Can eating organic foods really lower your risk of cancer? A new study seems to point to “yes,” at least for produce. And as you’ll read, “produce” doesn’t just include the standard fruits and vegetables.
A study on cancer and organic food
A team of researchers took data from the French NutriNet-Sante cohort, which included nearly 70,000 adults. The study looked at how much of their diet was organic, as well as other factors, such as sex, age, sunlight exposure, if they took supplements, weight, height, income and more.
To be considered organic, manufacturers and farmers must produce it without the use of pesticides, synthetic fertilizers or genetically modified organisms, known as GMOs.
Study participants filled out food surveys and were followed for an average of 4.5 years. During that time, 1340 people were diagnosed with cancer.
The researchers found that people who at the most organic produce had a 25% decreased risk of cancer compared to those eating the least amount of organic produce. The link didn’t seem to apply for all types of cancers, but it did seem to reduce post-menopausal breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Possible flaws in the study
There are other things to consider, however. For example, people who eat the greatest amount of organic food are more likely to make other health-conscious decisions. They may be less likely to smoke, more likely to exercise and have a higher income, all of which may reduce their risk of cancer.
Also, “produce” doesn’t just cover fruits and vegetables. It also includes things like fish, bacon and beef. But eating more red meat has been linked to higher risks of other types of cancer, so it’s hard to ensure that the correlation in the study is accurate.
The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
