Which kind of milk should you drink? IS ORGANIC BETTER?

BY JANET MARSHALL

Is organic milk more healthful?

I've assumed it is, and felt a little sheepish when I've bought cheaper, conventional milk. But part of me has wondered: Is the organic appeal based on science and nutrition, or just good advertising?

Organic milk costs almost twice as much as conventional milk. For companies that sell both--such as Dean Foods, owner of the Horizon Organic brand--the difference is lucrative. For me, it's a stretch.

With the price of everything rising these days, and health concerns swirling in my head, it seemed like a good time to figure out what ought to be in my fridge.

A CASE FOR ORGANIC

Dr. Alan Greene, a Stanford University pediatrician who is the pediatric expert for WebMD, makes the case for buying organic milk in an essay--widely circulated on the Web--called "Seven Reasons Why Kids Should Drink Organic Milk."

In his essay, Greene wrote that organic milk is best because it comes from cows that aren't given growth hormones--as cows on some non-organic farms are--to increase milk production.

"Hormones are powerful," Greene wrote. "Even trace amounts can cause dramatic changes in living beings."

Greene also contends that organic milk is better because cows on organic farms aren't given antibiotics. Antibiotic use on farms, he wrote, contributes to the "growing problem of bacterial resistance."

The idea that conventional farming practices may jeopardize our health is scary, and the concerns make intuitive sense to many people.

But intuition and fear aren't science, and the price of milk matters to me. So, I did more research.

THINGS AREN'T SO CLEAR

A British study caught my eye. It showed that cows on some organic farms produce milk containing more heart-healthy omega-3 fats, according to multiple news reports.

But I wondered if the results could be replicated. The reports said organic milk from cows in Britain that grazed on fresh grass in the summer had more omega-3 fats. Would the same hold true in the winter months, or in the U.S.?

I also wondered whether the slender amount of omega-3 fats was worth the extra money.

I called Dr. Bob James, a Virginia Tech dairy science professor. He said milk from non-organic farms can have as many omega-3s as milk from organic farms. The amount depends on whether the cows are confined or out grazing.

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"SEVEN REASONS WHY KIDS SHOULD DRINK ORGANIC MILK" organicconsumers.org/organic/seven052505.cfm "MILK: LET THE BUYER (THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE COW) BEWARE," by Dr. Terry Etherton and Dr. John Fetrow blogs.das.psu.edu/tetherton/2008/03 "ORGANIC MILK FAQ" nationaldairycouncil.org (search for "organic milk") "WHAT IS ORGANIC?" horizonorganic.com/health/whatis.html

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIC MILK AND CONVENTIONAL MILK?

"Organic" refers to the way the dairy farm is managed rather than to the milk itself. According to federal standards, animals raised on an organic farm must be given organic feed and access to the outdoors. They cannot receive growth hormones, and they must be removed from the herd if they are treated with antibiotics. Organic farms use only organic pesticides.

IS CONVENTIONAL MILK CONTAMINATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS, GROWTH HORMONES?

No, according to the federal government, National Dairy Council and numerous others sources. This is contentious, but our sources, including Dr. Bob James of Virginia Tech, said:

All milk is tested for antibiotics, and no milk containing antibiotics reaches grocery store shelves.

Hormones are present in all milk--whether organic or conventional--but they're digested by people as protein, with no ill effects. Organic farmers don't use growth hormones on their cows. Some, but not all, conventional farmers do.

There remains considerable concern about the use of the growth hormone called rBST. It's banned in several countries. The American Medical Association is one of several U.S. organizations that has endorsed it as safe.

There is an extremely low level of pesticide residue in milk of any kind. The level is small compared with levels in other agricultural products.

WHAT'S THE PRICE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORGANIC AND CONVENTIONAL MILK?

In August, a half gallon of organic whole milk sold for an average price of $3.83, while a half gallon of conventional whole milk was priced at $1.94, according to the USDA. Organic milk does have a longer shelf life, so if you don't drink much milk and might end up tossing conventional milk, organic's longer shelf life can minimize or even negate the cost difference.

Date published: 11/9/2008

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