The benefits of salicylic acid are another reason you should strive to choose organic produce. Because the plant uses the compound as a defense hormone, its concentration may be increased when that plant is bitten by bugs. Pesticide-laden plants aren’t nibbled as much and, perhaps as a result, appear to produce less salicylic acid. For example, in one study, soup made from organic vegetables was found to contain nearly six times more salicylic acid than soup prepared from conventional, nonorganically grown ingredients.
