Consumers looking for a reason to choose organic milk or meat at the grocery store may now have something more to chew on.
In the largest study
of its kind, a team of European researchers has shown that the organic
varieties of these products provide significantly more omega-3s — the
fatty acids touted for their anti-inflammatory properties and their
positive effect on heart health, among other health benefits — than
their conventional counterparts. Organic milk and meat were also found
to contain relatively higher levels of other essential minerals and
antioxidants and lower concentrations of two types of harmful saturated
fats.
Led by Carlo Leifert, a professor of ecological agriculture at
Newcastle University in England, the international team analyzed more
than 250 studies — 196 studies of dairy and 67 studies of meat — from
around the world and found organic milk and meat offered several
distinct nutritional advantages:
- Both organic milk and meat provide about 50 percent more omega-3 fatty acids.
- Organic milk has 40 percent more conjugated linoleic acid, which has been shown to reduce body fat.
- Organic meat contains slightly lower amounts of myristic and palmitic acid, saturated fats that have been linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Organic milk provides slightly higher levels of iron, vitamin E, and some carotenoids.
As Leifert explained in a statement
released by the university, the higher levels of omega-3 in these types
of organic products is primarily due to what the cattle are eating.
“Several of these differences,” he said, “stem from organic livestock
production and are brought about by differences in production intensity,
with outdoor-reared, grassfed animals producing milk and meat that is
consistently higher in desirable fatty acids such as the omega-3s, and
lower in fatty acids that can promote heart disease and other chronic
diseases.”
The study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, expands on previous research
by Leifert’s team that showed organically grown produce provides as
much as 60 percent more key antioxidants than conventional crops. That
study also found that conventional produce contains higher levels of
cadmium, a toxic metal, than in organic varieties.
Taken together, the research makes a strong argument for organics,
said Leifert. “We have shown without doubt there are composition
differences between organic and conventional food,” he said. “The three
studies on crops, meat, and milk suggest that a switch to organic fruit,
vegetables, meat, and dairy products would provide significantly higher
amounts of dietary antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.”
Taken together, the research makes a strong argument for organics,
said Leifert. “We have shown without doubt there are composition
differences between organic and conventional food,” he said. “The three
studies on crops, meat, and milk suggest that a switch to organic fruit,
vegetables, meat, and dairy products would provide significantly higher
amounts of dietary antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.”