clear in the grapefruit juice findings. Based on data encompassing just the glycoside form of hesperidin, conventional grapefruit juice appears to contain more
of this flavonoid than the organic juice. But by focusing on the more bioavailable aglycone form, the opposite conclusion would be reached. The findings of
this research, and other projects carried out by this WSU team, highlight the
need for scientists to look more deeply at how and why organic farming and
processing methods often change the form of nutrients in ways that enhance
nutrient bioavailability and food quality.
While other factors such as genetics can have an effect on antioxidant levels,
during the 2007 annual meeting of the American Society for Horticultural
Science, a team from Colorado State University reported that growing methods
were responsible for at least a third of the increase in antioxidants in the melons
they were testing and that regardless of the genetics, organic management
increased both Vitamin C and antioxidant levels compared to conventional.
Paper of the Year
Dozens of important scientific studies were published in 2007 on the consumer health benefits of organic food and farming, but one stands out as
extraordinarily significant because of the scope of its implications. It contains
solid evidence in support of a causal relationship between organic farming, gradual soil quality improvement, enhanced nutrient density and overall food quality
and safety.
UC Davis scientists have been carrying out a long-term farming systems trial
c omparing organic and conventional tomato production for
o ver a decade. They have compared yields, nutrient cont ent, production inputs and costs, impacts on soil quali-t y and specific combinations of production practices.
T he most recent publication to appear from this
long-term trial came out in the June 23, 2007 issue of
t he Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
T he team reported a near doubling in health-pro-m oting flavonoids in tomatoes in the organic system, com-
Organic tomatoes have p ared to conventionally grown tomatoes. They also report-
up to double the antioxi- ed another, unexpected finding—the gap between the
dants compared to con-
ventional. flavonoid levels in the organic versus conventional tomatoes increased steadily over time. The longer the fields were managed organically, the greater the nutrition premium. The increase in flavonoid nutrient density
in the organic tomatoes continued despite cutting back significantly on the rate
of compost applied to the organic plots.
The team wondered why. They concluded that changes in nitrogen levels and
plant nutrient cycling within the higher-quality soils in the organic plots were
the most plausible explanation. The linkage between improved soil quality and
more nutrient-dense food stands as powerful evidence in support of a basic principle of organic farming—feed the soil to better feed the plant.
Concerns Over Conventional Meats
Questions about the safety of using growth-promoting hormones in beef production have lingered for years. The Europeans banned growth hormones in
1988, but in the United States growth hormones are utilized by the vast majority
of ranchers.
A team of scientists from the United States and Denmark compiled data
through the “Study for Future
Families,” a five -s tate,
multicenter stud y
of pregnancy
outcomes carried out
between 1999
and 2005. They
focused on the
impact of a mot h-
er’s beef con- Beef from cows treated
with hormones can
sumption on her cause impaired fertility.
adult son’s reproductive health and
capabilities.
They found that sons born to mothers who were frequent beef consumers
(more than seven servings per week)
were three times more likely to meet
the World Health Organization’s criteria for impaired fertility than sons
born to moms who ate beef less regularly. The same was not true for other
red meat that did not contain added
hormones. The scientists concluded
that exposure to steroids in conventional beef was the most plausible
explanation for this study’s remarkable
findings.
Other scientists have analyzed the
persistence and spread of beef hormones and other animal drugs in the
environment, and studies published in
2007 paint a worrisome picture. Beef
feedlot hormones move via runoff and
the spreading of manure into surrounding soils and into water. This can
add to the growing environmental
problem of excess sex hormones contributing to impaired fertility and even
transgender wildlife.
Besides the dangers of hormones,
there has also been some discussion
that links conventional meat processing techniques to the increased incidents of E.coli in beef in 2007. Last
year, 21 million pounds of hamburger
from Topps was recalled because of
E.coli contamination. Possible explanations include weather stress, mixing
contaminated distillers grain from
ethanol production plants into cattle
