Many hospitals are beginning to provide their patients and staff with organic and local food options, like those served at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston, Oregon – such as organic produce, fair trade coffee, and rBGH-free milk.
Long-term observation studies have produced promising outcomes from increasing organic consumption, including reduced incidence of metabolic syndrome, high BMI, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and infertility.
1. Reduced Pesticide Exposure
Pesticides are widely used on food to protect it from insects that threaten its production, however exposure can lead to various health concerns such as ADHD, autism and fertility issues. Washing and peeling foods will reduce pesticide levels while organic produce is an excellent way to completely avoid them altogether.
University of California researchers recently conducted a study in which they concluded that eating more organic fruits and vegetables significantly reduced participants’ exposure to pesticides. Testing urine samples from four demographically and geographically disparate families, they discovered that levels for multiple different pesticides significantly dropped after six days on an organic diet.
To reduce pesticide intake further, purchase organic versions of fruits and veggies listed on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen list, which features over 100 types of residues on them. Also look out for foods with hard skins or rinds as these tend to be more resistant to pesticide spraying.
2. Reduced Risk of Cancer
Some consumers opt for organic food because they believe the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers could contribute to long-term health issues. Although this belief has yet to be scientifically confirmed, more research needs to be conducted into its positive and negative impacts on individuals.
Recent findings published in JAMA demonstrate that adults who regularly consume organic fruits and vegetables are at decreased risk of certain forms of cancer than those who do not, specifically non-Hodgkin lymphoma and breast cancer which develops postmenopausally. According to study’s authors, this decrease may be attributable to lower pesticide and herbicide concentration levels found in participants’ urine samples.
Some experts are dubious of the study’s conclusions and speculate that those participants who consumed more organic foods likely also led healthier lifestyles, which may have contributed to their decreased cancer risk. Furthermore, no pesticide residue tests were performed on participants’ fruits and vegetables which could have had an effect on results.
3. Increased Vitamins and Minerals
Organic foods contain more vitamins and minerals than their non-organic counterparts due to a lack of preservatives, are often grown locally by farmers, taste fresher, and may even contain no artificial hormones or antibiotics that might otherwise be added into conventionally produced meat and dairy products.
Observational cohort studies have reported positive associations between organic food consumption and health outcomes like fertility, birth defects, allergic sensitisation, otitis media, pre-eclampsia, metabolic syndrome, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and cancer. While this information suggests potential benefits of organic food consumption based on surrogate markers such as antioxidant levels or pesticide excretion levels – it does not prove specific health advantages attributed to organic food consumption.
Also, it is essential to keep in mind that organic does not always translate to healthiness. There are plenty of processed, packaged and junk foods that carry an organic label but contain high sugar, salt or fat content. Therefore, for best results it is advisable to maintain a well-rounded diet comprising both organic and nonorganic items.
4. Better for the Environment
Organic products must be produced and processed in ways that protect the environment, such as by not using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides and refraining from administering hormones or antibiotics to livestock, providing animals with access to their natural environments while sparing soil from chemicals. Organic farming strives to minimize waste through recycling water and using natural materials as compost bin filling material.
Though there have been studies demonstrating possible health advantages associated with organic foods, data remains limited. Yet organic consumers tend to be female, more health-minded individuals with a higher intake of wholefood diets compared with non-organic consumers. Furthermore, organic food may offer enhanced antioxidant and flavonoid profiles than non-organic varieties.
Organic fruits and vegetables typically offer similar nutrient profiles as conventional varieties, though if pesticide-sensitivity is an issue for you, select those on the Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen List each year as these have been verified as organic options.
