The health benefits of organic milk include more Omega 3, more CLA, more antioxidants and more vitamins than conventional milk. Milk is one of the most important components of our diet as its consumption ensures healthy growth and development. The modern dairies, however, use different types of chemicals for milk production.
These include pesticides, and fertilizers for growing the fodder, and hormones, and antibiotics fed to the cows. Excessive usage of these chemicals in conventional milk production, and the harmful effects they create have resulted in an increased demand for organic milk from health conscious consumers.
Currently only 3% of the total milk sold in the US is organic milk; however, this segment is growing rapidly at a rate of over 20% per annum. The market for organic milk is growing in other countries as well, with over 30% in the UK. Why is the demand for organic milk increasing so rapidly? The apparent answer is – Organic milk is healthier than conventional milk.
While organic milk retains all the benefits provided by non-organic milk, it also provides certain additional benefits. The health benefits of organic milk were researched by a team from the Danish Institute of Agricultural Research. The research, which was presented at one of the Annual Conferences of UK's Soil Association, is considered to be path-breaking. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative also provides various benefits of organic milk.
The health benefits of organic milk include the following:
- More Omega3 - Omega3 is an essential fatty acid which is required for healthy growth and its deficiency has been the reason of various health problems recently. Regular intake of Omega3 keeps you away from various diseases and helps you in reducing incidences of heart disease, inflammations (in skin diseases such as eczema), cancer, arthritis, etc.
- More Vitamins - Research conducted by the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences and the University of Newcastle
has shown that organic milk has higher concentration of vitamins such
as Vitamin A and Vitamin E than conventional milk. Since organic cows
graze on fresh grass and clover, the milk they produce has about 50%
higher Vitamin E and 75% higher beta carotene.
- More CLA - Conjugated linoleic acid
(CLA) increases metabolic rate, immunity to diseases and muscle growth.
It also reduces abdominal fat, cholesterol, and allergic reactions. It
is worth noting that human body cannot produce this substance and most
of our CLA intake happens through the milk and milk products that we
consume.
Cows that are grazed on pastures produce 500% more CLA in their milk than cows that are fed fodder. This definitely calls for preference to organic milk over non-organic milk. Recent animal studies have shown that CLA is beneficial in cancer treatment and this has further increased people's interest in organic milk.
- More Antioxidants - Organic milk has two to three times higher concentration of antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin than non-organic milk. Lutein
is extremely important for eye health and is effective in preventing
numerous eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataract.
Zeaxanthin is also important for good eye health. It protects the eye from UV damage and free radicals. It is very helpful in preventing cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.
Source: OrganicFacts.net
