Organic and chemical-free food has always pulled its weight when it comes to environmental claims - whether or not it delivers more on health has been a more ambiguous issue.

This year, however, evidence organic is gaining nutritious momentum is consolidating. A new review which collates forty studies from the past six years has given some clear-cut answers, finding that organic plant based foods are indeed better for you, and deliver more essential nutrients per calories consumed.

The review - New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-based Organic Foods, published by the Organic Centre - found certain organic fruits, vegetables and grains contained higher levels of eight of 11 nutrients studied, including significantly higher concentrations of health-promoting polyphenols and antioxidants, linked to the prevention of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and osteoporosis.

Nutrient levels were studied in 236 matched pairs of foods from organically and conventionally grown crops with similar soils, climate, plant genetics, irrigation systems, nitrogen levels, and harvest practices.

Organic plant-based foods were 25% more nutrient-dense than conventional alternatives in 75% of matched pair comparisons. “Organic foods within matched pairs were nutritionally superior (in the majority of cases). Organic plant-based foods are, on average, more nutritious” stated key findings.

Preliminary findings from the world’s biggest study into organic food (released late last year) also declared organic food can add more to the average diet.

Evidence from the $27million four-year European Union-funded project found organically produced crops and dairy milk usually contain more “beneficial compounds” including vitamins and antioxidants.

The study found that organic fruit and vegetables contained between 20 and 40 per cent more antioxidants, which scientists believe can cut the risk of cancer and heart disease, Australia's biggest killers. They also had higher levels of vitamin C and beneficial minerals such as iron and zinc.

Carlo Leifert, co-ordinator of the EU-funded project, said the health benefits were so striking that moving to organic food was the equivalent of eating an extra portion of fruit and vegetables every day.

"If you have just 20 per cent more antioxidants in every portion of vegetables, then it's simply a question of maths - eating four portions of organic fruit and vegetables is the equivalent to eating five portions of traditional fruit and vegetables," he said.

Now that’s added value!

Need more?

Avoid your weight in additives
Shane Heaton, nutritional spokesperson for the Biological Farmers says going organic means you can avoid eating up to two kilograms of food additives every year. No small thing, with many food additives linked with symptoms such as allergic reactions, rashes, headaches, asthma, and hyperactivity in children.

Avoid the non-natural unknown
Independent testing of the long-term health effects of GMO foods on humans has yet to be established. The many exemptions from GE labelling laws in Australia make it impossible to know which grocery items use GMO-derived ingredients. Seeking certified organic foods is one of the only ways to ensure you consistently find GMO-free food.

Hyperactivity less likely to hit home
Children are the other party most susceptible to high toxicity levels from chemical blends, with a larger intake of food per kilo of body weight. To avoid the findings of international studies - ‘clear evidence’ that 3-year-old and 8-9-year-old children exposed to mixtures of artificial food colours and benzoate preservatives display more hyperactive tendencies (increased movement, impulsivity and inattention) organic can be a welcome alternative.

Make more of meat
Last November, a World Cancer Research Report found a ‘convincing link’ between high levels of nitrites and other preservatives in processed meat and cancer in the colon and rectum; two key organs of the digestive system. Sodium Nitrite - commonly used for preservation and presentation purposes in non-organic products - is barred from use in the processing of organic meat.

Milk matters
A 2007 study found organic dairy consumption can protect against eczema, particularly if you’re due to increased levels of beneficial conjugated linoleic acid isomers (CLA) found in milk from organically managed cows. The incidence of eczema in infants fed on organic dairy products, or whose mothers who consumed organic dairy, was 36% lower than in children who were not.

Quick list:

• Organic milk can have 60 to 80 per cent more nutrients in the summer than conventional milk, and 50 to 60 per cent more in the winter.
• Organic milk also has higher levels of vitamin E
• Organic cheese can have up to twice as many essential nutrients than conventional varieties
• Organic tomatoes, wheat, potatoes, cabbage, onions and wheat have 20 to 40 per cent more antioxidants than conventional fruit and vegetables
• Organic spinach and cabbage have been found to have more minerals, including iron, copper and zinc

For full references and 20 reasons why to buy organic visit www.bfa.com.au.