Locally sourced produce

The health benefits of organic milk include having higher levels of omega 3 fatty acids and 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. Modern dairies, however, use different types of chemicals in milk production.

These include pesticides and fertilizers for growing the fodder, as well as hormones and antibiotics that are fed to the cows. The excessive use of these chemicals in conventional milk production, and the harmful effects that 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 that 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 the UK’s Soil Association, and is considered to be groundbreaking. The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative also provide various benefits of organic milk.

The health benefits of organic milk include the following:
Omega3: Organic milk has more omega 3 than non-organic milk. But why is Omega 3 so important? Omega3 is an essential fatty acid which is required for healthy growth and its has been the reason for various health problems that have seemed to increase in recent years. Regular intake of omega 3 fatty acids protects you from various diseases and helps to reduce the incidence of heart disease, inflammation (in skin diseases like eczema), cancer, and arthritis. Recent research suggests that intake of diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce or delay onset of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Organic Milk has 71% More Omega 3: Research conducted at the University of Aberdeen shows that organic milk has about 71% more omega 3 than conventional milk. Why does organic milk have more Omega 3 than conventional milk? According to the research conducted by Dr. Richard Dewhurst and his team at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, organic cows, which are pasture grazed, are fed with a higher quantity of red clover than the conventional cows. Red clover contains large amount of Omega 3, which passes to the cow and subsequently to people through its milk. Furthermore, the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 is higher in organic milk.

Although omega 6 is also required for healthy growth, excessive amounts of omega 6 can be bad at times. Increased consumption of vegetable oils such as corn, soybeans, and sunflowers has resulted in an increased intake of omega 6 in our body. Therefore, organic milk consumption serves as an effective means of controlling the balance between Omega 3 and Omega 6 in our body, which is integral for heart health and cardiovascular conditions.