ORGANIC MILK SCORES BETTER NUTRITIONALLY...AGAIN

Organic milk yet again scores better nutritionally.......

Before anyone starts, have a look at my take on the UK FSA report(part 1 and 2) on organic food and its nutritional superiority or otherwise. (Much of this Newcastle milk research, btw, was just outside the time frame of the UK FSA study....but then, 2/3 of all relevant and published peer reviewed research was too, so what's the biggie!?!)

A new study by researchers from Newcastle University has found significant health and nutritional benefits to organic milk. The research has found that organic milk is higher in beneficial nutrients and fatty acids and, importantly, it is so throughout the year. It also found that saturated fat levels are considerably lower in organic milk.

Saturated fats are considered unhealthy, and are implicated in heart-related conditions.

The European Union-funded study analysed 22 brands of milk available in supermarkets, including 10 organic brands. The milk was all purchased between 2006 and 2008.

The peer-reviewed paper said the health benefits were present all year round rather than just during the summer. Previous research by the same team on milk directly from dairy farms had found that organic milk's benefits held for the summer but less so for winter.

This new study is published in the Journal of Dairy Science. Lead researcher Gillian Butler, livestock project manager for the Nafferton Ecological Farming Group, said: "We wanted to check if what we found on farms also applies to milk available in the shops. Surprisingly, the differences between organic and conventional milk were even more marked. Whereas on the farms the benefits of organic milk were proven in the summer but not the winter, in the supermarkets it is significantly better quality all year round."

The researchers found that the conventional milk collected during a particularly poor UK summer and the following winter had significantly higher saturated fat content and far less beneficial fatty acids than in a more standard weather period.

The more proscribed dietary regimes for organic dairy cows, as compared to their conventional counterparts, is significant in explaining the differences. No more than 40% of the diet can be non-grass under the organic rules.

According to the Soil Association, the UK largest organic certification body:

�The paper not only shows why there is a difference in the nutritional quality of organic and non-organic milk, but also identifies the importance of feeding at least 60% grass or conserved grass to organic cows, as required by organic standards.

The research emphasises the huge importance of allowing cattle to graze outdoors and to eat a natural diet high in grass. This means organic cows do not depend on high levels of grain and proteins such as soya.�

Butler also pointed out that �we're always being told to cut down on the saturated fat we consume and switching to organic milk and dairy products provides a natural way to increase our intake of nutritionally desirable fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants without increasing our intake of less desirable fatty acids�

"By choosing organic milk you can cut saturated fats by 30-50 per cent and still get the same intake of beneficial fatty acids, as the omega-3 levels are higher but omega-6 is not, which helps to improve the crucial ratio between the two."

Organic milk is considered the most researched of certified organic products.

In total, six studies have now found that organic milk has more fat-soluble nutrients - omega-3 fatty acid, Vitamin E and beta-carotene - than non-organic milk, as well as a healthier omega 3:6 ratio (skimmed milk does not have these nutrients).

The most scientifically robust study is by Glasgow and Liverpool Universities, which found that UK (whole) organic milk has on average 68% higher levels of the essential fatty acid omega-3 and a healthier omega-3:6 profile than non-organic milk.

Other recent research found that there were also specific health benefits: Dutch research showed that if infants up to two years old and their mothers eat organic dairy foods, then the infants suffer a 36% lower incidence of eczema - a type of allergic reaction common among Western children. This could be due to the higher CLA level in organic milk and in the breast milk of mothers consuming organic milk, as shown by another study.

Positive as these results are for the organic diary sector in Ireland, the research is on milk available in the UK, not in Ireland. Irish conventional cattle do consume more grass than their UK counterparts. Irish-specific research on organic milk is therefor needed.