Hospitals are increasingly offering organic food options due to patient demand; but what does that mean for both patients and staff members?
Organic foods contain no chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and have higher antioxidant levels that may help combat diseases such as heart disease.
Organic meat and dairy products contain the optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats for reduced blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and heart disease risk.
Lower Risk of Obesity
Studies have linked increasing organic food consumption with reduced risk of obesity, perhaps as they tend to be higher in nutrients rather than calories, sugars or salts.
Prospective cohort research found that women who consumed the highest organic food consumption rates were 37% less likely to develop obesity compared with those consuming lower organic consumption rates, regardless of baseline body mass index or consumption quartiles.
Numerous cross-sectional studies using food frequency questionnaires and urine samples have linked organic diets with reduced risks of obesity. More clinical trials using long-term whole diet substitution studies or certified organic interventions will be necessary to ascertain if these associations translate to real measurable health benefits, consistent with their known positive impacts in relation to infertility, allergies, otitis media syndrome and metabolic syndrome, amongst other conditions.
Reduced Risk of Cancer
Eating organically grown food can reduce exposure to pesticides, yet its relationship with improved health outcomes remains unclear. One study suggested that those who consumed organic health foods were less likely to develop certain cancers; other research has had contradictory findings.
In this most recent research study, volunteers recorded their frequency of consumption for different fruits and vegetables as well as meat, fish, eggs, dairy, grains, herbs & spices, oils & vinegars and dietary supplements. Their diets were then examined for possible pesticide residue.
Participants ranked in the highest quartile for organic food intake had a 25% lower cancer risk compared to those who consumed organic foods at levels in the lowest quartile, and less likelihood of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and postmenopausal breast cancer, but population attributable risks did not change when stratified according to age, sex, education level, family history of cancer, body mass index or alcohol use.
Reduced Risk of ADHD and Autism
Organic fruits and vegetables are grown in soil that is richer in minerals, meaning less likely to be depleted by synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, allowing the plants to absorb more of what nature provides in terms of minerals from the earth, passing those benefits onto consumers.
Even at their high cost, some parents opt for organic health foods in hopes they may provide benefits to their children. Unfortunately, recent research indicates that eating organic does not reduce the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders like ADHD and autism in children. This research utilizedd data from both the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort (MoBa) and Medical Birth Registry of Norway for analysis purposes. A total of 40,707 mother-child pairs were included in this analysis. Organic diet intake was assessed during mid-pregnancy using a food frequency questionnaire and offspring symptoms of ADHD and ASD at age 8 were compared by their sum score. Furthermore, within-sibling analyses were also conducted to investigate potential familial confounders such as genetics.
Reduced Risk of Fertility Issues
People often choose organic health food because they believe it to be healthier. However, other factors could potentially reduce its health benefits; such as eating less soda and alcohol and more plant-based foods that may provide greater overall wellbeing.
Studies have also demonstrated that people who consume organic food are exposed to lower levels of pesticides, providing additional protection for pregnant or nursing mothers as exposure to certain pesticides has been linked with complications during gestation as well as potential delays in fetal development.
Studies have also demonstrated that those who consume organic food tend to receive greater antioxidant intakes and less exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria in meat products, which may aggravate food allergies. Organic milk was also discovered to contain significantly fewer levels of antibiotics compared with its conventional counterparts.
