We have seen a distinct increase in the awareness of "healthy" food over the past few years. Omega-3 fatty acids and "organic foods" are right on top of the "healthy" food list. New research shows that organic meat and dairy contain approximately 50 percent more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced items.
"People choose organic milk and meat for three main reasons: improved animal welfare, the positive impacts of organic farming on the environment, and the perceived health benefits. But much less is known about impacts on nutritional quality, hence the need for this study. Several of these differences stem from organic livestock production and are brought about by differences in production intensity, with outdoor-reared, grass-fed animals producing milk and meat that is consistently higher in desirable fatty acids such as the omega-3s, and lower in fatty acids that can promote heart disease and other chronic diseases," said Carlo Leifert, a professor at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom, and leader of a team of two dozen researchers, reports U.S. News.
The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found stark differences between organic and conventional products after reviewing 196 papers on milk and 67 on meat.
For example, a half-liter (one U.S. pint) of organic, full-fat milk or its equivalent dairy product, was found to provide 16 percent of the recommended daily dose of long chain omega-3, while conventional milk was recorded to provide only 11 percent.
"Western European diets are recognized as being too low in these fatty acids, and the European Food Safety Authority recommends we should double our intake," said co-author Chris Seal, also from Newcastle University, according to the AFP.
"Omega-3s are linked to reductions in cardiovascular disease, improved neurological development and function, and better immune function. Our study suggests that switching to organic would go some way towards improving intakes of these important nutrients," Seal elaborated further, according to PopSugar.
"Nutritionists do not agree on many things, but they all say we should double our intake of omega-3," said Leifert, according to BT.com.
"We have shown without doubt there are composition differences between organic and conventional food. Taken together, these studies "suggest that a switch to organic fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products would provide significantly higher amounts of dietary antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids," Leifert added, according to U.S. News.
