Studies have demonstrated small to moderate increases in some nutrients in organic products. Organic products may have more of certain antioxidants and types of flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties. Organic foods are not healthier in and of themselves in terms of nutrients. You're still getting the same benefits from conventionally grown foods as from organic foods.
Producing food without chemical pesticides has many benefits. Organic systems have been shown to produce 40% more yield in times of drought, use 45% less energy and release 40% less carbon emissions than conventional cultivation methods (Rodale Institute). Organic agriculture promotes soil health, supports natural ecosystems and prevents pesticide toxins from polluting waterways. You can still buy organic products without overspending if you're more selective with the types of organic products you buy.
One of the main benefits proposed for organic foods is the reduction of exposure to chemicals such as pesticides. However, an increasing number of important findings are being reported based on observational research that relates demonstrable health benefits to the consumption of organic foods. And when it comes to livestock, animals must be fed with organic feed, live on organic land and raised without antibiotics or routine hormones. Traditional foods (fruits, vegetables, grains, poultry, meat and eggs) and the health outcomes of eating these foods.
Specifically, long-term whole-food substitution studies, using certified organic interventions, will provide the most reliable evidence to answer the question of whether an organic diet provides real and measurable health benefits. Several studies investigated the effect of replacing a single non-organic food or drink with its organic counterpart. The last systematic review on the effect of eating organic foods on health was carried out by Dangour et al. Interventions with organic diets significantly reduced the levels of these compounds, and observational studies in adults and children also show a reduction in the levels of urinary metabolites in organic diets compared to conventional diets.
For this reason, scientists warn that we should not completely switch to organic agriculture, as the world population continues to grow and food crops increase their demand. More and more important findings are being presented based on observational research that relates demonstrable health benefits to levels of consumption of organic foods. The researchers found very few differences in nutritional content, other than slightly higher levels of phosphorus in many organic foods and a higher content of omega-3 fatty acids in organic milk and chicken. We did not set out to limit the inclusion of articles by including a strict definition of organic intake, but instead we accepted all articles that self-identified as representing comparative information on the health outcomes of organic and conventional diets on health outcomes.
The current evidence base does not allow for a definitive statement about the health benefits of organic dietary intake. The authors also showed a generally higher level of antioxidants in organic foods consumed compared to non-organic foods. Check out the Environmental Working Group's Clean Fifteen list of foods you can buy normal and the Dirty Dozen list of foods you should spend more on to buy organic products. .
