At some point, we’ve all been preached to by someone we know about the health benefits of organic products. But are they really as amazing as advocates seem to claim?
Today, we will be looking at the difference between regular milk and organic milk to dig deeper into the portrayed benefits of organic products.
Let’s start by addressing a report by Healthline that showcased key differences between organic and regular milk. In studies of milk samples extracted with a cow milking machine, it revealed that there are higher concentrations of essential nutrients in organic milk including vitamin E, omega-3, and omega-6. However, those same studies don’t show an increase in calcium and other nutrients that make dairy products so beneficial.
Furthermore, we noticed that these studies were lacking one important metric. They did not document the farming practices of the various study groups. This lack of insight throws the whole report into question since farming practices might have led to higher nutrient levels rather than just the organic practices. For instance, cattle that are allowed to graze more will produce nutrient-dense milk and this has nothing to do with being organic.
How Safe is Conventional Milk?
The big argument against traditional milk is that pesticides, synthetic growth hormones, and antibiotics are used in its production. These unnatural compounds can be passed down to the milk itself and be consumed by humans.
A report by Cambridge.org proposes that synthetic growth hormones are responsible for raising the levels of insulin-like growth-factor-1 level (IGF-1) in humans. While this is a required growth hormone, too much of it can lead to an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
Before you start panicking too much, we’ve found much of this research to be mixed and some are downright biased in its approach. Again, farming practices are never tracked and until they are, any studies will never paint the whole picture.
Furthermore, the FDA limits the number of antibiotics and growth hormones allowed in dairy cattle, lowering the risk of these things finding their way into the milk itself. So conventional milk is completely safe to drink.
What Are the Nutritional Differences Between Conventional Milk and Organic Milk?
Both types of milk contain all of the essential nutrients that make dairy healthy but organic brands tend to contain higher levels, including omega-3 fatty acids. But this could be due to the farming practices rather than all of the strict requirements for being labelled as organic.
For instance, organic farmers tend to let their cattle graze more often and provide fresh forage. Both of these are known to lead to nutrient-dense milk. The reason we mention this is that small dairy farmers tend to follow these same practices. So while their dairy products don’t get that fancy organic label slapped on them, they might contain just as many nutrients as their organic counterparts found on the shelves.
Organic Milk Has a Longer Shelf Life
Organic milk has a much longer shelf life due to its ultra-pasteurization process. During this process, it’s heated to 280 degrees for two seconds. Conventional milk only hits a temperature of 161 degrees. As a result, organic milk can last up to two months after being opened. This makes organic milk the perfect option for families who don’t drink a lot of milk.
Should you Choose Organic Milk or Conventional Milk?
The choice between conventional milk and organic milk is really up to you. There is also a third option, which is to buy milk from local dairy farmers. This milk tends to have the same nutritional value as organic milk. But overall, the strict requirements that farmers must follow makes conventional milk perfectly fine.
If you don’t consume a lot of milk, then you might opt for its organic form due to its longer shelf life. However, until more accurate research is done using better metrics, we can’t say with certainty that organic milk is actually a healthier choice. It’s all conjecture at this point.
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