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Organic food may reduce strokesWritten by Bupa's medical team - 13 March 2002 New research has revealed some of the first scientifically proven health benefits of eating organic foods. The findings are reported in the New Scientist found that eating organic foods may help reduce the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer. A team of researchers from the Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary and the University of Strathclyde found that organic soups contain almost six times as much salicylic acid as non-organic vegetable soups. Salicylic acid is produced naturally in plants as a defence against stress and disease. It is responsible for the anti-inflammatory action of aspirin, and helps combat the hardening of the arteries and bowel cancer. Non-organic foods would, in theory, not produce as much salicylic acid as they are more likely to be protected from infection by the application of pesticides. The researchers looked at brands of soups in supermarkets and found that salicylic acid was present in all of the organic soups and most of the non-organic soups although not in such a high concentration. The highest concentration of salicylic acid was found in an organic carrot and coriander soup, while no trace of it was detectable in four traditional non-organic soups. Commenting on the research, John Paterson a biochemist at Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary said: "Eating organic may be good for you, I'm not an evangelist for the organic food movement, but there was a fairly substantial difference." The Foods Standards Agency now promises to study the new evidence. "We are aware of the suggested benefits of high levels of salicylic acid and will look at what the report has to say," says a spokeswoman. The research was welcomed by The Soil Association who said it backed up independent research carried out in the last few years revealed, "Organic crops show high levels of vitamin C, iron, calcium and magnesium as well as other essential minerals." They went on to comment that they hoped the Food Standards Agency looked seriously at the new research. Sarah Schenker a dietician at the British Nutrition Foundation said: "There is growing evidence that chemicals in plants can have a positive impact on health, but what we don't know yet is how readily they are absorbed by the body, so the next step would be to determine that." Links: |
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