Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review: Annals of Internal Medicine: Vol 157, No 5
This article has been corrected. The original version (PDF) is appended to this article as a supplement. Background: The health benefits of organic foods are unclear. Purpose: To review evidence comparing the health effects of organic and conventional foods. Data Sources: MEDLINE (January 1966 to May 2011), EMBASE, CAB Direct, Agricola, TOXNET, Cochrane Library (January 1966 to May 2009), and bibliographies of retrieved articles. Study Selection: English-language reports of comparisons of organically and conventionally grown food or of populations consuming these foods. Data Extraction: 2 independent investigators extracted data on methods, health outcomes, and nutrient and contaminant levels. Data Synthesis: 17 studies in humans and 223 studies of nutrient and contaminant levels in foods met inclusion criteria. Only 3 of the human studies examined clinical outcomes, finding no significant differences between populations by food type for allergic outcomes (eczema, wheeze, atopic sensit
