Yes, there are some differences between organically grown food and food produced using conventional methods, said Siv Kjølsrud Bøhn at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences’ (NMBU) conference on nutrition and sustainability.
Nevertheless, there is no clear evidence that these differences have any bearing on health. There has been relatively little research on this, she said.
Kjølsrud Bøhn described a summary study done by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in 2017. Here, the researchers looked at studies that compared organically and conventionally produced food.
“They saw that the levels of vitamin C were much higher in the organically produced foods. They found that there were some minerals that were also higher in fruit, vegetables and grains for the organically produced foods,” Kjølsrud Bøhn said.
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Not all research points in the same direction. A Danish study from 2010 concluded there was no difference in mineral and antioxidant content between organically and conventionally grown carrots, potatoes, and onions.
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Kjølsrud Bøhn summed up the situation by saying that research is beginning to emerge that may indicate there are some positive health effects from eating organic food.
“But overall, there are very few studies, so we need much more research to be sure,” she said.
