Photo Credit:  @onepotatobox

A study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine looked at 69,000 French adults and found that those who ate the most organic foods were 25% less likely to develop cancer.  Specifically  they were 73% less likely to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma and 21% less likely to develop post-menopausal breast cancer.

Why does eating an organic diet help you avoid cancer?

The main reason are pesticides.   

If you do not work or live near agricultural fields your main source of pesticide exposure is through food.  Most commonly used pesticides have been found to be carcinogenic (Round Up the most widely used pesticide in the world was recently in the news linked to cancer) 

When you eat organic, there is a  "significant" reduction of contamination that occurs when conventional foods are replaced by organic foods.

While organic foods can still expose us to pesticides and heavy metals (mostly through cross contamination from nearby fields, air pollution, soil  or water) generally, organic foods tend to have lower levels of pesticides.  

The cost of organic foods can be a factor in whether a can eat organic foods.   I always recommend trying out a local CSA  (CSA Stands for Community Supported Agriculture.)

CSA allows city residents to have direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. When you become a member of a CSA, you're purchasing a “share” of vegetables from a regional farmer.) trying out your local farmers market and even trying to grow your own organic fruits and vegetables.   Additionally companies like Thrive Market online, Trader Joes and 365 offer better priced organic foods.