Based on the latest research, we now have a good sense that eating fruits and vegetables with flavonoids improves brain health, sharpens recall and might even stave off dementia. But, what about the health benefits of eating organic fruits and vegetables as compared to nonorganic? One recent study that systemically looked at the evidence to date could lead you to conclude that organic is likely better for your health, but the evidence is far from dispositive.
There are a bunch of observational studies suggesting that eating organic food has real health benefits. However, the studies have not tended to be long-term. And, the positive results have been limited.
What the findings suggest is that people who eat more organic foods have fewer pesticide metabolites in their urine. That is not a bad thing as these chemicals are toxic. The researchers do not have enough evidence though to show that this translates into better health outcomes. For that, they would need a tie-in to a specific health outcome.
A systematic review of the observational data shows meaningful positive outcomes from eating organic foods. People are less likely to have metabolic syndrome, high BMI, non-Hodgkins lymphoma, allergies and birth defects. It is also the case that people who eat organic foods are more likely to have healthier diets overall and to not be overweight, which would affect the findings as well.
Studies that have simply looked at the effects of substituting a single organic food for a nonorganic food do not show any health benefits. The authors say that what’s needed to see whether eating organic has measurable health benefits is a long-term study involving a whole-diet substitution.
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