Take a look at the vegetable gardens your friends and family have planted this season. What is the one plant they all have in common? That would be the tomato plant! Regardless if you consider the tomato a fruit or a vegetable, we can all vouch for its garden-picked, mouthwatering deliciousness. However, the taste and nutritional value of organic versus conventional tomatoes has been one for debate and study.

As one of the most widely consumed vegetable eaten as is, used in pasta sauces, added to sandwiches, and salads, it is good to know that these juicy round things are full of health and nutritional benefits. Tomatoes are high in antioxidants and they contain lycopene which is more than just what gives tomatoes that red color. Lycopene offers protective health benefits such as bone health, reduces the risk of some cancers, and decreases sun damage by UV radiation.

When it comes to which is better, organic or conventionally grown tomatoes, several studies have shown higher antioxidant levels in organic tomatoes compared to conventional tomatoes. A new study published in the IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science supports this. According to a study published in the IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, it is concluded that “organic tomatoes have higher antioxidant ability than conventional tomatoes.” Here’s a brief rundown of the study.

This study’s objective was to compare the antioxidant property of organic and conventional tomatoes. A part of the experiment included taking samples of organic tomatoes as well as samples from the same variety of conventional tomatoes, obtained from the same agro-climatic zone. To estimate total antioxidant capacity, samples were freeze-dried and stored in the dark. Tomato extract was prepared in a specific solvent consisting of methanol, ethanol, HCl, and water. Read the full experiment with further explanation, A Study on Antioxidant Property of Organic and Conventional Tomatoes.

The results revealed that organic tomatoes do indeed have higher antioxidant ability than conventional tomatoes.

Green monsters: Do you always shop organic?

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