Eating Organic Food Will Not Decrease Cancer Rate

SANTA MONICA, Calif., May 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- There is little or no decrease in the incidence of cancer associated with consumption of organic food, according to a large study from The University of Oxford and published in the British Journal of Cancer and featured in the June issue of Food Nutrition & Science. With the exception of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, there was no clear evidence that organically produced foods are less likely than conventionally produced foods to cause cancer.

"There are many reasons why people may choose organic food, including potential benefits for taste, health and the environment," says Phil Lempert founder of Food Nutrition & Science and CEO of The Lempert Report. "This report raises other questions about cancer and overall health and nutrition habits that require ongoing research."

Researchers looked at the relationship between the reported frequency of consumption of organic food and subsequent cancer incidence, both overall and for 17 individual cancer sites or types in a study of middle-aged women in the United Kingdom.

When researchers followed up with these woman nine years later, compared to the women who reported never eating organic food, there was actually a small increase (1.37%) in risk of breast cancer in women who reported always eating organics.

Also in this issue, food quality will suffer as carbon dioxide (CO2) levels continue to rise, according to a recent report from UC Davis. The report looked at wheat grown under elevated CO2 concentrations that lowers protein concentrations in wheat grain, rice grain, potato tuber and barley. Researchers expect that protein available for human consumption may diminish by about 3% as atmospheric CO2 continues to climb in the next few decades.

Also this month, an interview about sustainability with Jack Acree, executive vice president of Saffron Road, information on produce safety and trends, and more.

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SOURCE Food Nutrition & Science