Flavonoids are polyphenol-type antioxidants. They occur in virtually all plant foods and are associated with a range of preventive health benefits.

A team of researchers from the University of California-Davis and the University of Minnesota analyzed the levels of two beneficial flavonoid-type antioxidants - quercetin and kaempferol - in dried tomatoes (Mitchell AE et al 2007). To be fair, some of the nutrient-density advantage possessed by organic produce stems from the fact that it typically contains less water per ounce, hence higher levels of dry matter, including nutrients, per ounce. (Worthington V 1998; Gyorene KG et al 2006) (The new study compared nutrient levels in dried tomatoes. so that
was not the case in this instance.)

They found that tomatoes grown by certified-organic methods contained 79 and 97 percent more quercetin and kaempferol respectively, compared with tomatoes grown by conventional methods.

It is thought that “over-fertilization” of the conventionally grown plants results in lower levels of flavonoids, which are produced in response to stresses, including nutrient deficiencies that can make plants more vulnerable to infections and pests.

Levels of the flavonoids in organically grown plants increased over time as soil levels of nitrogen compounds decreased. As the researchers put it, “This increase [in flavonoid content] corresponds … with reduced manure application rates once soils in the organic systems had reached equilibrium levels of organic matter.” (Mitchell AE et al 2007)

Similarly, researchers at Kansas State University reported in 2005 that organic farming produced higher levels of flavonoid antioxidants as a result of the crops’ increased vulnerability to insect attack. The antioxidant contents varied from year to year, but were consistently higher in the organic tomatoes.

What do phytochemicals have to do with flavor?

Phytochemicals are chemicals created by plants, and especially those that have effects on other creatures. Plants make many of them to defend themselves against microbes and insects: to make themselves unpalatable, counterattack the invaders and limit the damage they cause.

Most of the aromas of vegetables, herbs and spices come from defensive chemicals. They may smell pleasant to us, but the plants make them to repel their mortal enemies. Learn more about plant flavors…

Why should organic produce have higher phytochemical levels?

The current theory is that because plants in organic production are unprotected by pesticides and fungicides, they are more stressed by insects and disease microbes than conventional crops, and have to work harder to protect themselves. So it makes sense that organic produce would have more intense flavors. For some reason, taste tests haven’t consistently found this to be the case. [this may partly be due to the variety of produce tasted, some varieties just taste awful because they're bred for other purposes than flavor]

This puzzle remains unsolved. But a few pieces have come together to reveal a simple way of getting more flavor into some kinds of produce no matter how or where it’s grown. And that includes backyards and windowsills. Learn about putting natural organisms back into our soil…

How does this relate to meats?

The nutritional advantages of meats and dairy products from grass-fed (not grain-fed) animals over their conventional, grain-fed counterparts are actually clearer than the advantages of products from animals fed organic grains.

Meats and dairy products from grass-fed animals - whether organic or conventionally raised - typically offer a better balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids.

Swiss researchers compared the effects, over 21 years, of three different agricultural techniques - organic, bio-dynamic, and conventional - on the soils and crops from three fields with similar soil compositions, subjected to identical crop rotation schedules. (Mader P et al 2002)

And this is what they found in the organic and bio-dynamic systems, compared with the conventional plots:

· Crop yields were 20% lower
· Pesticide use was reduced by 97%.
· Input of fertilizer and energy was reduced by 34 to 53%

What do lab rats think about organic foods?

The Swiss had also tried feeding otherwise-identical biscuits made from conventional or organic wheat to rats, to see if rats would show a preference.

In what they described as an “integrative method” for assessing the eating quality of conventional or organic wheat, they gave lab rats a choice of biscuits made from organic or conventional wheat.

The scientists couldn’t taste any consistent difference between the biscuits, and said the two kinds were very similar in chemical composition and baking performance.

But the rats clearly could detect a difference, and they ate significantly more of the organic-wheat biscuits.

One explanation for the organic wheat’s greater appeal to rats could be the higher levels of antioxidants and aromatic essential oils found in organic foods: a difference that results from the increased stress of having to fight pests and microbes without chemical assistance.

Exposure to pests and microbes elicits a defensive response in plants, which features increased production of specific antioxidants and essential oils that possess anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.

As McGee reported, researchers at Clemson University wanted to see if stressing herbs in this way would enhance their antioxidant and aroma content.

Dr. Hyun-Jin Kim and Professor Feng Chen exposed basil seeds to chitosan: a compund derived from chitin, a polysaccharide found in crustacean shells. Applied externally to seeds and roots, chitosan induces responses in plants similar to the defensive moves they mount against microbes (Kim HJ et al 2005).

After 45 days, the plants stressed by the fake microbial attack showed definite advantages, on average:

· Three times more antioxidant activity
· 50 percent more aromatic compounds
· 17 percent heavier and 12 percent taller
· 100 percent more “clove-like and flowery components”.

How does this tie into Young Living?

All of the plants distilled for our essential oils are organic.

Read more about the antioxidant scores of Young Living’s essential oils, some common foods, and antioxidant drinks.

Learn more about Young Living Farms and how our plants are grown.

To purchase essential oils, please visit my website.