Not sure if you should bother with organic produce? Well, start with tomatoes.
Organic tomatoes contain 55 percent more vitamin C and 140 percent more disease-fighting phenols than conventionally-grown tomatoes, according to a new study in PLoS ONE.
The increase occurs because organic plants are under more stress as they grow, researchers say. Without a pesticide bath to protect them from disease, organic plants may churn out more phenols as a defense mechanism.
The increase in C and phenols is good news considering phenols may strengthen your immune system against disease, and vitamin C is important for your bone, teeth, skin, and muscle health. Plus, recent research in the Cochrane Review found that C does, in fact, lower your chance of catching a cold.
But does that mean you should cough up extra cash for organic? While research leans toward the idea that organics are more nutritious, the jury is still out, says John P. Reganold, Ph.D., a professor of soil science and agroecology at Washington State University who has studied conventional and organic fruits. And even though the study found organic tomatoes are packed with more C, they may not have more nutrients across the board. This study is just one among hundreds.
The bottom line: According to the PLoS ONE study, one conventionally grown tomato contains about 17 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C, or 19 percent of a guy’s C needs (90 mg a day). An organic one had 27 mg of C, or 30 percent of your daily need. Compare that to a kiwi or a cup of pineapple—both of which pack more than a day’s worth of C—and whether you go organic isn’t going to make a huge difference. Instead, eat a variety of produce high in C (including strawberries and kale)—conventional or organic—to cover your nutrition bases.
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