Fruits High In Antioxidants
Think Organic
Fruits high in antioxidants were shown to be the ones grown organically. This study was published in the “Journal Of Agricultural Food Chemistry In February 2003. Three types of fruits and vegetables were compared for their antioxidant levels. They tested organically grown, sustainable and conventionally grown. If the foods are conventionally grown the farmers use chemical man made herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers. If the crop is called sustainable they use just natural fertilizers. There is much research now that show fruits high in antioxidants can be produced in this manner. They use such things as coffee, mulch, wood ash, volcano dust and of course animal waste that is from sustainable sources like grass feed beef. Sustainable food growth appears to be very near organic without the government inspectors or certification. (See study results below) Organic food sources must be grown under organic certified conditions. This certification is controlled and defined by governments. Below is the US Government definition. “What is organic food? Organic food is produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations. Organic meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products come from animals that are given no antibiotics or growth hormones. Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a Government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it gets to your local supermarket or restaurant must be certified, too.” Consumer Brochure, USDA National Organic Program. Back in 2003 the research team only studied three antioxidant foods, corn, strawberries and marion blackberries. Organic and sustainabile grown foods were found to have a greater amounts of antioxidants by a wide margin. Levels of antioxidants in sustainable grown corn were 58.5% higher than conventionally grown corn. sustainable grown marionberries had 50% more antioxidants than conventionally grown Strawberries a rather low antioxidant fruit only had 19% more in both organic and sustainable food. Other Fruits High In Antioxidants • Apples
• Acerola Cherries
• Avacado
• Wild Blueberries
• Blueberries
• Bilberry
• Goji Berries/Wolfberry
• Acai Berry
• Cranberry
• Noni
• Blackberry
• Elderberry
• Gac Fruit
• Grapes/Grape Seed
• Prune
• Raspberry
• Strawberry
• Cherries
• Hawthorne Berry
• Pomegranate
• Concord Grape
• Black Cherry
• Plums
• Passion Fruit
• Guava
Surprisingly sustainable grown foods had the highest antioxidant levels overall, indicating that organic may not be best for antioxidant protection. The addition of fertilizers seemed to be the answer in this study. If you read newer research you will find that by using things like wood ash and other natural sources to give the plants the minerals they need they are producing larger and more nutritional rich crops than ever before. These plants and many other fruits produce flavonoids which are the phenolic chemicals which provide the antioxidant action in the body. Herbicides and pesticides are not only toxic to the human body in their own right but interfere with the growth of phenols in the fruits and vegetables. Phenols are the chemicals that protect the plant from disease and transfer that ability when the fruits and vegetable are eaten. Imagine if you use sustainable methods on all normally grown crops. We could bring the plants nutritional power back to the 1920's through 1940's. Lets stop eating foods produced with chemicals it will protect human health as well as the health of the earth. Journal Agricultural Food Chemistry February 26, 2003;51(5):1237-41 From The Natural Healing Newsletter In accordance with the FDA these products are not intended to treat, cure, mitigate, or prevent any diseases. Information on this site is given for educational purposes only and is not to replace the advice of your health care professional.
Fruits High In Antioxidants To Antioxidant Fruits
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