Comparison Of Vitamins And Minerals Present In Organic And Conventional Produce

Health-conscious consumers perennially search for the safest and most nutritious food choices, and organic produce has long been the popular option to provide for those requirements. However, controversy over the relative merits of organic vs. conventional continues to play out in the marketplace and in research, with the advent of genetically modified foods adding more dimensions to the issue of food quality.

Higher Vitamin and Mineral Content

Organic foods contain significantly greater amounts of vitamin C, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus than non-organic varieties of the same foods, according to a U.S. study published in the April 2010 "Alternative Medicine Review." Also of importance is lower cancer-causing nitrate levels and lower pesticide residue, say researchers. Organic fruits and vegetables also provide higher amounts of antioxidant phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins, flavonoids and carotenoids. The authors caution, however, that while laboratory analysis shows higher nutrient content in organic vs. conventional produce, evidence of higher antioxidant activity in people who consume organic produce is lacking. Proof of an advantage from organic food does exist in organic dairy products, which have been linked to lower levels of allergic skin rashes.

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Harvest Season

Organic broccoli did not contain higher quantities of vitamin C than conventional broccoli in a U.S. study published in the February 2008 "International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition." The researchers noted, however, that the difference in vitamin C content varied considerably from season to season, and was more significant than the difference between organic and conventional broccoli, with fall-harvested broccoli containing nearly twice the vitamin C content of spring-harvested broccoli.

Dilution

Higher water content in conventionally grown crops is responsible for the lower nutrient content due to a dilution effect, according to a U.S. study published in the 1998 "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine" journal. The study reported that on an individual nutrient basis, organic crops contain more vitamin C, fewer nitrates and better-quality protein compared with conventional crops.

Production vs. Growing Methods

A 50-year retrospective study, published in the September 2009 "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," found that organic crops contained higher phosphorus and acid content, but no evidence of significant difference in nutrient content between organically and conventionally produced fruits and vegetables. The British researchers concluded that small variations in nutrient content of organically vs. conventionally grown food have to do with differences in production methods and not in growing methods.

Less Disease Risk

A difference in fertilization and plant protection methods accounts for the difference in nutritional value of organically and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, according to a Hungarian study published in the October 2006 "Orvosi Hetilap" journal. Aside from their higher antioxidant and other nutritional values, lower levels of contamination in organic crops make them significantly safer, with respect to risk of food-borne diseases, the authors say.