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cancer fighting compounds higher in organic foods



Cancer fighting compounds are higher in organic fruits. With this and previous
peer reviewed publications clearly showing the superior cancer fighting
qualities of organic foods surely USDA and FDA cannot object to marketing
organic foods as cancer fighting substances.

J. Agric. Food Chem. 2002, 50, 5458-5462
Modulation of Antioxidant Compounds in Organic vs
Conventional Fruit (Peach, Prunus persica L., and Pear,
Pyrus communis L.)
MARINA CARBONARO, MARIA MATTERA, STEFANO NICOLI,
PAOLO BERGAMO, AND MARSILIO CAPPELLONI
Despite the increasing interest in organic products, knowledge about how
different levels of fertilization
affect nutritionally relevant components is still limited. The concentration of
polyphenols and the activity
of polyphenoloxidase (PPO), together with the content in ascorbic acid, citric
acid, and R- and
Á-tocopherol, were assayed in conventional and organic peach ( Prunus
persicaL., cv. Regina bianca)
and pear ( Pyrus communis L., cv. Williams). 2-Thiobarbituric acid reactive
substances and the
tocopherolquinone/R-tocopherol ratio were used as markers of oxidative damage
in fruits. A parallel
increase in polyphenol content and PPO activity of organic peach and pear as
compared with the
corresponding conventional samples was found. Ascorbic and citric acids were
higher in organic
than conventional peaches, whereas R-tocopherol was increased in organic pear.
The concentration
of oxidation products in organic samples of both fruits was comparable to that
of the corresponding
conventional ones. These data provide evidence that an improvement in the
antioxidant defense
system of the plant occurred as a consequence of the organic cultivation
practice. This is likely to
exert protection against damage of fruit when grown in the absence of
pesticides.