New Study: Organic Meat & Milk Wins Over Conventional

It’s official! New study reveals that organic meat and milk are healthier than their conventional counterparts…

There is a lot of conflicting information out there when it comes to organic food. Some say there is no difference nutritionally, and others say there is. However, when it comes to meat and milk, the verdict is in!

After reviewing 196 different research studies comparing organic vs. conventional (factory farmed) meat and milk, a review in the British Journal of Nutrition concluded that indeed, organic meat and milk contains more healthy Omega-3 fatty acids than those from conventionally raised sources.

While the study did not specify whether they distinguished between animals fed simply organic feed, or grass-fed, it did imply that many of the benefits came from the animals eating their natural diet of grass. Grass-fed animals typically are healthier, and have a much less negative impact on the environment than factory farms. (See our earlier post for more on the ethical & environmental implications of grass-fed meat.)

Here is what healthy animals mean for your health:

Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to:

• Reduce the risks of both fatal and nonfatal heart attacks and to prevent a-fib after cardiac bypass surgery, as well as lowering blood pressure.
• Help bring relief from autoimmune diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, reducing the need for pain relievers.
• Lower the risk of developing pneumonia.
• Alleviate depression in both children and adults, including postpartum depression, as well as bipolar disorder.

And this isn’t the first time we’ve seen organic foods come out on top.

A couple of years ago a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that organically grown crops have substantially higher levels of a range of nutrients including cancer-fighting antioxidants. And an earlier study found double the amount of the important flavonoid quercetin in organically grown tomatoes.

So it certainly looks like any extra money added to your monthly shopping bill is well worth it!

And since organic foods have become so popular, they now go on sale at your supermarket the same as other foods do. So by being on the lookout for an organic bargain, organic milk and meat could even end up costing just the same — or maybe even less than less nutritious conventionally raised  foods!

Find out more at HealthierTalk.com.