China.org.cn, July 13 — According to a report on the website of the UK's The Guardian on July 11, the most comprehensive scientific analysis to date has concluded that organic food contains more health-promoting antioxidants and less toxic metals and pesticides than conventional food. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
The international team that reached this conclusion suggested that the benefits of switching to organic fruits and vegetables are equivalent to eating one to two additional servings of fruits and vegetables; generally, experts recommend eating five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
Professor Carlo Leifert of Newcastle University led the project. He concluded that the differences between organic and non-organic food are reflected in both the data and their significance. Organic food has high levels of antioxidants, ranging from 19% to 69%. This is the first study to comprehensively reveal the differences between organic and conventional fruits and vegetables. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
The final results of the study have brought to a boil a long-simmering topic, namely that organic food is healthier than conventional food. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
Tom Sanders, a professor of nutrition at King's College London, said the experiment did reveal differences, “but are these natural? Are these related to nutrition? I'm not sure.” 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
Leifert and his colleagues concluded that many antioxidants “have previously been shown to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, neurodegenerative diseases, and certain cancers.” But they also said that organic diets have not demonstrated long-term health advantages. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
The study also found higher levels of cadmium, a toxic metal, in conventional crops, and conventional crops contained pesticide residues at four times the level of organic food. Funding for the study was provided by the European Union and an organic farming charity. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
The study has also drawn some criticism: for example, one study involved too much data analysis, which inevitably reduced the quality of the research. However, the research team conducted a “sensitivity analysis” and found that the experimental results did not differ greatly. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
At the same time, cadmium and pesticides in conventional diets may both affect the experimental data. For example, cadmium can circulate within the human body, and pesticides may be present in cocktails because they may be made from grains containing pesticide residues. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
Some other doubts hold that the differences arise from different climates, soil types, and crop varieties, and may not be caused by organic farming. However, some investigators emphasized that the experiment had already ruled out other interference. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
However, the greatest doubt is directed at the potential health benefits of organic food. Many recent investigations (233 in 2012) have been almost unable to substantiate this argument. “The published literature lacks strong evidence to prove that organic food is more nutritious than non-organic food.” 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
This view was published as early as 2009 in a scientific journal and announced by the UK Food Standards Agency (pdf). The 2012 study only pointed out that organic food contains fewer pesticide residues. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
Sanders said he himself would not be influenced by the new results. “Eating organic food does not provide more nutrition,” he said. “What matters is what you eat; whether it is organic or non-organic is not important.” 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
He added that organic farming has done a very good job of addressing the problems of soil loss in the UK and excessive eutrophication of rivers. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
The UK Food Standards Agency (pdf) said that the reasons that stimulate consumers to buy organic food include the following: 55% believe it is healthy, and 53% believe it can reduce exposure to chemicals. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
But many people believe that environmental factors (44%), animal living conditions (31%), and the taste of food (35%) are also very important. 文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/
Browning said: “This survey has aroused people's attention to organic food. In many other countries, organic food and organic farming have received relatively high support and acceptance. We hope that through our findings, the UK can catch up with other European countries.”文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/am/11486/