Pediatric Oncology and Cancer Care

Organic Foods and Cancer Risk: Separating Myth from Fact

To determine whether there was a link between the participants’ organic food intake and cancer risk, the researchers separated the participants into four groups, based on how often they ate organic foods, ranging from “most of the time” to “never.” Then they compared the cancer rates among the four groups.

The researchers found that the participants in the group that ate organic foods most often were 75 percent less likely to develop cancer, compared to those in the group that never ate them. When considering individual types of cancer, the findings were strongest for postmenopausal breast cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and other lymphomas.

This study has many strengths, such as its size and design. But interpreting the findings isn’t as straightforward as it seems. “Diet is complex,” says Nigel Brockton, PhD, director of research at AICR. “People who report eating organic foods are more likely to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors, such as exercising or not smoking, which would lower their cancer risk.” For example, in this study, the researchers found that the people who ate organic foods most often were also more likely to eat an overall healthy diet that was rich in fiber, legumes, fruits, and vegetables – known cancer-fighting foods.