This is about a review study which focused on nearly 2,215 articles pertaining to organic food and its health aspects.. This study was done only on Pubmed database. This study gives a consolidated knowledge about those 2,215 articles done in Pubmed database. Any number of queries & doubts are gladly welcomed. :)

1. Suriyan J, Vijay B, Thalha N, Vishwanath M
Dr. Rockbritto, Dr. Elango
Chennai Medical College Hospital & Research
Centre,Trichy
Organic food &
health
- A systematic review
ALLPPT.com _ Free PowerPoint Templates, Diagrams and Charts

2. INTRODUCTION
• Organic food is a topic of concern in this era
because of its wide range of health benefits.
• But some studies report limitations or no
advantages over conventional food.
• So, the evidences regarding impact of organic food
on health is not clear.
Organic food & Health- A systematic review 2

3. What is “Organic food”?
• Food grown without pesticides , artificial
fertilizers.
• No bioengineering or ionizing radiation.
• Has not been treated with preservatives,
hormones, antibiotics etc.
Organic food & Health- A systematic review 3

4. Organic Vs Conventional
INGREDIENT / PROCESSING ORGANIC CONVENTIONAL
ARTIFICIAL FLAVOURS Not used Used
ARTIFICIAL COLOURS Not used Used
ARTIFICIAL FERTILIZERS Not used Used
ARTIFICIAL PESTICIDES Not used Used
IRRADIATION Not used Used
GENETICALLY ENGINEERED
INGREDIENTS
Not used Used

5. OBJECTIVES
• To systematically review the literature on
organic food and to yield a conservative
knowledge upon health related aspects of
organic food.

6. METHODOLOGY
• We searched for the MeSH term “organic food” in
Pubmed database from the time period of January
1961 to August 2016.
• Studies done on organic food, related to health,
free full papers available in English were included
in this study

7. METHODOLOGY

8. METHODOLOGY
"Organic
food" in
pubmed- 2215
articles
• 1,805 studies
were rejected
due to
unavailable
abstracts, not
related to
organic food.
410
selected
studies
• 338 studies
were rejected
due to
unavailability
of free full
texts
72 full
studies
• 40 studies were
rejected due to
studies on
production and
detection of
organic food,
opinions and other
language studies.
32 full
studies

9. METHODOLOGY
32 selected full studies
9 studies were done on
humans
9 studies were done on
microbiological aspects
of organic food
14 studies were done on
quality of organic food
3 studies were done
on pesticides
6 studies were done on
health

10. RESULTS
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 10
Human health aspects
Microbiological aspects
Quality related aspects

11. Studies done on Human
health aspects (n=9)
• 3 studies showed decreased pesticide exposure
by organic food consumption.
• 3 studies were done on pregnant women which
showed,
• Decreased incidence of pre-eclampsia
• Decreased incidence of hypospadias in male
newborns.
• Increased intake of diet with higher density of
fiber and most nutrients such as folate, beta-
carotene and vitamin C, and lower density of
sodium, after frequent consumption of organic
food in pregnant women

12. • 3 studies were done per se on health which showed,
• Decrease in the incidence of cancer (non-Hodgkin
lymphoma)
• Decreases the circulating cardiovascular risk factors like
total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol,
Reactive oxygen species(ROS),lipoperoxidation of
circulating monocytes and lymphocytes and Tumour
necrosis factor – alpha (TNF-α).
• Organic grape juice improved glucose homeostasis,
antioxidant capacity, and microvascular function, which
may be due to its high concentration of polyphenols.
Studies done on Human
health aspects(cont.)

13. Studies done on Microbiological aspects (n=9)
S.NO. INCREASED STUDY POPULATION
1. Campylobacter Organic turkey farms
2. Enterobacteriaceae Organic and conventional chicken
3. Salmonella Organic and conventional pig farms
4. Escherichia coli Organic dairy farms, organic and conventional leafy
greens
5. Antimicrobial susceptibility
(Staphylococcus)
Organic dairy farms
S.NO. DECREASED STUDY POPULATION
1. Listeria monocytogenes
Organic lettuce2. Escherichia coli
3. No difference in antimicrobial susceptibility Organic and natural beef farms
9/21/2016 13Organic food & Health- A systematic review

14. Factors for pathogenic invasion:
• Usage of organic fertilizers
• The bacterial inoculation dose
• The plant species
Studies done on Microbiological
aspects (cont.)

