Organically reared cows produce healthier milk says Newcastle University

[bananas]

Source: London Times

Milk from organic cattle that eat a fresh grass diet is likely to be better for your health, according to a new study by the University of Newcastle

This organic milk contained more good fatty acids such as omega-3 and conjugated linoleic acid known as CLA9 than milk produced at intensive commercial dairy farms. The difference was even more marked during the summer with levels of CLA9 about 60 per cent higher in milk from cattle that graze in fields.

Gillian Butler, livestock project manager for the university's Nafferton Ecological Farming Group, who led the research, said: “Our work has not looked at the impact on human health, but I would say organic milk should be better for health from what we know of the benefits of these good fatty acids. She added: “They are effective in combating cancer, coronary heart disease and type II diabetes.”

<snip>

“Some sceptics have thrown doubts on the benefit of organic milk because scientists had not shown precisely how organic farming makes a positive difference. This latest research demonstrates that it is the cows' organic diet that makes their milk healthier. Other research has shown the same is true for beef and lamb reared on grass.”

Read more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article4016428.ece

[Parche]

That is Udderly Fantastic

A Moo ving story.......:woohoo: :hi:

[tctctctc]

19. ELsie...no mad cow....in milk

40% more nutrient rich milk with no chemicals or hormones or mad cow feed.

OUTLAW 'meat fed to herbifores'!

[LeftyMom]

1. Wait a damn minute:

“They are effective in combating cancer, coronary heart disease and type II diabetes.”

All of which are promoted by dairy consumption.

[TomInTib]

2. Qualifier. "Commercial" dairy consumption.

If you have ever been around large-scale dairy operations, you wouldn't even open the door of the dairy cooler at the grocery store.

True, organically- produced dairy products are a whole different thing.

[LeftyMom]

4. No, dairy is harmful to human health, whether organic or factory farmed. Period.

The primary protein in cows' milk, casein, is carcinogenic in humans. The cholesterol and saturated fats in milk are bad for circulatory health.

Drinking the milk of cows is bad for human health.

[TomInTib]

5. I guess it's a wonder we've made it this far.

But the only dairy product I consume is cheese (of every type).

I have always thought that dairy products greatly inhibit alcohol absorption. And I live on gin and wine (I probably consume more calories of those two ingredients than the balance of my diet, combined).

[LeftyMom]

7. Mostly because most humans don't (can't) eat much of the stuff.

It's only the weird combination of prosperity (animal products are expensive to produce in quantity) and a population with a relatively high percentage of northern Europeans that allows for a society that consumes a lot of dairy. Northern Europeans have a mutation that allows them to digest lactose beyond toddlerhood, which most human beings can't do.

[KittyWampus]

15. "most Eurpoeans". You forgot to include the Indian continent.

[LeftyMom]

17. Only some indian populations, and even then it's processed for easier digestion.

Yogurt, paneer, etc. Even then, it's usually combined with ingredients believed to calm digestive upset.

The only other society with a prevalent mutation that permits dairy consumption is Mongolia.

[Igel]

66. There's a third mutation in E. Africa that allows for

consumption of raw milk by adults.

[NashVegas]

56. My Life Would Be Worthless Without Dairy

I've subsisted on cheese for something like 35 years, now.

[diane in sf]

11. Disagree, the fats in it help make cell walls more virus resistant. The Framingham

study found a higher correlation of cancer and heart disease with low fat and low protein diets. Sorry no link, but it can be googled.

There are people who genetically need less fat and protein and more carbs. They are also more prone to cancer and heart disease. The people who need more proteinand fat and fewer carbs are more prone to developing diabetes on a high carb diet, but are way more resistant to cancer and heart disease on a high fat/protein diet. Check out bloodph.com for more info--they have some interesting info on the incidences of these type of diseases in their client population.

[LeftyMom]

12. There are sources of fats, EFAs, etc without the huge drawbacks of dairy.

We don't have to break it down to micronutrients, and we don't have to speculate about potential effects. We know that populations with more dairy consumption have higher rates of a wide variety of cancers, more diabetes and more heart disease.

[KittyWampus]

14. having done macrobiotics and studied Chinese & Ayurvedic Diets, I can say without reservations you

don't know what you're talking about.

One can classify human body types into one of several categories with some groups NOT benefitting from dairy and some benefitting from dairy.

[LeftyMom]

16. I only know what the science says.

I don't know what Ayurveda or macrobiotics or some other superstitious nonsense says, and frankly, I could not possibly care any less.

[SpiralHawk]

29. Ayurveda has been around a long, long time...

and is in no way a superstition that can be kissed off with an uninformed 'opinion.'

