FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Food

A New Study Says Organic Meat Really Is Way Better for You

The report says that cattle and dairy cows who eat clover-rich diets will, in turn, produce meat and dairy high in Omega-3s.
Foto von USDAgov via Flickr

Eating all-organic is rarely easy, and it sure as hell isn't cheap. There are also far too many overzealous pseudoscience types polluting the facts of going wholly organic. That being said, a report released earlier today has unequivocally put the ball squarely in organic's court.

A team of researchers from England's Newcastle University published a report in the British Journal of Nutrition in which they found that organic meat and milk actually offers 50 percent more essential Omega-3 fatty acids. Additionally, they say that organic meat has lower levels of two types of saturated fats—myristic and palmitic acid—both linked to heart disease.

Advertisement

Let's all take a second to appreciate the joyous cacophony we're oh-so-sure is, at this moment, emanating from the boardrooms of upscale supermarkets everywhere.

The report says that cattle and dairy cows who eat clover-rich diets will, in turn, produce meat and dairy high in Omega-3s. That's the fatty acid associated with lowering cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. What's more, the researchers found that organic milk contains slightly higher levels of iron, vitamin E, and some carotenoids, the naturally occurring pigments synthesized by plants.

The study's results largely come down to what the cows eat. Organic animals are usually grass-fed, and it is their feed that makes them healthier to eat. As Ian Givens of the University of Reading says, "It is the choice of feed, not the organic farming method, which makes the difference."

Still, as the researchers point out, a previous study they conducted showed organic foods to be 69 percent higher in beneficial antioxidants than non-organic alternatives. Even skeptics may have to admit that the pro-organic evidence is stacking up.

Professor Carlo Leifert, who led the study, says: "We have shown without doubt there are composition differences between organic and conventional food. Taken together, 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."