http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0526/organic.html?RTEMAILID

Updated: 17:55, Thursday, 26 May 2011

Organic growers here have welcomed a study which they say shows that food grown without artificial fertilisers is nutritionally better.

Organic food – New study welcomed by growers

The study by the University of Newcastle School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development indicates that fruit and vegetables grown without artificial fertilisers have significantly more key nutrients, including vitamin C.

The Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association, IOFGA, said the research challenges the Food Standards Agency in the UK which has in the past dismissed the nutritional benefits of organic food.

Grace Maher, Development Officer with IOFGA, said nutrition is one of the reasons that people buy organic.

However, she said other reasons include the fact that organic food is free from pesticides and gm ingredients, it has higher animal welfare standards and its production methods are more environmentally friendly.

IOFGA says the Newcastle scientists found that organic fruit and vegetables are up to 12% richer in substances called secondary metabolites, which are said to boost the immune system and protect the body from cell damaging free radicals. Organic fruit and vegetables were also recorded to have 6% higher levels of vitamin C.

The study also suggests that eating organic food is likely to improve your overall general health as it also contains higher levels of compounds which encourage the body to burn fat.

The Newcastle study will be published in the next issue of the journal Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences.

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