Eating organic foods reduces cancer risk: study confirms it

The results of a new study show a significant reduction in cancer risk among high consumers of organic food.

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People who regularly eat organic foods are less likely to develop cancer, especially postmenopausal breast cancer and lymphoma

The age-old question of whether or not it is worthwhile to eat organic to protect one's health from cancer risk seems to come to a turning point: those who often eat organic foods would be 25% less likely to develop cancer. A new study that observed thousands of French adults is ready to admit.

In fact, a team of researchers wanted to analyze in a research what is the association between a diet based on organic foods (i.e. a diet less prone to containing pesticide residues) and the risk of cancer and from their cohort study it is in fact There was a significant reduction in cancer risk among high consumers of organic food.

If a previous study had already linked a diet based mostly on junk food to a greater risk of cancer, now we want to argue that, indeed, a a higher frequency of consumption of bio-derived foods is, on the contrary, associated with a reduced risk of cancer.

A systematic review

The researchers studied 68.946 adult volunteers from France who provided information on how often they ate organic food, drinks and dietary supplements. Participants were given a score based on how often they ate that type of food ranging from "most of the time" to "but" or "I don't know".

During two follow-up appointments, one in 2009 and another in 2016, the researchers followed up on cancer diagnoses (breast cancer being the most prevalent). Other cancers observed included prostate cancer, skin cancer, colorectal cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphomas, and lymphomas.

People who reported higher organic food consumption scores were less likely to be diagnosed with cancer than the rest of the group - specifically, those who consumed organic food were 25% less likely to get cancer. That number grew by over half when looking at non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cases.

This does not necessarily mean that organic food is the only reason people are less likely to develop cancer, but it is also to be found in other lifestyles or environmental factors.

The research also contradicts some data reported in a previous study, the Million Women Study, which linked the consumption of organic foods to a mildly increased risk of breast cancer and in general, they are keen to emphasize in the research: "concerns about risks of pesticides should not discourage the intake of conventional fruit and vegetables, especially since organic products are often expensive and inaccessible to many populations ”.

But it is also true that organic is increasingly within everyone's reach. If it is true that, in general, the nutritional characteristics of an organic product do not change compared to the conventional equivalent, the former nevertheless continues to present advantages that should not be underestimated. In authentic organic food, both GMOs and pesticide residues are absent, the risks of which to health and the environment are the focus of increasingly in-depth research. On the other hand, do not forget that a generally balanced diet and healthy lifestyles play a fundamental role in the prevention of cancer.

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