Benefits to public health
A new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health concluded that eating an organic diet can contribute to human well-being. The research was led by Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences-based Dr. Eva Johansson, who reviewed current research on the effect of organic agriculture and crops on public health.
Finding a clear health advantage of consuming organic, her team states that “both animal studies and in vitro studies clearly indicate the benefits of consumption of organically produced food instead of that conventionally produced.”
The increased phenolic compounds and lower pesticide residues found in organic produce could partially account for these benefits, but the study also points out that the significant advantages of organic cannot be explained by these variables alone. Researchers suggest that synergistic effects between various constituents within organic food are likely to be part of the reason it’s more beneficial to public health than conventional products.
As the director of science programs at The Organic Center, Jessica Shade concerns herself deeply with finding ways to communicate to the public all of the research-backed health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming.
She’ll be part of a discussion on the science behind organic happening at Natural Products Expo West 2015 in Anaheim, California.
In the meantime, she’s sifted through the literature and collected five studies published this year that have added to the aresenal of evidence supporting organically grown foods.
