Organic Food Does Not Protect Women from Cancer

Researchers have suggested that eating pesticide-free organic food does no good and consumption of organic food does not cut down the risk of getting cancer in women. According to scientists, organic foods are less likely to contain pesticides, which are considered to increase cancer risk. But the new study says that both conventionally produced foods and organic foods can be considered on par.

Instead, the researchers found that women who consumed organic foods showed a little higher risk of getting breast cancer. But scientists said that other factors could be responsible for this observation. For nine years, researchers analysed data of 600,000 women aged 50 or over who ate organic food. And around 50,000 of them developed one of 16 of the most common cancers.

Professor Tim Key, a Cancer Research UK-funded scientist at Oxford University, said, “In this large study of middle-aged women in the UK we found no evidence that a woman's overall cancer risk was decreased if she generally ate organic food.”

According to scientists, diet may be responsible for over 9 per cent of cancer cases in the UK and the habit of not eating enough fruit and vegetables may be responsible for the 5 per cent of these.

So, scientists are saying that eating a well-balanced diet, rich in fruits and vegetables – whether conventionally grown or not – can help decrease the chance of developing cancer.

Dr Claire Knight, Cancer Research UK’s health information manager, said, “This study adds to the evidence that eating organically grown food doesn’t lower your overall cancer risk. But if you’re anxious about pesticide residues on fruit and vegetables, it’s a good idea to wash them before eating.”

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The study was published in the British Journal of Cancer.

Source-Medindia