For several years now, there has been a longstanding debate over the potential health benefits of organically grown food products. And a recently released medical study from the UK is only igniting the argument even further. A recent article published makes alarming claims that organic foods contain 48 percent less of the toxic chemical called metal cadmium. This publication also states that the human race would cut its mortality rates by an average of 20 percent if we were to reduce these toxic levels by even half.

What is Metal Cadmium?

It is a by-product of mining practices that essentially seeps into our soil and then into our farm-grown crops. Metal cadmium potentially leads to a condition in the body called oxidative stress. This is an imbalance in the body that reduces the ability of antioxidants to neutralize harmful free radicals. Another important point is that oxidative stress has been linked to everything from cancer to cardiopulmonary disorders.

In fact, even the US Environmental Protection Agency admits to a probable link between metal cadmium and cancer, including pancreatic, colon, lung, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Organic foods are grown without the use of phosphate-based fertilizer. This type of fertilizer contains even more toxic metal cadmium to the already increased levels found within the farm’s soil.

It is important to note that the amount of metal cadmium found in organic products depends on the acid content of the soil in which they are grown. This means that simply being an organic food will not automatically mean that it has 50 percent less metal cadmium. Out of 17 side-by-side comparisons of traditional vs. organic crops, only 2 produced vast differences in toxicity levels. This inconsistency in data has the medical research community at odds with one another over organic foods.