Health benefits from organic foods, study shows – Food Tank

A study carried out by the independent research service of the European Parliament, entitled ‘Human health implications of organic food and organic farming”, Concluded that the consumption of organic foods improves early development, reduces exposure to pesticides, enhances the nutritional value of foods and reduces the risk of disease.

The finding follows previous allegations by the European Journal of Nutrition and Food Safety that consumers who prefer organic foods have healthier eating habits overall, which has been confirmed by others studies and publications.

Consumer demand for foods labeled organic is growing rapidly. In 2014, consumers around the world spent US $ 80 billion to consume organic products, according to the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL). Some are motivated by concern for the environmental ramifications of their decisions, while others focus on the health benefits of sustainable diets.

An organic label indicates that almost all synthetic inputs such as pesticides are prohibited. In addition, crop rotations are necessary to promote soil biodiversity. Organic farming is a holistic production management system that promotes and improves the health of ecosystems.

While the authors agreed that more needed to be done to fully understand the evidence, European Parliament research explored the benefits of organic food and farming on human health. Early studies found many benefits for eaters of consuming organic products, including:

1. Decreased incidence of adult obesity and type 2 diabetes
2. Reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease and other illnesses
3. Reduced environmental impact due to less greenhouse gas emissions
4. Reduced exposure to pesticides through diet, which improves cognitive development
5. Reduced prevalence of allergies in adolescents
6. Reduced processing leads to higher levels of antioxidants like omega-3 fatty acids
7. Reduced vulnerability to cadmium, a heavy metal, commonly found in artificial fertilizers
8. Reduced risk of antibiotic resistance

Peter Melchett, Soil Association Director of Policy Says: “Sales of organic food have increased dramatically over the past three years, and one of the main reasons people buy organic food is that they think it’s better for them and their families. that’s why more than half of baby food sold in the UK is organic. This new independent scientific review confirms that people are right. “

According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), consumer interest in organic food products has resulted in a 138% growth in retail sales since 2004. IFOAM values ​​this sector of the food industry at US $ 36.2 billion, making Europe the second largest market behind the United States for organic food. In addition, per capita consumption of organic food has almost doubled over the past decade.

However, the development of biologically managed land lags behind demand. Organic in Europe: outlook and developments for 2016 reports that 5.7 percent of the total agricultural area is used for organic farming, but the annual growth of organically managed land slowed to 1.1 percent in 2014. Thus, the organic food movement has a lot room to develop.

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