Organic advocates have long contended that food grown without pesticides is better for you than chemical-dependent crops. Now comes a new study that backs up the organics argument. Tests of pesticide-free strawberries, blackberries, and corn found that they contain up to 58 percent more polyphenolics, or health-boosting compounds, than conventional crops grown on neighboring plots. Polyphenolics have antioxidant properties and may help protect against cancer and heart disease. The organic produce also had more ascorbic acid, which the human body converts to vitamin C. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of California at Davis, was recently published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
