Do organic foods really offer better health benefits?

By Priyanjana Pramanik, MSc.Reviewed by Benedette Cuffari, M.Sc.Sep 16 2024

New review explores whether organic foods offer real health advantages over conventional options, examining links to cancer risk, obesity, and cardiometabolic health.

Study: Impact of organic foods on chronic diseases and health perception: a systematic review of the evidence. 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 associated with lower body weight and a reduced risk of obesity. Comparatively, a three-year French study indicated that frequent organic food consumers experienced a smaller increase in body mass index (BMI) and a significantly reduced risk of being overweight or obese.

Another study found that increased consumption of organic food was associated with lower obesity rates and BMI, even when controlling for lifestyle factors. Pregnant women who ate more organic foods also had lower BMI before their pregnancy and were less likely to be obese.

Cardiometabolic health and diabetes

Consuming organic foods may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and improve cardiometabolic health. In fact, one study found that people who consumed organic food frequently were 35% less likely to develop T2D.

Other studies showed that organic food intake was associated with lower rates of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cardiovascular disease. Pregnant women who consumed organic vegetables also had a reduced risk of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, and obesity.

Other findings

One study found that 70% of 566 organic food consumers reported improved health, including better immunity, energy, mental well-being, and gastrointestinal function. However, 30% of participants reported no noticeable health benefits.

In two double-blind trials, no significant difference in the intake and absorption of zinc and copper was observed between organic and conventional diets. However, the growing season influenced copper uptake.

Organic food consumption was also linked to lower levels of certain inflammatory biomarkers and higher levels of beneficial nutrients such as carotenoids, magnesium, and linoleic acid. However, lower levels of iron were observed in organic food consumers.

Studies on pesticide exposure showed significantly lower pesticide residues in individuals consuming organic foods. For example, individuals who primarily consumed an organic diet exhibited 89% lower pesticide metabolites in their urine than those on a conventional diet.

Conclusions

Consuming organic foods may reduce the overall risk of cancer, T2D, and obesity. However, these results should be interpreted cautiously due to differences in study designs and methodologies.

Individuals who primarily ate organic foods were more likely to have healthier lifestyles, which could influence the results. Organic diets also reduced exposure to harmful pesticides, which are linked to several diseases including cancer and neurological disorders. However, organic farming may lower food production yields and increase the risk of microbial contamination.

The study findings highlight the potential health benefits of organic foods and reduced pesticide exposure; however, the heterogeneity of the studies and exclusion of non-English research limits the conclusions. More controlled clinical trials are needed to establish a causal link between organic food consumption and health outcomes.