Organic Milk – Is it Worth It?

The demand for organic milk is rising as more and more people are becoming aware of its benefits.  However the cost of consuming organic milk is quite a bit higher than regular milk so is it worth spending the extra cash to get organic milk?  Well, many people are now realizing the great benefits that are offered to them by consuming organic foods and organic milk has many great benefits.

One of the benefits of organic milk is that the cows from which the milk comes from are grown without being injected with hormones and are fed chemical free foods. This has a great effect on the milk produced since the organic milk itself is then free of hormones and synthetic chemicals. Also the cows are required to be free and have the flexibility to graze in fields and not be confined in a specific area. This may have a great effect on the cow’s mental wellbeing and there is more and more research showing a direct link between an animals mental state and the quality of its meat or milk.

Also, consuming organic milk, means you are supporting an industry where the animals are treated in a more humane manner and are cared for much better. In addition the environmental benefits of not using pesticides in the cow’s feed is also significant when you support the organic milk industry.

Yes, organic milk does cost more, but it does also contain far more nutrition than regular milk so you may not need to consume as much which means that at the end of the day you are paying the same or even less. Organic milk can contain as much as 3 times the conjugeic linoleic acid (CLA) which is an important nutrient for our health. Also organic milk has high level of omega 3 fatty acids which are believed to be great at helping to prevent cancer.

Regular milk comes from cows that are fed genetically modified feeds and are injected with growth hormones. The long term effects of these chemicals in regular milk is unknown and may be a health hazard. Organic milk is free of genetically modified ingredients and hormones and organic milk manufacturers do not use any pesticides, herbicides or fungicides in the pastures where the cows are fed, thus the organic milk is also free of these chemicals.

Keep in mind that what a cow eats, more than likely at some level will end up in their milk. So it becomes important and makes sense to feed cows pure foods if they are to produce pure milk and that is what organic milk producers are required to do by law. Also in traditional farming the cows may never get a chance to graze in the fields and are left confined in the same place for long periods. In organic milk farms, the cows spend their time in the natural pastures that are wide open, they are given plenty of space to roam around as they would in nature.

Look for the certified organic label when shopping for organic milk, this label means that the organic milk producers have followed the right procedures we have covered above to produce the milk.  Many people that are purists, want their organic milk in a raw, unpasteurized form which can be great for the health but may not be ideal for those with weaker immune systems. 

There is a belief that pasteurizing milk destroy many of the valuable nutrients which is why raw organic milk is preferred by many. However finding raw organic milk can be tough and may require you to go directly to a farm to get it but the benefits may make it worthwhile. In some areas, it is illegal to sell raw organic milk in regular stores since they have shorter shelf lives and may pose a bacterial threat.  Organic milk has also been shown to be rich in vitamin E, which is great in delaying the aging process.

There is also the question of homogenization and whether or not it makes milk better or worse. Many believe that the process of homogenization, even for organic milk, can make the milk lose many of it’s nutritional properties. Organic milk does have many advantages over regular milk as far as nutritional content is concerned and also with regards to the treatment of the animals being more humane. If you are a big milk consumer or have children who consume milk, then perhaps organic milk may the best option for you even if it does cost more.

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Article is provided by the freelance authors of Superhealthy.org and is the sole property of Superhealthy.org.

Disclaimer: This article is not meant to provide health advice and is for general information only. Always seek the advice of a qualified health professional before taking on any health program.