The Short Answer

New research shows that people who eat the most organic foods have significantly lower rates of certain cancers, particularly lymphomas and postmenopausal breast cancer. This protective effect likely stems from reduced pesticide exposure — a concern for anyone with autoimmune conditions or chronic illness, where immune system sensitivity matters even more.

Some people think organic foods are a marketing fad designed to rob your wallet, while others worry about the pesticides and insecticides used in conventional farming. Is there really a reason to go organic? New evidence suggests yes: an organic diet may lower your risk of certain cancers.

What Recent Research Shows About Organic Foods and Cancer Risk

A French study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) surveyed nearly 70,000 subjects over five years. Researchers found that those who ate the most organic foods had 25 percent fewer cancers than those who never ate organic foods. An organic diet was most strongly linked with significantly lower rates of postmenopausal breast cancers and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The extent of the reduction is considered quite important by the study authors. These findings back up a previous British study that followed more than 600,000 women for 9 years, which found that an organic diet was linked to a 21 percent lower chance of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

The French study was more detailed than the British research. While the British study asked subjects only one question about organic food consumption, the French study covered information on how often subjects consumed 16 different types of organic foods, as well as education, occupation, income, smoking habits, and other factors that influence cancer rates. Researchers adjusted for physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use, weight, and family history of cancer.

The Most Striking Results from Frequent Organic Eaters

Subjects who ate organic foods most frequently showed remarkable reductions:

76 percent fewer lymphomas

86 percent fewer non-Hodgkin lymphomas

34 percent reduction in postmenopausal breast cancers

Previous studies have shown a higher rate of lymphomas among farm workers exposed to certain pesticides, so the large reduction in lymphomas among organic eaters is not surprising, particularly for people with autoimmune conditions, whose immune systems may be more reactive to chemical stressors.

How Pesticides Affect the Body

Previous research shows that an organic diet lowers pesticide levels in urine, while consuming pesticide-laden foods increases them. This matters because chronic pesticide exposure stresses the immune system, something autoimmune patients already manage daily.

Unfortunately, the UK and French cancer studies did not measure urinary pesticide levels, and scientists are calling for long-term studies to explain exactly why organic foods lower cancer risk.

Understanding the Difference Between “Natural” and “Organic”

If you want to eat healthier to lower your cancer risk, understand that “natural” does not mean “organic.”

The USDA has strict guidelines for organic food production and labeling.

Organic: Products labeled “organic” are independently certified by the USDA National Organic Program standards. To be certified organic, foods must be produced without genetic engineering, sewage sludge, ionizing radiation, a list of harmful substances, and only with allowable ingredients.

Natural: Except for meat and poultry, the term “natural” is unregulated; these foods may contain artificial ingredients, pesticides, herbicides, growth hormones, antibiotics, and GMOs.

Conventionally-grown produce has higher levels of herbicide and pesticide residues. A recent report by the Environmental Working Group found notable levels of glyphosate in all mainstream breakfast cereals tested. Conventional animal products are more likely to contain antibiotics, growth hormones, and heavy metals than organic alternatives.