15. S.NO. INCREASED STUDY POPULATION
1. Antioxidants Organic crops
2. Lutein Organic wheat
3. Serum lutein Organic eggs
4. Anti-inflammatory, Analgesic effects Egg yolk
5. Arsenic Organic brown rice syrup
6. Carotenoids and Vitamin C Organic tomatoes
7. Health impact on Baby food Pre-processed organic carrots
8. PUFA, Conjugated linoleic acid (cis-9, trans-11)
and α-linolenic acid
Organic milk
9. PUFA, n-3 PUFA Organic meat
10. Quality Organic fruit farms
11. Fertility and Longevity Drosophila melanogaster
9/21/2016 15Organic food & Health- A systematic review
Studies done on Quality aspects (n=14)

16. S.NO. DECREASED STUDY POPULATION
1. Cadmium , pesticide exposure Organic crops
2. SFA, MUFA Organic meat
3. No quality differences Organic and conventional
vegetables
9/21/2016 16Organic food & Health- A systematic review
Studies done on Quality aspects
(Cont.)

17. Discussion
• Exposure to pesticides causes increased risk of non-
hodgkin’s lymphoma, certain birth defects, multiple
myeloma, low birth weight, etc.
• Chensheng Lu et al, Cynthia L. et al, Asa Bradman et
al. in their studies showed that consumption of
organic food reduces the risk of pesticide exposure
which might indirectly relate to the decreased risk of
ill effects due to the pesticide exposure.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 17

18. Discussion (cont.)
• Hanne Torjusen et al. in their study showed that
consumption of organic food reduced the risk of
pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.
• Emily Oken et al. in their study showed that
dietary intake of n-3 fatty acids reduced the risk
of pre-eclampsia.
• Dominika Średnicka-Tober et al. in their study,
reported increased levels of n-3 fatty acids in
organic food, which might indirectly relate to the
reduced risk of pre-eclampsia after consumption
of organic food.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 18

19. Discussion (cont.)
• De Kort CA et al. in their study showed that there is
association between dietary pattern of pregnant
women and hypospadias.
• Anne Lise Brantsæter et al. in their study reported that
organic food consumption reduced the prevalence of
hypospadias.
• Christensen JS et al. in their study showed that there is
association between hypospadias in the offspring and
the mother not choosing the organic diet, and having a
high intake of nonorganic butter and cheese.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 19

20. • The articles selected in this study are not
screened by any quality guidelines and are
selected only from Pubmed.
• But, considering the fact that Pubmed is a
standard database, consisting of standard,
reviewed studies, the articles included in this
study cannot be underestimated for their
quality.
• Only free full texts are included in this study.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 20
Limitations

21. • The current knowledge of health impact on
organic food based on the available research
studies is not convincible enough to
recommend organic food for the community.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 21
Conclusion

22. Recommendations
• More follow-up studies on humans, with large
sample size might possibly enlighten the
concept of organic food and health in future.
• Before implementing organic food on a large
scale apart from health aspects, other factors
like economic, social, cultural factors, sensory
attributes, food safety, environmental friendly,
nutritional factors have to be considered.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 22

23. References
1. Lu C, Toepel K, Irish R, Fenske RA, Barr DB, Bravo R. Organic diets significantly lower
children's dietary exposure to organophosphorus pesticides. Environmental health
perspectives. 2006 Feb 1:260-3.
2. Curl CL, Beresford SA, Fenske RA, Fitzpatrick AL, Lu C, Nettleton JA, Kaufman JD. Estimating
pesticide exposure from dietary intake and organic food choices: the Multi-Ethnic Study of
Atherosclerosis (MESA).
3. Bradman A, Quirós-Alcalá L, Castorina R, Schall RA, Camacho J, Holland NT, Barr DB,
Eskenazi B. Effect of Organic Diet Intervention on Pesticide Exposures in Young Children
Living in Low-Income Urban and Agricultural Communities. Environmental health
perspectives. 2015 Oct;123(10):1086-93.
4. Bradbury KE, Balkwill A, Spencer EA, Roddam AW, Reeves GK, Green J, Key TJ, Beral V, Pirie
K. Organic food consumption and the incidence of cancer in a large prospective study of
women in the United Kingdom. British journal of cancer. 2014 Apr 29;110(9).
5. Torjusen H, Brantsæter AL, Haugen M, Alexander J, Bakketeig LS, Lieblein G, Stigum H, Næs
T, Swartz J, Holmboe-Ottesen G, Roos G. Reduced risk of pre-eclampsia with organic
vegetable consumption: results from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort
Study. BMJ open. 2014 Sep 1;4(9):e006143.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 23

