Organic Milk

I try to eat as much organic food that I can, but milk is one item that I always buy organic. It's amazing how much organic food is now available in Wal-mart and Target, and the prices are decent. I don't kill my budget every month going to Whole Foods, I purchase the organic foods that are available at at these two stores.

The one question I'm always asked about when I recommend someone to switching to organic milk is "Does it taste the same?" -- YES, it does! Some of my friends have refused to try it thinking it would taste different, but I have given them organic milk without them knowing and they could not tell the difference. So, just try it!

Before switching to organic milk I would never finish the milk by the time it expires and end up throwing away half a carton of milk. Organic milk stays fresh much longer, about two weeks longer than conventional milk. I have over a month to use up my milk, and now I throw away empty cartons. The reason is organic milk undergoes a different process to preserve it.

Eligibility for the organic seal requires that dairy farmers provide outdoor "access" for their animals, do not treat herds with added growth hormones or antibiotics, and do not use feed treated with synthetic pesticides or that is genetically modified.

Organic milk is much more beneficial to us and to our children.

On big industrial farms animals are kept in crowded, dirty conditions and these condition increase the chances of illness in the animals. With illness and infection, the animals need to be treated with antibiotics. An ethical farmer would destroy the milk until it tested negative for antibiotics, but this would mean a high cost for a business. Unfortunately, most big corporations don't destroy the milk. About 25 million pounds of antibiotics, which is roughly 70 percent of US antibiotic production, is given to chicken, pigs and cows.

Also, on industrial farms cows are given hormones to increase milk production and when we drink this milk, we are also given the same hormones.

Organic milk contains 71 percent more Omega 3, 500 percent more Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA), two to three times more of the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, 50 percent more vitamin E and 75 percent beta carotene.

Omega 3 is an essential fatty acid which is required for healthy growth and its deficiency has been the reason of various health problems recently. Regular intake of Omega3 keeps you away from various diseases and helps you in reducing incidences of heart disease, inflammations (in skin diseases such as eczema), cancer, arthritis, etc.

CLA increases metabolic rate, immunity to diseases and muscle growth. It also reduces abdominal fat, cholesterol, and allergic reactions. It is worth noting that human body cannot produce this substance and most of our CLA intake happens through the milk and milk products that we consume. Also, CLA is beneficial in cancer treatment.

Lutein is extremely important for eye health and is effective in preventing numerous eye diseases such as macular degeneration and cataract. Zeaxanthin is also important for good eye health. It protects the eye from UV damage and free radicals. It is very helpful in preventing cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration.

Vitamin E is useful for protecting your body cells from free radicals and thus delays ageing. It also reduces the incidence of various chronic diseases including heart diseases, diabetes and cataract. Beta carotene is converted by our body into Vitamin A. Vitamin A, also called retinol, is useful for strong eyesight, increasing resistance to infections, good skin, bone growth, tooth development, reproduction and gene expression.

Currently, only three percent of the milk sold is organic, but this segment is growing rapidly.

Let me know what you think about buying organic.