Study Backs Claims on Organic Crops
研究證實有機作物強項
By Kenneth Chang

Adding fuel to the debates over the merits of organic food, a comprehensive review of earlier studies found substantially higher levels of antioxidants and lower levels of pesticides in organic fruits, vegetables and grains compared with conventionally grown produce.
關於有機食物好處的討論，因為一項針對過去各種研究所做的廣泛分析整理而變得更加熱烈。分析結果發現，如與傳統方式栽種的作物相比，有機蔬果及穀物抗氧化物含量多得多，殺蟲劑則少得多。

“It shows very clearly how you grow your food has an impact,” said Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at Newcastle University in England, who led the research.
主持這項研究的英格蘭新堡大學生態農學教授雷福特說：「研究結果清楚顯示，你如何種植作物有很大的影響。」

However, the findings, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, stop short of claiming that eating organic produce will lead to better health.
然而這項透過英國「營養學」期刊發表的研究報告並未聲稱，食用有機農產品可以讓你更健康。

The study, Dr. Leifert said, is insufficient “to say organic food is definitely healthier for you, and it doesn’t tell you anything about how much of a health impact switching to organic food could have.”
雷福特表示，這項研究結果「不足以證明有機食物絕對比較有益健康，也無法證明改吃有機食物對健康的影響有多大」。

Still, the authors note that other studies have suggested some of the antioxidants have been linked to a lower risk of cancer and other diseases.
然而報告的作者指出，曾有其他研究指出，某些抗氧化劑與癌症及一些其他疾病罹患率降低有關。

The conclusions in the new report run counter to those of an analysis published two years ago by scientists at Stanford University in California. They found few differences in the nutritional content of organic and conventionally grown foods.
最新研究報告的結論與加州史丹福大學研究人員兩年前發表的分析報告南轅北轍。史丹福研究人員發現，有機與傳統方式栽種食物的營養成分幾乎一樣。

The Stanford study, like the new study, did find pesticide residues were several times higher on conventionally grown fruits and vegetables, but played down the significance, because even the higher levels were below safety limits.
與新研究報告相同的是，史丹福大學的研究報告發現，傳統方式栽種蔬果中的殺蟲劑殘留量是有機蔬果的數倍之多。不過它淡化它的重要性，因為即使比較高的殺蟲劑殘留量也在安全範圍內。

Organic farming eliminates the use of conventional chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Those practices produce less bountiful harvests.
有機栽種法不使用傳統化學肥料與殺蟲劑。這種作法使得收成減少。

What is disputed, vociferously, is whether organic fruits and vegetables provide a nutritional lift. Many naysayers regard organic as a marketing ploy to charge higher prices.
各界熱烈辯論的重點是，有機蔬果是否營養成分比較高。許多持反對意見的人認為，「有機」是商人為了提高價格而耍弄的行銷花招。

“The other argument would be, if you just eat a little bit more fruits and vegetables, you’re going to get more nutrients,” said Alan D. Dangour, a researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Dr. Dangour led a review published in 2009 that found no significant nutritional differences between conventional and organic foods.
倫敦衛生與熱帶醫學院研究員丹古爾說：「另外一種論點是，如果你多吃一點蔬果，一定可以吸收比較多的營養。」丹古爾主持的一項2009年所發表檢討報告指出，傳統與有機食物的營養價值並無明顯差異。

Such differences are difficult to discern, because other factors that can vary widely from place to place and year to year, like the weather, also influence the nutrients. Even if differences exist, it is unclear whether they would affect consumer health.
諸如此類的差異很難辨別，因為如氣候等等會隨地點與年份而有極大差異的因素，也會影響農作物的營養成分。即使差異存在，它們是否足以影響消費者的健康也不明朗。

“To my mind, there’s no convincing evidence that these foods are different in nutritional composition,” Dr. Dangour said.
丹古爾說：「我認為，並無有力證據足以證明這些食物的營養成分有任何差異。」

Over all, the new study found, organic crops contained 17 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown crops. Charles M. Benbrook, a professor at Washington State University and another author of the paper, said this analysis improved on earlier reviews, in part because it incorporated recent new studies.
最新研究報告指出，整體而言，有機作物所含的抗氧化物比傳統方式栽種的作物高出17%。擔任報告共同執筆人之一的華盛頓州立大學教授班布魯克表示，這項分析比此前的檢討報告更進一步，原因之一是，它結合新近發表的多項最新研究報告。

The findings fit with the expectation that without pesticides, plants would produce more antioxidants, many of which serve as defenses against pests and disease.
最新結論符合以下預期：如果不使用殺蟲劑，作物會產生更多抗氧化物，其中許多抗氧化物可以抵抗害蟲與疾病。

The study also found that organically produced foods, particularly grains, contain lower levels of cadmium, a toxic metal that sometimes contaminates conventional fertilizers. There was no difference in other toxic metals like mercury and lead.
研究還發現，有機栽種的食物，尤其是有機穀物，所含的鎘濃度比較低。這種有毒的金屬有時會汙染傳統肥料。汞、鉛等其他有毒金屬含量則沒有差別。

Even with the differences and the indications that some antioxidants are beneficial, nutrition experts said the “So what?” question had yet to be answered.
即使有前述差別，而且跡象顯示某些抗氧化物有益處，營養專家說，「那又怎樣？」的問題仍然有待解決。

“After that, everything is speculative,” said Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. “It’s a really hard question to answer.”
紐約大學營養學、食物研究與公共衛生學教授瑪莉安．聶梭說：「此後的一切都只是揣測。這是一個很難回答的問題。」

Dr. Nestle said she buys organic foods, because she believes they are better for the environment and wants to avoid pesticides. “If they are also more nutritious,” she said, “that’s a bonus.”
聶梭博士表示，她經常採買有機食物，因為她認為它們對環境比較友善，她也希望能夠避開殺蟲劑。她說：「如果它們也比較營養，那是額外的好處。」

原文參照：
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/12/science/earth/study-of-organic-crops-finds-fewer-pesticides-and-more-antioxidants-.html

2014-08-19聯合報/G5版/UNITEDDAILYNEWS 陳世欽譯 原文參見紐時週報十版右