Organic Foods: Are They Better For You?

Although the concept of organic foods goes back to just before World War II, it is only in recent years that such foods have arrived front and center in consumer preferences. Organic foods are those produced without artificial fertilizers or harmful pesticides, and in the past 20 years, the market share of these foods has exploded. Consumers are more tuned in than ever before, concerned with the additives in their foods and what they put into their bodies according to nudie. In fact, organic foods have been proclaimed as “miracle foods” by many. Still, the rise of organic foods in the market has led to the question of “Can eating organic foods actually benefit overall health?” In preliminary studies, the answer may be “yes”.

Organic Foods: The Origins

Walter James, 4th Baron Northbourne, was an English agricultural scientist and author who developed the concept of a sustainable farming system that put ecological balance at the center of the equation. In his 1940 book Look to the Land, he used the term “organic farming” for the first time to represent his balanced farming system. In the late 1940s, publishing empire Rodale Press brought the term to full public awareness, using it to indicate foods that were grown and produced without harmful chemicals or additives and adding it to the company’s magazine entitled Organic Farming and Gardening.

Today, organic foods are regulated by numerous local, state, federal, and international organizations, each requiring rigorous farming and production practices. To qualify for labeling foods as organic, growers must first obtain certification from these organizations, then ensure that the foods are grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers.

Can Organic Foods Promote Healthy Lifestyles?

Science has begun to unravel the potential of organically-grown foods in promoting health in humans. While there have been many wild claims as to the healing power and safety of organic foods, limited scientific evidence shows that there may indeed be health benefits, especially when compared to traditionally-produced foods and beverages.

A number of smaller studies have been conducted on organically-produced foods over the past two decades. In most of the studies, organic foods have been shown to have lower concentrations of dangerous residues like pesticides and heavy metals than in foods produced using typical commercial farming practices. Reducing the ingestion of potentially dangerous chemicals can only be a good thing for the human body, even though much of the scientific evidence supporting this statement thus far is anecdotal in nature.

A five-year study conducted by researchers in France looked at a sizeable population of adults –70,000 participants, many of them women. In the study, researchers looked at eating habits of the group and discovered that those who consumed organic foods on a regular basis had a 25% lower rate of cancers than in people who did not eat organic foods. High organic foods consumers saw substantial drops in certain types of cancers, including lymphoma and postmenopausal breast cancer. The researchers were quick to point out that the study does not prove diets rich in organic foods were solely responsible for decreased cancer rates. Rather, the findings provide strong evidence that such a diet could potentially provide a significant cancer risk reduction.

In another study, published in 2011, it was shown that organic foods had higher levels of certain micronutrients than conventionally grown and produced foods. These micronutrients may also contribute to improved health, particularly in the circulatory and cognitive systems of the human body. More study is clearly needed, but for now it is relatively safe to say that organic foods may hold the keys to healthier, more active lives.

Source:
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/23/well/eat/can-eating-organic-food-lower-your-cancer-risk.html