Is organic food better for you? New study finds that organic food contains up to 17% more antioxidants than conventional produce and as much as 60% higher concentrations of antioxidant compounds than the more conventional crops.

The debate on whether organic food is indeed better for you than the more conventional foods has gone on for years. New studies have cropped up offering new information year in. However, little has been done to settle the debate once and for all. A new study by Newcastle University on the organic versus conventional foods debate confirms that organic farming methods do indeed have plenty of positive impacts on the health of the consumers.

Dr. Charles Benbrook of the Washington State University's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources and co-author of the research affirms that the results are highly relevant and can be substantiated numerically.

In their research, the scientists found that:

1.       Organic crops contain 17% more antioxidants than conventional crops

2.       Some of the organic crops such as fruits, vegetables, grains, have as much as 60% higher concentrations of antioxidant compounds than conventional crops

3.       The flavanones in organic foods were 69% higher than they were in conventional foods.   Flavanones have been linked to a lower risk of stroke.

4.       Pesticide residues were 3 to 4 times more likely in conventional crops than organic crops

5.       Overall pesticide levels were 10 to 100 times lower in organic food than conventional foods.

"This study is telling a powerful story of how organic plant-based foods are nutritionally superior and deliver bona fide health benefits," Dr. Benbrook stated.

The research has been translated the executive summary and the press release into twenty different languages. The study's database is free and accessible to the public.

The study, which analyzed 343 studies on organic versus conventional food, is the most extensive analysis to date.