Superior nutrients in organically raised food

Now here's info you won't find most places. 


Truth be known, and better yet, be acted on.



Paco Verin
Citywide Project Coordinator - Philadelphia Green
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
100 N. 20th St.
Philadelphia, PA  19103
215-988-8885
http://www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org
Title: Why Organic Is Better

Why Organic is Better

 

It is often repeated that "Organic Is Better." Surely the effects of organic cultivation are better for the earth; this has been proven time and again. But that crops grown in this way are nutritionally superior has been widely accepted on faith alone.

Intuitively, it seems that they would be better, but there has been no hard evidence to support this supposition. Researchers at Rutgers University, intrigued by the emphatic claim that "Organic Is Better" decided to shop around for some answers. They went to a supermarket and purchased a selection of produce, which they analyzed for mineral content. They then went to a health food store featuring organically grown produce and repeated their purchase. The organic produce was put through the same testing.

The Rutgers team expected the organic produce to be slightly superior in this comparison, but the results were astounding! For example, notice the amount of iron in the organic spinach and the organic tomatoes. The commercial spinach had only 3% as much iron and the commercial tomatoes only.0005%! Incredibly, many essential elements are completely absent from the commercial produce. The following chart shows these results:

Variations in Mineral Content in Vegetables.
Firman E. Baer report, Rutgers University

 

Percentage of Dry Weight

Millequivalents per 100 grams

Dry Weight

Trace Elements parts per million Dry Matter
 

Tot. Ash Mineral

Phosphorus

Calcium

Magnesium

Potassium

Sodium

Boron

Manganese

Iron

Copper

Cobalt

SNAP BEANS

                      

Organic

10.45

0.36

40.5

60.0

99.7

8.6

73

60

227

69

0.26

Commercial

4.04

0.22

15.5

14.8

29.1

0.9

10

2

10

3

0

CABBAGE

                      

Organic

10.38

0.38

60.0

43.6

148.3

20.4

42

13

94

48

0.15

Commercial

6.12

0.18

17.5

13.6

33.7

0.8

7

2

20

0.4

0

LETTUCE

                      

Organic

24.48

0.43

71

49.3

176.5

12.2

37

169

516

60

0.19

Commercial

7.01

0.22

16

13.1

53.7

0

6

1

9

3

0

TOMATOES

                      

Organic

14.2

0.35

23

59.2

148.3

6.5

36

68

1938

53

0.63

Commercial

6.07

0.16

4.5

4.5

58.8

0

3

1

1

0

0

SPINAGE

                      

Organic

28.56

0.52

96

203.9

237

69.5

88

117

1584

32

0.25

Commercial

12.38

0.27

47.5

46.9

84.6

0.8

12

1

49

0.3

0.2

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Attachment: Why Organic is Better - nutrition.doc
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