[LeftyMom]

31. Persistance does not equal validity.

There's plenty of evidence for what I said.

Bringing in some sort of outdated nonsense about balancing humors or chi flows or deficient spleen and citing silly dietary advice for healing those perceived maladies doesn't in any way negate actual scientific evidence.

[TheWraith]

48. That's ironic given that the negative properties of milk are also largely outdated nonsense. nt

[LeftyMom]

59. Evidence or it didn't happen.

[cephalexin]

68. Phrenology has been around a long time too.

...

[TheWraith]

20. Actually, that's not really true.

Casein has never been proved to be carcinogenic.

[LeftyMom]

22. In science, nothing ever gets "proved" because there's always the possibility

that future evidence will merit another look and a contrary explanation. There is, however, satisfactory evidence that casein causes tumors and promotes tumor growth in humans.

[TheWraith]

24. Okay, this evidence is where?

I'm sure you can provide a few reputable links--i.e. to scientific papers, not to propaganda sites--that support the idea of casein causes tumors.

[LeftyMom]

26. Are you familiar with Dr. T. Collin Campbell's work?

He's a professor of biochemistry at Cornell. He's got a book for the layman, The China Study which explains the evidence he's found for carcinogenic effects of high animal protein diets generally, and for casein especially, and how he found it, or you can look up his papers if you prefer.

[TheWraith]

49. I'm aware of it, yes. Now here's why I don't trust it.

First, anything associated with the words "buy my book" is a sales pitch, not necessarily science, and should be treated as potential hype or misinformation.

Second, the highly dubious "blame all human ills on animal-based foods" approach does not smack of proper science, it reads as a treatise where someone decided to make an argument.

And third, there's a wide variety of well researched articles that take that book and debunk many of its points for using highly selective chunks of scientific data to bolster the arguments the author was already making, without taking a proper scientific approach and while ignoring vital parts of the same research.

Here's just one example--I'm sure there are more.

http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/China-Study.html

[LeftyMom]

60. Dude, did you just cite some random internet site about the health benefits of cholesterol?

Yes, clearly some weirdo posting debunked nonsense that flies in the face of scientific understanding trumps thirty years of legitimate scientific research.

:crazy:

[Honeycombe8]

54. I buy nonfat milk. There is no cholesterol or fat in it. It tastes goooooood. Mmmmm. nt

[Occulus]

6. Might it be a component or components of non-organic milk that

increase those risks?

Growth hormones, maybe? Something put on the grass or the food before the cows eat it?

[LeftyMom]

8. It's the macronutrients themselves that are the problem.

In The China Study there's a lot of discussion of the effect of casein on tumor growth, especially, much of which was done using isolated casein protein, so the other stuff in the milk would have no effect.

A lot of the studies I'm citing are international in scope, so if there were a difference in farming that had that effect, it would have showed up in the results.

Edit to fix underline

[bananas]

18. I think the important thing is that if organic vegetables make healthier cows, then obviously

organic vegetables make healthier people, too.

[LeftyMom]

25. There's evidence for that already.

Comparing grain and soy fed factory farmed cows with grassfed organic dairy cows* wouldn't even prove that for cows, though. It could just be a function of the different feedstocks. It also wouldn't apply to US production, as US cows in organic dairy production are mostly fed on grain and soy (most US organic dairy is actually factory farmed, just with organic feed and no routine antibiotics) rather than grass.

*It's also important to note that any organic milk you buy in the store in the US almost certainly comes from a grain/soy fed, factory farmed animal, not one fed mostly on grass. US organic standards do not require access to pasture or forbid factory farming methods.

[Agony]

30. USDA NOP _does_ require access to pasture

You made the statement "US organic standards do not require access to pasture or forbid factory farming methods." Far be it from me to wholeheartedly endorse what the USDA NOP has given us... but you can't just make incorrect statements about the current regulations either. The Livestock standards clearly states:

● All organically raised animals must have
access to the outdoors, including access to
pasture for ruminants. They may be temporarily
confi ned only for reasons of health, safety, the
animal’s stage of production, or to protect soil
or water quality.

Additionally USDA has been prompted to go after Aurora Dairy for this very issue, in a consent agreement stating in part:

Major adjustments required at Aurora's Platteville, Colo., facility include:

1) providing daily access to pasture during the growing season, acknowledging that lactation is not a reason to deny access to pasture;

2) reducing the number of cows to a level consistent with available pasture with agreed maximum stocking densities;


We might agree that what is not clear, is how to interpret the regulation calling for "access to pasture for ruminants" USDA seems to be addressing this in the consent agreement with Aurora. I think the USDA should be much more aggressive in this area and I think that your point about factory farms is extremely valid. Organic was never intended to be synonymous with large scale industrial agriculture.