24. 6. Brantsæter AL, Torjusen H, Meltzer HM, Papadopoulou E, Hoppin JA, Alexander J, Lieblein
G, Roos G, Holten JM, Swartz J, Haugen M. Organic food consumption during pregnancy
and hypospadias and cryptorchidism at birth: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort
Study (MoBa). Environmental Health Perspectives (Online). 2016 Mar 1;124(3):357.
7. Whittaker A, Sofi F, Luisi ML, Rafanelli E, Fiorillo C, Becatti M, Abbate R, Casini A, Gensini
GF, Benedettelli S. An organic khorasan wheat-based replacement diet improves risk profile
of patients with acute coronary syndrome: a randomized crossover trial. Nutrients. 2015
May 11;7(5):3401-15.
8. Gonçalves MC, Bezerra FF, Eleutherio EC, Bouskela E, Koury J. Organic grape juice intake
improves functional capillary density and postocclusive reactive hyperemia in triathletes.
Clinics. 2011;66(9):1537-41.
9. Torjusen H, Lieblein G, Næs T, Haugen M, Meltzer HM, Brantsæter AL. Food patterns and
dietary quality associated with organic food consumption during pregnancy; data from a
large cohort of pregnant women in Norway. BMC public health. 2012 Aug 6;12(1):1.
10. Ahmed MF, El-Adawy H, Hotzel H, Tomaso H, Neubauer H, Kemper N, Hartung J, Hafez HM.
Prevalence, genotyping and risk factors of thermophilic Campylobacter spreading in organic
turkey farms in Germany. Gut pathogens. 2016 Jun 2;8(1):1.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 24

25. 11. Reinstein S, Fox JT, Shi X, Alam MJ, Renter DG, Nagaraja TG. Prevalence of Escherichia coli
O157: H7 in organically and naturally raised beef cattle. Applied and environmental
microbiology. 2009 Aug 15;75(16):5421-3.
12. NOT FOUND
13. Walk ST, Mladonicky JM, Middleton JA, Heidt AJ, Cunningham JR, Bartlett P, Sato K, Whittam
TS. Influence of antibiotic selection on genetic composition of Escherichia coli populations
from conventional and organic dairy farms. Applied and environmental microbiology. 2007
Oct 1;73(19):5982-9.
14. Bombyk RA, Bykowski AL, Draper CE, Savelkoul EJ, Sullivan LR, Wyckoff TJ. Comparison of
types and antimicrobial susceptibility of Staphylococcus from conventional and organic
dairies in west‐central Minnesota, USA. Journal of applied microbiology. 2008 Jun
1;104(6):1726-31.
15. Jensen AN, Dalsgaard A, Stockmarr A, Nielsen EM, Baggesen DL. Survival and transmission of
Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in an outdoor organic pig farming environment.
Applied and environmental microbiology. 2006 Mar 1;72(3):1833-42.
16. Khalil R, Gomaa M. Evaluation of the microbiological quality of conventional and organic leafy
greens at the time of purchase from retail markets in Alexandria, Egypt. Polish Journal of
Microbiology. 2014 Jan 1;63(2):237-43.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 25

26. 17. Loncarevic S, Johannessen GS, Rørvik LM. Bacteriological quality of organically grown leaf
lettuce in Norway. Letters in Applied Microbiology. 2005 Aug 1;41(2):186-9.
18. Hofmann A, Fischer D, Hartmann A, Schmid M. Colonization of plants by human pathogenic
bacteria in the course of organic vegetable production. Plants as alternative hosts for
human and animal pathogens. 2015 Jul 2:102.
19. Chhabra R, Kolli S, Bauer JH. Organically grown food provides health benefits to Drosophila
melanogaster. PLoS One. 2013 Jan 9;8(1):e52988.
20. Barański M, Średnicka-Tober D, Volakakis N, Seal C, Sanderson R, Stewart GB, Benbrook C,
Biavati B, Markellou E, Giotis C, Gromadzka-Ostrowska J. Higher antioxidant and lower
cadmium concentrations and lower incidence of pesticide residues in organically grown
crops: a systematic literature review and meta-analyses. British Journal of Nutrition. 2014
Sep 14;112(05):794-811.
21. Hussain A, Larsson H, Kuktaite R, Olsson ME, Johansson E. Carotenoid Content in
Organically Produced Wheat: Relevance for Human Nutritional Health on Consumption.
International journal of environmental research and public health. 2015 Nov
2;12(11):14068-83.
22. Jackson BP, Taylor VF, Karagas MR, Punshon T, Cottingham KL. Arsenic, organic foods, and
brown rice syrup. Environmental health perspectives. 2012 May 1;120(5):623.
23. Mahmoudi M, Ebrahimzadeh MA, Pourmorad F, Rezaie N, Mahmoudi MA. Anti-
inflammatory and analgesic effects of egg yolk: a comparison between organic and
machine made. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Feb 17;17(4):472-6.
24. Burns-Whitmore BL, Haddad EH, Sabaté J, Jaceldo-Siegl K, Tanzman J, Rajaram S. Effect of
n-3 fatty acid enriched eggs and organic eggs on serum lutein in free-living lacto-ovo
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 26

