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.

Organic farming in recent years has experienced continued growth and a higher demand among consumers. This has had a positive large-scale impact on the organic industry, farmers, and other industries related to organic produce, says Cisneros-Zevallos. After several studies published in the past on post-harvest wounding stress effects on different crops, the team was inspired to apply this approach to leaf surfaces in the field that mimicked the attack of insects to the plant.