Eating Green

Now Even More Reasons...

• Laura Tangley
• Jun 01, 2003

NOW there’s another reason to go organic. According to a new study, fruits and vegetables grown without pesticides produce higher levels of the cancer-fighting antioxidants called phenolics than do conventionally grown crops. The finding makes sense, says Alyson Mitchell, a food scientist at the University of California–Davis and the study’s lead researcher: "If an aphid is nibbling on a leaf, the plant produces phenolics to defend itself. By protecting the produce from these pests, we decrease their need to produce antioxidants."