Is Organic Better? An Expert Perspective on Naturally Grown Foods

Is organic food truly better for us? The idea that naturally grown foods may be healthier due to beneficial microbes and fewer pesticides is gaining recognition. We speak with Marco van Es of the Dutch research centre Bac2nature, about diversity, and the bigger picture.

According to Marco van Es, founder of the Dutch research centreBac2nature, we really started to get a handle on food and microbes when those little probiotic yogurts hit the supermarket shelves. It was during his own many years working in the probiotics industry, that he saw first hand just how important the microbiome is for a properly functioning immune system.

At the same time, it became clear to him that our microbial diversity is taking a hit—not just from what we eat, but because of our lifestyle: living in super-clean, paved-over spaces that are far from nature, as his website points out. These days, his foundation aims to share scientific knowledge about different ways to get exposed to microbes, and it's on a mission to prove that having a diverse microbiome is key to a healthy life.

Naturally Grown or Not? Its All About Diversity

Thinking back to when these yoghurts first entered our supermarkets, everyone was all about the high bacteria count. But now we know it's not just the numbers that matter. It's actually the variety of bacteria that counts. The more diverse they are, the healthier they become, and that means they can make us healthier too when we eat them, Marco underlines.

Actually, more experts are now saying that having a wide variety of microbes is crucial for overall health, and Marco's own research has backed this up while studying the whole journey from crops to gut overall well-being. It's now clear that the microbiome—made up of bacteria, fungi, and other tiny organisms living in our intestines, skin, and lungs—affects our immune system and health, and it really benefits from being diverse.

Researchers are saying that having a mix of different bacteria in your gut can help guard against allergies, chronic issues, inflammatory diseases, malnutrition, and obesity. Plus, it supports important systems like your nervous system. Marco puts it this way: "The more variety in your gut bacteria, the healthier and tougher you get."

"The more diverse the bacteria, the healthier and more resilient a person becomes."

From Soil To Gut

But, when wondering whether organic is better for us, or naturally grown foods compared to standard cultivated, you might wonder why the difference between the types of fruits and vegetables we choose is so crucial for our health. After all, aren't all fruits and vegetables beneficial for us, with their high levels of vitamine C for example?

In a way, they are, but Bac2nature stands as a prominent research organisation investigating whether fruits and vegetables are more nutritious when grown in microbe-rich, untreated soil without the use of pesticides. They explore whether microbial diversity is what makes one piece of fruit healthier than another. The foundation studies whether naturally grown crops possess greater microbial diversity compared to conventional ones and examines how this affects our gut microbiome by monitoring the complete journey of beneficial bacteria from soil to gut health.

Marco highlights that earlier studies from Austria and Poland found similar results, indicate that organically grown apples and strawberries have greater microbial biodiversity compared to conventionally grown ones, and that this means they benefit health and the environment.

Marco points out that the opposite is also true: a lack of diversity in our diet can quickly lead to health issues. He emphasises this by discussing the consumption of highly processed foods and referencing the insightful book "The Diet Myth" by Tim Spector. Spector, frequently cited in the media, is a leading UK authority on food and health. His advice on consuming dinners rich in colourful vegetables is gaining more attention both nationally and internationally.

How We Treat Our Food

Marco also clarifies that it's not only about the soil and environment for crops, but also how we handle our food. He explains that in the industrial era, efforts to extend food shelf life came with disadvantages. Prolonging shelf life decreases the microbial diversity that enters our body, impacting gut health. "Almost everything we consume has an extended shelf life due to pasteurisation or sterilisation," he tells us. "This process eliminates not only spoilage-causing micro-organisms but all micro-organisms."

"Almost everything we consume has an extended shelf life due to pasteurisation or sterilisation. This process eliminates not only spoilage-causing micro-organisms but all micro-organisms."

Do naturally grown apples offer us more health benefits? (Pexels, Photomix Company).

But That's Not All: Pesticides

Lately, people have also been getting more worried about how eating food with pesticides on crops might affect their health. There's a growing buzz about how these pesticides could be connected to brain issues like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. This concern really picked up steam after hearing about some French wine farmers who were affected.

Fortunately for consumers, the "clean 15" and "dirty dozen" lists lists from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) provide guidance for making more informed supermarket decisions. For example, spinach and strawberries, which typically have high pesticide levels, are best purchased as organic. On the other hand, if budget is a concern, conventionally grown avocados and kiwis are suitable options.