Even with all the faults in the National Organic Program (NOP), I am still laughing all the way to the bank (not THAT bank, the environmental/health benefits/just plain damn good food bank)

Cheerio!
Agony

Oops edit to add info links: http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELDEV3004445&acct=nopgeninfo http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2007/08/0228.xml

[LeftyMom]

32. "Access" is sufficiently vauge as to be useless.

Aurora was the worst abuser, and only after years of negative attention did anything get done about them. While some individual organic certifiers might have more significant restrictions than others, the federal organic standards are shockingly weak generally and specifically have very low standards for animal welfare.

[NashVegas]

57. Knowledgable Organic Consumers Won't Tolerate Aurora

Dedicated Organics consumers don't simply accept whatever Whole Foods and Trader Joes puts on the shelf. Nor will we accept the USDA label at face value.

In a scandal now ensnaring some of the nations leading retailers, a series of lawsuits have been filed accusing Wal-Mart, Costco, Target, Safeway, and Wild Oats of consumer fraud for marketing suspect organic milk.

The legal filings in federal courts in Seattle, Denver, and in Minneapolis, against the retailers, come on the heels of class action lawsuits against Aurora Dairy Corporation, based in Boulder, Colorado. The suits against Aurora and the grocery chains allege consumer fraud, negligence, and unjust enrichment concerning the sale of organic milk. This past April, Aurora officials received a notice from the USDA detailing multiple and “willful” violations of federal organic law that were found by federal investigators.

“This is the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry,” said Mark Kastel of The Cornucopia Institute, a Wisconsin-based farm policy research group. Cornucopia’s own investigation and formal legal complaint, in 2005, first alerted USDA investigators to the improprieties occurring at Aurora. “Aurora was taking advantage of the consumer’s good will in the marketplace toward organics, and the USDA has allowed this scofflaw-corporation to continue to operate,” Kastel added.

http://www.wholefoods.coop/page.cgi?id=58

[Tumbulu]

33. I personally know two organic dairy farmers

All of their cows are out on pasture year round (the only exception being when we get huge rain storms and the pasture would get wrecked and the cows could get hurt being out in deep mud) and get grain only to entice them to come in to be milked. The cows live long lives and eat healthy growing plants primarily. The best known is Straus Family Creamery. Plus all the grain is tested to make sure it has no gmo contamination.

The milk from cows treated properly and eating their natural diet of course is better for everyone than stuff from some CAFO place. If you have ever been near a CAFO operation you would never consume anything from these poor tortured animals. They should all be outlawed.

[SpiralHawk]

28. raw milk - a vast, complex topic - is especially therapeutic...

...despite all the corporate propaganda against it.

Support your local cows!

[LeftyMom]

38. It's a vector for disease, and illegal in most places for a reason.

But congrats on finding something even worse for you than regular dairy. That takes some looking.

[SpiralHawk]

51. You can swallow & spread all the fear-based corporate propaganda you want

I declare sovereignty over my own body, and will enjoy a rich, healthful glug of raw milk when I choose.

[LeftyMom]

61. Your healthful glug might contain salmonella or tuberculosis.

In addition to the usual cancer promoting properties. Real healthful. :crazy:

[Javaman]

62. From my personal experience...

think what you want about raw milk but I think you are grossly misinformed.

I drink raw milk from and FDA inspected farm.

They have to meet very strict standards, far more strict than the huge dairy corps.

Do you know what pasteurization does to milk?

Do you know what homogenization does to milk?

You seem to enjoy spouting off all the popular talking points against dairy and meat in general.

It seems as if you choose to get your information from one side of the argument. Without looking at the full picture.

[NickB79]

65. I work in a lab for a major Midwest dairy company

And every day, we have to test the milk supplies that come in from farms across the state for standard bacterial counts before pasteurization. The media we plate it on is designed to be broad in what species they will support, in order to get as close to a true count of bacterial colonies as possible. Coliform bacteria are our biggest concern, though.

Without fail, milk from non-organic farms will have colony counts of 5,000-50,000 colonies per mL of sample. The organic suppliers, however, will almost never be over 2,000 colonies per mL. Often, the plates will be completely clear.

I just thought that was an interesting tidbit of information to add to this discussion.

[smiley_glad_hands]

41. All I know is we didn't get here, evolutionarily speaking, by not eating animal fats and proteins.

You do know that all soy stocks are contaminated with up to 30% genetically modified soy.

So by using your own logic, I'll pick my poisons and go with the organic milk.

