阅读理解 A large scale study has found a link between eating a diet based on organic food and having a reduced risk of cancer. If the new results are confirmed, promoting organic food consumption could be a promising preventative strategy against the disease, a team of researchers from several French institutions said.
Among the environmental risks for cancer, there are growing concerns about exposure to different types of pesticides(杀虫剂) from farming. The impact of such chemicals on the human body is still not well understood but there are some indications that harmful effects can occur even at low concentrations.
Meanwhile, pushed by environmental and health concerns, the organic food market continues to grow rapidly. Organic food is produced without the use of synthetic(合成的) fertilizers, pesticides, genetically modified organisms, and the use of veterinary(兽医的) medications.
"Organic foods are less likely to contain pesticide remains than conventional foods, and studies have shown that an organic diet reduces exposure to certain pesticide," Julia Baudry, lead author of the study from the Centre of Research in Epidemiology and Statistics in France, told Newsweek.
"In the general population, the primary route of exposure is diet, especially intake of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables. However, few studies have examined the association of organic food consumption with cancer risk."
For the study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, a team of researchers examined data on the organic food consumption frequency and dietary intake of 68,946 French adults collected by an ongoing survey which began in 2009. They then followed up on these people at various points in the future.
Participants reported how often (never, occasionally or most of the time) they consumed 16 types of organic foods including fruits, vegetables, soy﹣based products, dairy products, meat and fish, eggs, grains and legumes, bread and cereals, flour, vegetable oils and condiments, ready﹣to﹣eat meals, coffee, tea, and herbal tea, wine, biscuits, chocolate, sugar and so on.