Organic foods:   Flavonoids are produced in plants in response to environmental stressors, such as insects or competing plants and have potent antioxidant activity. They are present in organic foods. 

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Organic Food and Organics

Antioxidants in Organic Foods 
 The Organic Food Web

By DH Owens with additions by CyberParent Staff

Eating organic foods: The higher level of antioxidants in the organically grown food is enough to have a significant impact on health and nutrition.

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Flavonoid polyphenolics (also known as bioflavonoids) are present in many dark berries such as pomegranate,seabuckthorn, noni, blueberries, and blackberries, as well as in certain types of tea and coffee, especially green tea. Coffee, however, is often depleted of antioxidants due to the high-temperature roasting process.

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant activity. They are produced in plants in response to environmental stressors, such as insects or competing plants. The need for these natural safeguards decreases with the use of herbicides and pesticides in conventional agriculture. This decrease is reflected in the total amount of antioxidants the plants produce.

The levels of antioxidants in sustainably grown corn were 58.5 percent higher than conventionally grown corn. Organically and sustainably grown marionberries (blackberries) had approximately 50 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown berries. Sustainably and organically grown strawberries showed about 19 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown strawberries.

"This helps explain why the level of antioxidants is so much higher in organically grown food," Mitchell says. "By synthetically protecting the produce from these pests, we decrease their need to produce antioxidants."

Organic foods for health of people, animals, and planet earth.

The higher level of antioxidants in the organically grown food is enough to have a significant impact on health and nutrition, researchers noted in this study published in February, 2003.

Michael Greger, MD, writes, "The Oxidant Stress Theory explains why fruit and vegetable consumption seems to protect against almost every disease from Alzheimer's and cancer to heart disease."

Additional information about organic food and organics.

Transition into Organic Foods
Interested in changing your eating habits? This educational and fact-filled book is a simple read with easy to understand differences between conventional, organic, and natural foods.

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