[LeftyMom]

43. Okay, you've got three different arguments there.

1. Argument from evolution: This is a bit silly, since all sorts of things shaped human evolution that don't have any significant effect on the average human. There's a pretty good argument that the upward pressure on intelligence had more to do with avoiding predation than anything else, but in any case, it's not entirely relavent to this issue. We have no reason to believe that humans were consuming the milk of other animals until very recently, and most humans aren't even well adapted to do so, since they lack the ability to break down lactose. The argument from evolution would, however, support eating insects, since there's a long evolutionary history of doing that.

2. Argument from fear of legumes: Who mentioned soy? It's a pretty common allergen, and certainly people who have any concern about it's potential effect on their health can certainly choose to avoid it. There are no shortage of alternative plant proteins that are as healthful or more so. It's important to note, for those who do eat soy foods, that non-GMO and organic (which have to be non-GMO) soyfoods are widely available, and I would suggest that people who eat soy stick with them.

3. Argument from lesser poisoning: First of all, since the first mention of soy on the thread was yours, I'm not sure what comparing soy and dairy has to do with anything. People who make the wise decision to abstain from dairy products certainly don't have to substitute soy for them. There are rice, oat, almond and hemp based milks, or one can simply prepare foods that don't simulate dairy milk at all. In any case, this argument is contrary to evidence, as people who avoid dairy and other animal products have significantly lower body burdens of pesticides and other toxins than people who eat vegetarian diets that include dairy, let alone those who eat dairy and meat, who have the highest body burdens of all.

[smiley_glad_hands]

47. Not trying to get into some extended argument.

To increase the brain size it is pretty much accepted by anthropologists that early humanoids became carnivorous. Which also led to other evolutionary changes, but thats a different subject. But, you are correct milk consumption by humans is relatively new, ~5 to 10 thousand years ago.

Most Americans don't have the luxury of having available to them or being able to afford exotic milk substitutes.

There is no such thing as organic (non gm) soy in north America (thanks to Monsanto).

I'll be giving my 6 month old organic cows milk when the time comes. I was raised on milk, my mother was raised on milk, her father was raised on milk and his father before him. In fact i am a milk lover, especially when turned into cheese.

Thanx for your input, I am going to have a glass of milk now, goodnight.

edited for spelling and clarifications

[Javaman]

63. You're a vegan, aren't you? nt

[salvorhardin]

3. Of course, you know what this means...

Now we can begin to formulate a better diet for the cows on commercial dairy farms to increase the quality of the milk they produce.

I'm not taking a side either way in this debate, just pointing out the obvious. If you have scientific evidence of the differences of the milk produced by cows on one diet vs. cows on another, then you should be able to change the diets to get the preferred effect.

[Tumbulu]

37. Organic farms are commercial.

Pasture for all livestock is critical, not dried hay, silage or grains (except as supplements or in inclement weather).

This study compares the products of two kinds of commercial operations. The organic one relies on pasture as primary feed.

[diane in sf]

9. And running cows on grass is better for the environment, don't have to use

the synthetic fertilizers, bug killers and antibiotics.

[kestrel91316]

10. This is a big DUH. You are what you eat. And cows are what they eat.

Those omega-3s are magic.

[flvegan]

13. Mmm...this should go really well.

:popcorn:

-firm believer in the basic theory that dairy, in any form, is the worst shit you can put in your body.

[TheWraith]

21. Well, your basic theory is mistaken.

There are good and bad qualities about dairy, but the reactionary paranoia about it is not supported by science.

[flvegan]

27. Having studied nutrition quite a great deal, I'll note your concern.

And leave at that.

[Honeycombe8]

53. Why? I love dairy. Mmmmmm. Tastes good. Full of calcium, too.

If I buy low fat or nonfat, I get lots of vitamins, plus hydration, with few calories.

[TheWraith]

23. Not surprising. It's the diet and exercise.

Fresher feed, along with a wider variety of plant feeds, and getting exercise by running around keeps the cows healthier than standing around all the time. Healthier cows = healthier milk. Not a big surprise there.

[not fooled]

34. Grass fed?

Any widely available organic brands that advertise as "grass fed"? I haven't checked milk brands in local WFM or other natural food stores. Are there any dairies selling grass fed milk?

[flvegan]

35. You'll want to find "pasture fed" not grass-fed, IIRC.

Grass fed can still be passed off as intensely confined cows fed a mix of hay and grain.

Because it's cheaper.