The Even Bigger Picture

But that's not all. Our perspective on microbial diversity and health has expanded, and we now also recognise that microbiomes that affect our health exist not only in our bodies, but also in our water, buildings, soil, plants, and animals, and that the diversity of them plays a huge role.

These days, it's becoming clear that our modern lifestyle is making us a bit more vulnerable health-wise. We're losing out on a variety of microbes in our food and surroundings. Basically, when there's less diversity around us, our gut diversity takes a hit too, and that's not great for our health. "In Western societies, there is a decreasing variety of bacteria in our gut," Marco explains, linking it to our growing distance from nature, and how this is contributing to illness.

"In Western societies, there is a decreasing variety of bacteria in our gut"

A Return To How Life Was?

It is now recognised that individuals who live in close proximity to nature, like the Hadza tribe in Tanzania, typically experience better health than many Westerners. This is attributed to their higher intestinal biodiversity, as Marco highlights. He explains that these hunter-gatherers eat naturally grown foods that are rich in biodiversity, which helps prevent autoimmune diseases.

Wait a minute, does this mean we have to go back to living like hunter-gatherers? Luckily, Marco has some modern tips for boosting the variety of microbes in our diets. By picking naturally grown fruits and veggies and eating stuff grown in soil that's full of microbes, we can get a good mix of micro-organisms in our gut. Experts like the author Spector say that having a balanced gut microbiome means eating a variety of whole plant foods, especially those colorfoul ones packed with important prebiotic fibers.

Marco suggests we could dive deeper by checking out how different cooking methods impact the good bacteria in our food. Opting for fresh, unpasteurised food and drinks and getting into food fermentation are great ideas too. Fermenting not only boosts the nutrition and shelf life of your food but also amps up the flavour and microbial variety, he mentions.

Playgrounds, Cities and Cats Too

Besides just focussing on food, we can take things up a notch, Marco says. We can actually increase the variety of microbes in our homes by adding more houseplants. Letting our dogs and cats explore outside can also help, as they bring back a mix of microbes into our homes. Growing our own veggies is another great way to get more physical contact with soil and microbes. Plus, spending more time in forests or local city parks is beneficial too.

On a larger scale, we can work together to make our playgrounds, cities, and buildings greener, Marco highlights, adding that experiments in managing urban green spaces in Australia, as well as research involving children at a daycare center in Finland who engaged with outdoor soil, have already shown improvements in microbiome diversity and health.

Another biggie is that we need to really rethink our approach to hygiene. As Marco states, "Hygiene has significantly improved our lives. Thus, we should keep using it, but properly: by steering clear of harmful pathogens while allowing for exposure to beneficial natural bacteria." Keeping clean without going overboard can really boost our health; it's all about finding the right balance.

"Hygiene has significantly improved our lives. Thus, we should keep using it properly by steering clear of harmful pathogens, while allowing for exposure to beneficial natural bacteria."

Is Organic Better? Where We Are Now

To tackle the ongoing debate on whether organic or naturally grown foods are healthier than conventionally cultivated ones, Marco, along with an increasing number of experts, highlights the significance of being exposed to a diverse microbiome. This diversity extends beyond just our food. Marco concludes, "The evidence linking our decreased interaction with nature to our growing fragility is quite compelling and becoming more apparent." Consequently, the recognition that biodiversity is vital for human survival—in our diets, educational systems, architecture, and the future of both the planet and nature—is a perspective that has been growing since those small yoghurts appeared in our supermarkets.

"The evidence linking our decreased interaction with nature to our growing fragility is quite compelling and becoming more apparent."

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About Marco van Es and Bac2nature

Marco van Es created Bac2nature to assist companies, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and individuals in achieving health-promoting lifestyle objectives. The foundation's primary research goal is to link biodiversity with human health. Bac2nature strives to make scientific knowledge accessible and initiates research in necessary areas, focusing on four domains: BAC2PLAY, BAC2BUILDING, BAC2THECITY, and BAC2VEGGIE. The central concept is that exposure to natural microorganisms fosters robust health. Bac2nature is exploring whether fruits and vegetables are more nutritious when grown in microbe-rich, untreated soil, free from pesticides, and exposed to open air.