27. 25. Reganold JP, Andrews PK, Reeve JR, Carpenter-Boggs L, Schadt CW. Fruit and Soil Quality of
Organic and Conventional Strawberry.
26. Średnicka-Tober D, Barański M, Seal C, Sanderson R, Benbrook C, Steinshamn H, Gromadzka-
Ostrowska J, Rembiałkowska E, Skwarło-Sońta K, Eyre M, Cozzi G. Composition differences
between organic and conventional meat: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.
British Journal of Nutrition. 2016 Mar 28;115(06):994-1011.
27. Butler G, Stergiadis S, Seal C, Eyre M, Leifert C. Fat composition of organic and conventional
retail milk in northeast England. Journal of Dairy Science. 2011 Jan 31;94(1):24-36.
28. Florence AC, Béal C, Silva RC, Bogsan CS, Pilleggi AL, Gioielli LA, Oliveira MN. Fatty acid
profile, trans-octadecenoic, α-linolenic and conjugated linoleic acid contents differing in
certified organic and conventional probiotic fermented milks. Food chemistry. 2012 Dec
15;135(4):2207-14.
29. Średnicka-Tober D, Barański M, Seal CJ, Sanderson R, Benbrook C, Steinshamn H, Gromadzka-
Ostrowska J, Rembiałkowska E, Skwarło-Sońta K, Eyre M, Cozzi G. Higher PUFA and n-3 PUFA,
conjugated linoleic acid, α-tocopherol and iron, but lower iodine and selenium
concentrations in organic milk: a systematic literature review and meta-and redundancy
analyses. British Journal of Nutrition. 2016 Mar 28;115(06):1043-60.
30. Drakou M, Birmpa A, Koutelidakis AE, Komaitis M, Panagou EZ, Kapsokefalou M. Total
antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content and iron and zinc dialyzability in selected Greek
varieties of table olives, tomatoes and legumes from conventional and organic farming.
International journal of food sciences and nutrition. 2015 Feb 17;66(2):197-202.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 27

28. 31. Seidel K, Kahl J, Paoletti F, Birlouez I, Busscher N, Kretzschmar U, Särkkä-Tirkkonen M,
Seljåsen R, Sinesio F, Torp T, Baiamonte I. Quality assessment of baby food made of different
pre-processed organic raw materials under industrial processing conditions. Journal of food
science and technology. 2015 Feb 1;52(2):803-12.
32. Hallmann E, Lipowski J, Marszałek K, Rembiałkowska E. The seasonal variation in bioactive
compounds content in juice from organic and non-organic tomatoes. Plant Foods for Human
Nutrition. 2013 Jun 1;68(2):171-6.
33. Heeren GA, Tyler J, Mandeya A. Agricultural chemical exposures and birth defects in the
Eastern Cape Province, South Africa A case–control study. Environmental Health. 2003 Oct
4;2(1):1.
34. Zahm SH, Ward MH. Pesticides and childhood cancer. Environmental health perspectives.
1998 Jun;106(Suppl 3):893.
35. Wohlfahrt-Veje C, Main KM, Schmidt IM, Boas M, Jensen TK, Grandjean P, Skakkebæk NE,
Andersen HR. Lower birth weight and increased body fat at school age in children prenatally
exposed to modern pesticides: a prospective study. Environmental Health. 2011 Sep
20;10(1):1.
36. Perrotta C, Staines A, Cocco P. Multiple myeloma and farming. A systematic review of 30
years of research. Where next?. Journal of occupational Medicine and Toxicology. 2008 Nov
17;3(1):1
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 28

