Many people wonder what the major differences between organic and non-organic products are and a new study has found that organic meats and milk may be much better for your health. We're always hearing how foods like avocado, olive oil and nuts are healthy because they're the "good" kind of fat, and as it turns out, organic meats and milk carry similar traits that make them good for you.
The study, which was conducted by Newcastle University, shows that both organic milk and meat contain about 50 percent more beneficial omega-3 fatty acid than their non-organic counterparts, even though they typically have around the same amount of calories and saturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acid is beneficial for lowering the risk of heart disease, improving neurological development and function, and improving immune function.
The research, which was based on an analysis of 67 studies over the last two decades, found that two cups of organic milk provides 16 percent of the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids, while regular non-organic milk only provides 11 percent. Organic milk also contains higher levels of fat-soluble vitamins, like vitamin E and carotenoids, and organic meat contains lower levels of certain saturated fatty acids.
Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at the University, who worked on the study, explained that this major difference is based on what the cows eat, according to Yahoo Health. Organic cattle eat more omega-3 rich grass and clover while non-organic cattle eat more soy and corn, but other factors also affect these nutritional differences.
"The use of lower milking frequencies and more robust traditional breeds was shown in some studies to contribute to the higher omega-3 levels in organic milk," Leifert explained, adding that we do not get enough long chain omega-3 fatty acids in our diet. "Given that milk and meat account for more than half of long-chain omega-3 intake, especially in people eating very little fish, this must be good. But how good we still have to quantify."
"Western European diets are recognized as being too low in these fatty acids and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends we should double our intake," Chris Seal, Professor of Food and Human Nutrition at the University explains. "But getting enough in our diet is difficult. Our study suggests that switching to organic would go some way towards improving intakes of these important nutrients."
Dr. Baziet from the University of Toronto explained that in order to get the right amount of omega-3 fatty acids to yield health benefits, one much add about 200 milligrams a day, and that switching to organic meat would only add about 50 milligrams. "Eating one grass-fed beef serving per day is not going to do it," he told The New York Times. "But if combined with a couple of glasses of organic milk, it should make a difference. That would be the hypothesis."
