumberg, a Tufts University nutrition expert, saying that the methodology used in either study might not actually lead to conclusive findings. Blumberg says this is because there is so much variation, from fertilizer and natural pesticide use, in organic farming and similar differences found in conventional farming. This makes it difficult to know if comparable farming practices are being analyzed and, if they were, those might not be like the ones utilized in farming the produce you buy at the market.
