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Impact of organic foods on chronic diseases and health perception: a systematic review of the evidence

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2024)Cite this article

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Abstract

The aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate the existing data on the health impacts, of the consumption of organically grown foods versus conventionally farmed alternatives, with specific focus on the postulated health superiority of organic foods. A systematic literature research was performed in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria were articles on adults (>18 years of age) consuming organic foods for ≥6 months, written in English language, and provision of comparative results between conventional and organic nutrition regarding health indices. From 1760 identified references, 21 primary research articles (2006–2022) met the inclusion criteria. Outcomes related to chronic disease prevalence, biomarker effects, and exposure to pesticides and other harmful substances were evaluated. A significant inverse relationship between organic food consumption and cardiometabolic risk factors, including obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, was observed in the majority of prospective studies. The data on cancer risk and nutrient value comparison between organic and conventional foods were inconclusive. Clinical trials consistently indicated lower pesticide exposure in participants on organic diets, suggesting potential health benefits. The consumption of organic foods is associated with reduced cardiometabolic risks and pesticide exposure. However, the long-term impact on cancer risk remains undetermined. Future long-term studies are needed to establish whether an organic diet is superior to a conventional one in terms of overall health benefits.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Dietetics and Quality of Life Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Kalliopi-Anna Poulia, Myrto Alevizou, Emilia Papakonstantinou & Antonis Zampelas

  2. Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Dimitra Rafailia Bakaloudi

  3. Laboratory of Hygiene, Social and Preventive Medicine and Medical Statistics, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dimitra Rafailia Bakaloudi & Michail Chourdakis

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  1. Kalliopi-Anna Poulia
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Contributions

KAP: Conception and design of the systematic review, literature review, study selection, data extraction, quality assessment, manuscript writing. DRB contribution in the study protocol, performed protocol registration, literature review, study selection, data extraction. MA took part in the literature review, study selection, data extraction, quality assessment. EP: Drafted the initial manuscript based on the synthesis of findings. AZ: Drafted the initial manuscript based on the synthesis of findings. MC: Drafted the initial manuscript based on the synthesis of findings literature review, study selection, data extraction. All authors critically reviewed the manuscript for intellectual content, accuracy, and coherence.

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Correspondence to Kalliopi-Anna Poulia.

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Poulia, KA., Bakaloudi, D.R., Alevizou, M. et al. Impact of organic foods on chronic diseases and health perception: a systematic review of the evidence. Eur J Clin Nutr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-024-01505-w

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