New review explores whether organic foods offer real health advantages over conventional options, examining links to cancer risk, obesity, and cardiometabolic health.
Impact of organic foods on chronic diseases and health perception: a systematic review of the evidence. Study: Image Credit: Anatoily Cherkas / Shutterstock.com
In a recent review published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition , researchers compare the health impacts of consuming organic foods to conventional alternatives. Although organic food consumption is associated with reduced cardiometabolic risks and lower pesticide exposure, the long-term effects on cancer risk and overall health superiority remain unclear, thus highlighting the need for further research. The rise of organic farming
During the 20 th century, the Green Revolution increased food production through fertilizers, pesticides, and irrigation. Although these efforts were aimed at preventing hunger, these actions negatively affect the environment by increasing the risk of soil degradation and water pollution.
Pesticide exposure has also been linked to health issues like cancer and metabolic disorders. In response, organic farming has emerged as a more sustainable method that can protect the environment, reduce pesticide use, and improve food quality.
Organic farming methods are gaining popularity worldwide, with cultivated land and organic producers increasing significantly due to growing consumer demand for healthier and environmentally friendly food products. However, scaling up organic farming practices is associated with several challenges and research is ongoing to establish the health benefits of consuming these foods. Organic foods and cancer
Two of the reviewed observational studies investigated the link between organic food consumption and cancer. A French cohort study of 68,946 adults found that those who ate more organic foods had a 25% reduced risk of developing cancer, especially postmenopausal breast cancer and lymphomas.
Cancer risk is influenced by many factors; therefore, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. In contrast, one study of 623,080 women in the United Kingdom could not identify any significant associations between the consumption of organic food and the probability of developing any kind of cancer, except for a reduced risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Obesity and overweight
Several studies reported that higher consumption of organic food is […]
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