In the largest and most rigorously conducted study to date, organic foods came out on top. This new evaluation included an unprecedented 343 peer-reviewed publications comparing the nutritional quality and safety of fruits, vegetables, and grains grown in organic vs. conventional conditions. The researchers noted three very clear areas of superiority for the organic crops including: fewer pesticides, more antioxidants, and less cadmium. Here were the specifics:

• Levels of pesticides in crops grown organically were 10 to 100 fold lower relative to those conventionally grown.
• Organic crops had 18 to 69 percent higher levels of beneficial plant antioxidants (polyphenols). Measure for measure you would have to eat two extra portions of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables to get the same levels of antioxidants as organic varieties.
• In an unexpected finding, conventional crops had about twice as much cadmium vs. the organic versions. Cadmium is a potentially toxic heavy metal. (The British Journal of Nutrition, online, July 2014)