There’s a constant debate in the world of nutrition on whether organically grown food is really healthier than non-organic food.
However, the discussion usually has two areas of focus – fruits and veggies.
I’m always left wondering, “what about the meat?”.
Which is why I want to share with you a new study which compared the nutritional benefits of organic meat and milk to non-organic meat and milk.
The results are pretty amazing.
In the largest study of its kind, an international team of experts led by Newcastle University, UK, has shown that both organic milk and meat contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced products.[R]
Analyzing data from around the world, the team reviewed 196 papers on milk and 67 papers on meat and found clear differences between organic and conventional milk and meat, especially in terms of fatty acid composition, and the concentrations of certain essential minerals and antioxidants.
Publishing their findings today in the British Journal of Nutrition, the team say the data show a switch to organic meat and milk would go some way towards increasing our intake of nutritionally important fatty acids.
You see, omega 3’s are essential to your health.
In fact, 8% of your brain by itself is made up of just omega 3 fatty acids!
The benefits of omega 3’s are endless; from mental and behavioral health to preventing premature death from disease.
Benefits of Omega 3’s In Organic Meat
- Coronary heart disease and stroke
- Essential fatty acid deficiency in infancy (retinal and brain development
- General brain function, including memory and Parkinson’s disease
- ADHD
- Autoimmune disorders
- Osteoporosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Cancers of the breast, colon, and prostate
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Chris Seal, Professor of Food and Human Nutrition at Newcastle University explains:.
“Western European diets are recognised as being too low in these fatty acids and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) recommends we should double our intake.
But getting enough in our diet is difficult. Our study suggests that switching to organic would go some way towards improving intakes of these important nutrients.”
Other positive changes in fat profiles included lower levels of harmful myristic and palmitic acid in organic meat and a lower omega-3/omega-6 ratio in organic milk…
…higher levels of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamin E and Vitamin A and 40% more CLA in organic milk were also observed.
CLA is a type of fat that actually helps the body burn MORE fat!
The researchers of the study concluded by saying “ We have shown without doubt there are composition differences between organic and conventional food.”
So how many of you out there are already ready eating organic meats and drinking organic milk?
If not, are you considering the switch?