STUDY: Bug Attacks Make Organic Fruits and Veggies Healthier

Leaf wounds from insects make organic fruits and vegetables healthier for us to eat, researchers report. When bugs eat holes in the leaves of our crops, the plants produce more antioxidants! The plants’ stress responses initiates an increase in antioxidant compounds prior to harvest, the study shows.

"There was the existing idea proposed by others that insects present in the field in organic farming could cause a stress response in the plant and increase antioxidant compounds," said Cisneros-Zevallos. "However, this hypothesis or concept was never tested until now, where we mimicked the damage caused by insects." Ibanez says the study emphasized fresh produce as an excellent source of health-promoting compounds and that perhaps insects in some way can be allies to achieve even healthier produce. "Healthier grown produce for the food industry can be a driving force for large-scale production and an attractive investment to relevant stakeholders," he says.