Organic Foods and Health

 

While the organic label on food means that it was grown according to regulations, there is still rampant debate about the health implications of organic growing. A 2014 study in the British Journal of Nutrition presents a compelling case for organic food, and is often cited in debates on the issue. The study is based on a meta-analysis of 343 peer-reviewed studies on organic foods, and found that organic foods may be more nutritious and safer than non-organic foods.

• Antioxidants in Organic Food. The study found that concentrations of a range of antioxidants (such as polyphenols) were substantially higher in organic crops. Antioxidants play a role in the reduction of risk for a variety of chronic diseases, including certain cancers.
• Effects of Cadmium. The study also found that conventionally grown crops had four times the level of pesticide residues compared with organic crops, and also had significantly higher concentrations of cadmium. According to the Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, long-term oral exposure to low levels of cadmium can result in kidney damage and bone fragility in humans, and has been linked to anemia, liver disease, nerve damage, and brain damage in animals.
• Pesticides and Pregnant Women. A study published in Environmental Health Perspectives from the U.S. National Institutes of Health found that pregnant women who lived near farms that applied pesticides were more likely to give birth to children with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders and delays.
• Pesticides and Infants and Young Children. The National Pesticide Information Center at Oregon State University states, “Infants and children are more sensitive to the toxic effects of pesticides than adults.”