29. 38. De Roos A, Zahm SH, Cantor KP, Weisenburger DD, Holmes FF, Burmeister LF, Blair A.
Integrative assessment of multiple pesticides as risk factors for non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma among men. Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2003 Sep
1;60(9):e11-..
39. Oken E, Ning YI, Rifas-Shiman SL, Rich-Edwards JW, Olsen SF, Gillman MW. Diet during
pregnancy and risk of preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. Annals of
epidemiology. 2007 Sep 30;17(9):663-8.
40. De Kort CA, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Mendez MA. Relationship between maternal dietary
patterns and hypospadias. Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology. 2011 May
1;25(3):255-64.
41. Christensen JS, Asklund C, Skakkebæk NE, Jørgensen N, Andersen HR, Jørgensen TM,
Olsen LH, Høyer AP, Moesgaard J, Thorup J, Jensen TK. Association between organic
dietary choice during pregnancy and hypospadias in offspring: a study of mothers of
306 boys operated on for hypospadias. The Journal of urology. 2013 Mar
31;189(3):1077-82.
42. Jukes TH, Anderson Stout ZE. Organic food. Critical Reviews in Food Science &
Nutrition. 1977 Nov 1;9(4):395-418.
43. Caris-Veyrat C, Amiot MJ, Tyssandier V, Grasselly D, Buret M, Mikolajczak M, Guilland
JC, Bouteloup-Demange C, Borel P. Influence of organic versus conventional agricultural
practice on the antioxidant microconstituent content of tomatoes and derived purees;
consequences on antioxidant plasma status in humans. Journal of agricultural and food
chemistry. 2004 Oct 20;52(21):6503-9.
44. Ellis KA, Innocent G, Grove-White D, Cripps P, McLean WG, Howard CV, Mihm M.
Comparing the fatty acid composition of organic and conventional milk. Journal of Dairy
Science. 2006 Jun 30;89(6):1938-50.
9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 29

30. 45. Ren H, Endo H, Hayashi T. The superiority of organically cultivated vegetables to general ones regarding
antimutagenic activities. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis. 2001
Sep 20;496(1):83-8.
46. Olsson ME, Andersson CS, Oredsson S, Berglund RH, Gustavsson KE. Antioxidant levels and inhibition of
cancer cell proliferation in vitro by extracts from organically and conventionally cultivated strawberries.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2006 Feb 22;54(4):1248-55.
47. Brantsæter AL, Torjusen H, Meltzer HM, Papadopoulou E, Hoppin JA, Alexander J, Lieblein G, Roos G,
Holten JM, Swartz J, Haugen M. Organic food consumption during pregnancy and hypospadias and
cryptorchidism at birth: the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Environmental Health
Perspectives (Online). 2016 Mar 1;124(3):357.
48. Torjusen H, Brantsæter AL, Haugen M, Alexander J, Bakketeig LS, Lieblein G, Stigum H, Næs T, Swartz J,
Holmboe-Ottesen G, Roos G. Reduced risk of pre-eclampsia with organic vegetable consumption: results
from the prospective Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study. BMJ open. 2014 Sep 1;4(9):e006143.
49. Rist L, Mueller A, Barthel C, Snijders B, Jansen M, Simoes-Wüst AP, Huber M, Kummeling I, von Mandach
U, Steinhart H, Thijs C. Influence of organic diet on the amount of conjugated linoleic acids in breast milk
of lactating women in the Netherlands. British Journal of Nutrition. 2007 Apr 1;97(04):735-43.
50. Cardozo MG, Medeiros N, dos Santos Lacerda D, de Almeida DC, Henriques JA, Dani C, Funchal C. Effect of
chronic treatment with conventional and organic purple grape juices (Vitis labrusca) on rats fed with high-
fat diet. Cellular and molecular neurobiology. 2013 Nov 1;33(8):1123-33.
51. Chamberlain DE, Joys A, Johnson PJ, Norton L, Feber RE, Fuller RJ. Does organic farming benefit farmland
birds in winter?. Biology letters. 2009 Sep 9:rsbl20090643.
52. Malmauret L, Parent-Massin D, Hardy JL, Verger P. Contaminants in organic and conventional foodstuffs in
France. Food Additives & Contaminants. 2002 Jun 1;19(6):524-32.
53. Heuer OE, Pedersen K, Andersen JS, Madsen M. Prevalence and antimicrobial susceptibility of
thermophilic Campylobacter in organic and conventional broiler flocks. Letters in Applied Microbiology.
2001 Oct 17;33(4):269-74.
54. Dangour AD, Dodhia SK, Hayter A, Allen E, Lock K, Uauy R. Nutritional quality of organic foods: a
systematic review. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2009 Sep 1;90(3):680-5.9/21/2016 Organic food & Health- A systematic review 30

31. THANK YOU 
9/21/2016 31Organic food & Health- A systematic review