Organic food is often too expensive to be attainable for everyone. But a recent study found that those who eat mostly organic food develop fewer cancers than those who don\u2019t. As the debate rages on around organic food and cancer, many of us wonder if we\u2019re putting ourselves at risk by not eating it. Is organic food really healthier than non-organic food?<\/p>\n
The study in question was conducted in France. Almost 69,000 participants, 78% of them female, were asked detailed questions about their diets, as well as about income, education and other health behaviours. The study indicated that participants who ate mostly organic were 25%<\/a> less likely to get certain cancers.<\/p>\n While this study is interesting, it does not definitively answer whether or not organic food is really better for you. Participants were only asked about the foods they ate once at the beginning of the study, so there\u2019s no way to know if their diets changed part way through. Additionally, the study\u2019s researchers state that many of their participants were more educated and health-conscious than the average French citizen. Because of this, they were more likely to engage in other healthy behaviours, such as exercising and not smoking, which also reduced their cancer risk. This means it\u2019s impossible to say whether eating organic was solely responsible for their lower rates of cancers. It\u2019s very possible that the results were skewed by their other healthy habits. Certainly, we need further studies to address the organic factor on its own.<\/p>\n The whole point of eating organic food is that it hasn\u2019t been sprayed with pesticides. And while there’s no evidence that eating non-organic foods causes cancer, the same cannot be said for pesticide use at work.<\/p>\n A\u00a0large number<\/a>\u00a0of studies show a direct link between those who use pesticides and herbicides (such as farm workers) and breast cancer, kidney cancer, pancreatic cancer, prostate cancer and brain cancer. Studies also show a direct correlation between use of these compounds and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in farmers and golf course attendants. For farmers, the connection is so pronounced that cancer rates increase in relation to the amount of land they spray. Worse, the damage doesn’t stop with them. It can also affect their children. Exposing pregnant women to garden insecticides increases the rate of all types of leukemia in their children, for example. Because of this, it\u2019s understandable that pesticide use on fruits and vegetables makes some squeamish.<\/p>\n Well, probably<\/a>, but it doesn\u2019t necessarily\u00a0have to do with organic versus non-organic. The risk of developing certain cancers is lower among those who eat certain fruits and vegetables, regardless of whether they are organic or not. Mouth cancer and stomach cancer are just two cancers whose rates are lower among those who eat more fruits and leafy greens.<\/p>\n What we do\u00a0know for sure, however, is that increasing our fruit and vegetable intake lowers our risk of stroke and heart disease. So regardless of whether they reduce our risk of cancer, they are a must. The right intake of fruits and vegetables might also lower our risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It could also keep our eyes healthy.<\/p>\n Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals and help to keep us healthy. Not to mention \u201cregular.\u201d We should all be eating \u201cplenty\u201d of fruits and vegetables every day according to the latest Canadian food guide<\/a>. Take a quick look at the \u201ctypical\u201d Canadian diet, however, and you\u2019ll see that that\u2019s not happening. Even in the most compliant group, women aged 35 to 49, only 40%<\/a>\u00a0are hitting the target. Given those numbers, we should all make a point of eating more fruits and vegetables every day \u2014 organic or not.<\/p>\n Cancer is scary, and it\u2019s understandable that people want to do something to\u00a0protect themselves and their loved ones. However, there is no scientifically proven link between eating organic and cancer prevention. If eating organic is within your reach, then go ahead. But the focus for most of us should simply\u00a0be on increasing the quantity of fruits and vegetables we eat, regardless of whether they\u2019re certified organic or not.<\/p>\n The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" New research suggests that eating organic can lower your risk of cancer, but is that true?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":12552,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false},"categories":[7379],"tags":[],"acf":{"image":{"ID":12552,"id":12552,"title":"maple_blog_oraganiccancer","filename":"maple_blog_oraganiccancer.jpg","filesize":229489,"url":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer.jpg","link":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/blog\/organic-foods-and-cancer\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer\/","alt":"","author":"14","description":"","caption":"","name":"maple_blog_oraganiccancer","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":4944,"date":"2020-06-04 19:55:18","modified":"2020-06-04 19:55:18","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2881,"height":1181,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-300x123.jpg","medium-width":300,"medium-height":123,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-768x315.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":315,"large":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-1024x420.jpg","large-width":1024,"large-height":420,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":630,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":840,"square1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-1200x1181.jpg","square1200-width":1200,"square1200-height":1181,"square600":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-600x600.jpg","square600-width":600,"square600-height":600,"square300":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-300x300.jpg","square300-width":300,"square300-height":300,"square200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-200x200.jpg","square200-width":200,"square200-height":200,"square100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-100x100.jpg","square100-width":100,"square100-height":100,"feature1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-1200x600.jpg","feature1200-width":1200,"feature1200-height":600,"feature1100":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-1100x500.jpg","feature1100-width":1100,"feature1100-height":500,"feature800":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-800x400.jpg","feature800-width":800,"feature800-height":400,"feature400":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-400x200.jpg","feature400-width":400,"feature400-height":200,"facebook1200":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-1200x630.jpg","facebook1200-width":1200,"facebook1200-height":630,"medium_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-1200x492.jpg","medium_retina-width":1200,"medium_retina-height":492,"large_retina":"https:\/\/www.getmaple.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/maple_blog_oraganiccancer-2360x967.jpg","large_retina-width":2360,"large_retina-height":967}},"intro_text":"","meta_description":"","add_promotional_banner":false,"add_call_to_action":false,"show_age_gate":false},"yoast_head":"\nAre cancer and pesticide use linked?<\/h3>\n
So is there a link between food and cancer?<\/h3>\n
Should we all start buying organic?<\/h3>\n