[bananas]

42. Smoking grass can stop BSE mad cow disease

"news.com.au — Scientific evidence that cannabis can stop the development of mad cow disease has been announced. It is not clear whether the findings applied to both cows and humans."
http://digg.com/odd_stuff/Smoking_pot_can_stop_BSE_mad_cow_disease

[mainegreen]

58. Depends on where in the country you are.

Here in Maine there are many pasture fed cow dairies. The milk I buy at the store comes from a local dairy in the next town over. I've met the cows, and been to the farm many times. These cows have a low-low stress life, plenty of pasture and get to behave how cows want to behave. The little calflings aren't separated from their moms, and their barn is huge and spacious.

And you know what? You can totally taste the difference in the milk and see the difference in the cows.

[bvar22]

36. The same is true for Free Range eggs.

In 1988, Artemis Simopoulos, co-author of The Omega Diet, found that eggs from pastured hens in Greece contained 13 times more omega-3s than eggs from U.S. supermarkets. In 1974, a British study found that eggs from pastured hens had 50 percent more folic acid and 70 percent more vitamin B12 than eggs from factory-farmed hens. In 1997, a study in Animal Feed Science and Technology found eggs from free-range chickens had higher levels of both omega-3s and vitamin E than those from hens maintained in cages and fed commercial diets. Most recently, in 2003, Pennsylvania State University researchers reported that birds kept on pasture produced three times more omega-3s in their eggs than birds raised in cages on a commercial diet. They also found twice as much vitamin E and 40 percent more vitamin A in the yolks of the pastured birds.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2005-08-01/Free-Range-Eggs.aspx

Free Range Eggs taste better too!
:)

[LeftyMom]

39. "free range" eggs sold in the US are mostly kept in sheds

And while they're required to have access to the outdoors, generally that's only a small patch of fenced-in dirt outside a tiny hole in the shed. Additionally, there are so many loopholes in the law (outdoor access can be removed for any number of reasons including age of the hens, outdoor temperatures and fear of disease) that even that minimal access to the outdoors is often taken away.

[bvar22]

44. Not MY Free Range eggs!

:)
Our chickens are true Free Rangers.

The linked publication (Mother Earth News) explains the difference and also exposes the Corporate obstruction to proper labeling.

The only way to know for sure is to grow it yourself!
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=246x7979

[LeftyMom]

45. I said sold. I'm talking about commercial production, not hobbyists.

That's like if I said "most tomatoes sold in the US are picked before ripening!" and you said that your backyard earlygirls went from plant to salad in five minutes. That might be true, but it doesn't change the fact that the economic realities of commercial production are very unlike subsistence farming.

[bvar22]

64. So we are in agreement that Corporate "commercial" farming....

...is The Problem.

Corporate obstruction to Truth in Labeling is The Problem.
A playing field radically tilted in favor of Corporate Factory Farms, and a thoroughly corrupt Congress is The Problem.
Well financed Corporate Propaganda campaigns discounting the value of chemical and pesticide free produce is The Problem.
An uninformed public and institutionalized poverty is The Problem.
The Free Range chickens and the pastured cows are doing fine.

100% dedication to a lifestyle currently considered "alternative" is a little more than a hobby.
My "hobby" is digital photography.
Two of my photos will be published in Mother Earth News this month.
I gave them away for free.


If you want to buy some of my real "Free Range" eggs, or pesticide/chemical free vine ripened tomatoes, it will cost you.

[flvegan]

40. BTW, folks...these cows are British.

So don't think that crosses over to the States, okay. Not the same playing field, but thanks for competing.

[flvegan]

46. So...I have to ask...

since the OP has been disproven...a lock should be involved, yes?

And yes, it has, thanks.

[bananas]

50. The OP hasn't been disproven. nt

[Nihil]

55. Guess who didn't get to be milk monitor in school and is trying to make up for it now ...?

You are perfectly welcome to your opinion on the health (or otherwise)
of milk (from varying international sources) but your attempts to shut
down this discussion based purely on that opinion are somewhat bullying
in nature and don't do anything for the reputation of tolerance that
most vegetarians & vegans possess.
:shrug:

[Honeycombe8]

52. I've started buying nonfat organic milk. Can't afford to do all organic, but I did opt for this.

I drink a fair amount of nonfat milk, and I was concerned about the hormones and "other stuff" in regular milk. It doesn't add much to my grocery bill to buy organic milk, so I made the switch.

I don't know if it makes a difference in my health, but it doesn't cost much, and I certainly don't need the added hormones that were given to the cows. So I figure I'm better off.

It tastes great. Don't know if it really does, or if I just THINK it does. Same difference, though.

Am also buying organic salads in big plastic containers (most of the grocery stores are carrying them now). Again, it doesn't add much to my grocery bill to go organic in this category.

[conspirator]

67. I don't wanna be an asshole, but this falls under the NO SHIT category n/t