We all know nuts are great for your health. These little powerhouses are not only delicious, they’re packed with protein, fibre, omega 6 and 3 fats, vitamin E and minerals. It’s true that eating nuts can have huge health benefits, but if you’re choosing conventionally grown nuts you are also increasing your chemical exposure. Nuts grown this way are heavily sprayed with pesticides when they’re picked and shelled, which are then absorbed into your body. Organic nuts on the other hand, are spray free. So there is a payoff between choosing organic and non-organic nuts.
Eating organic fruits and vegetables could increase your antioxidant intake by 20-40%. Organic strawberries have more nutrients and antioxidants than their conventional counterparts. Organic tomatoes are 50% higher in vitamin C content than conventional tomatoes. A new study out of the United Kingdom found that organic crops have significantly higher antioxidant levels when compared to conventional crops. The international research team looked at antioxidant activity and found a 17% mean percentage difference between organic and conventional crops. When assessing individual antioxidants in organic and conventional crops, the organic ones had 19% higher levels of phenolic acids, 69% higher levels of flavanones, 28% higher levels of stilbenes, 26% higher levels of flavones, 50% higher levels of flavonols, and 51% higher levels of anthocyanins. That's a lot of numbers but it all adds up to good news for organic food eaters. Do you eat those recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables every day? If so, eating organic foods rather than conventional is like getting two extra servings worth of antioxidants.