In recent years, organic agriculture has gained more popularity, yet its approach to food production and its potential impact on consumers' health and various environmental aspects remain to be fully discovered. The goal of organic farming practices is to maintain soil health, sustain ecological systems, maintain fairness in its relationship with the environment and protect the environment in its entirety. Various health benefits have been associated with higher consumption of organic foods. This review identified some of these health benefits, including a reduction in obesity and body mass index (BMI), improvements in blood nutrient composition as well as reductions in maternal obesity and pregnancy-associated preeclampsia risks. Furthermore, organic food consumption can reduce the development of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and colorectal cancers. Upon reviewing the existing literature regarding the nutritional value of organic foods, it was found that organic food contained higher levels of iron, magnesium and vitamin C. However, the evidence available to draw definitive causations remains limited due to study biases, short study durations and confounding variables; thus, it cannot be concluded that the organic diet provides any related health benefits. In this review, we provided essential insights and statistical analysis from the evidence available and consider study limitations to evaluate the potential of organic food consumption in positively impacting human health.
Keywords: biodiversity; cancer; climate change; food safety; obesity; organic farming; organic foods.