‘Pass The Milk Please’
What’s The Deal With Milk Anyways?
Looking at the price tag, I almost keep walking to the conventional milk section.
Is there really that big of a difference between organic grass-fed milk/dairy and ‘normal’ milk/dairy products?
Ya, I keep walking, pick the highest fat organic container dated the latest so I know it’s the freshest and pay the higher price for the 2L jug. I would rather buy milk in a glass container but often by the time I think about needing it, I don’t want to drive uptown to Nature’s Fare…so I opt for the plastic at a nearby store instead.
Braden prefers coconut milk or almond milk. He likes the 11% natural greek yogurt, doesn’t like cheese (unless it’s on pizza) and ice cream happens here and there.
Luke, however, is a dairy guy. He will tolerate almond milk on cereal but much to my inner turmoil about it, I still buy cows milk to put in his Campbell’s tomato soup as well as for a few other pairings. Yes, I know that stuff is just basically a can of sugar but considering his limited palate, I’ll support him in eating almost anything sometimes. Throw down a carrot stick and some apple slices…good Mom award!
Even though the National Cancer Institute only recently (September 1, 2020) and FINALLY came out stating that dairy is linked to an 80% increased risk of developing breast cancer — as if that is even new news (eyeroll) — I’m glad they at least came out at said it more ‘publicly’.
Read it here:
It’s also not new news that (in short) dairy spikes glucose levels in the body and digests into sugar which causes an acidic environment and also sparks an inflammatory response. That is why the above isn’t surprising and people have been saying it for decades because we know cancer thrives in acidic environments and loves inflammation because that means our bodies are working on the inflammation and that essentially gives opportunity for cancer to manifest and grow.
There are many other foods etc. that cause the same thing and make for a wonderful cancer, other ailments and anti-healing environment (booze, refined foods, crappy options for starch carbs, sugars other than organic honey and organic maple syrup in smaller amounts) but I’ll leave that for you to research further.
Years ago when I studied nutrition, I was fascinated by the details I learned about the differences between grass-fed organic vs. conventional dairy (and eggs).
I always knew one was better for me than the other but didn’t know the deets.
But why grass-fed organic? Does it really matter?
Yes, it does and it comes down to what the cows are fed and how they are kept — crappy grain and corn diets, antibiotics, cooped up in stalls etc.
“Grass-fed cow’s milk has higher concentrations of the omega-3 fatty acids alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), ecosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA). In addition, grass-fed cow’s milk is higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). It also has about three times the amount of beta-carotene.”-maplehill.com
Here is some more info for those interested:
We get a lot of Omega-6 from the common foods we eat (most additives in food, corn, poultry, eggs etc. ) Omega-3, on the other hand, has to come from sources that most people don’t consume as much as they should. Omega-3 comes from cold water fish (salmon, tuna etc. ), certain nuts and seeds, certain oils and can be taken in the form of a liquid or capsule supplement.
“There’s really no debate around the world — when you feed dairy cows more grass, you improve the fatty acid profile of milk. You also increase the protein level,” Benbrook says. On the other hand, cows fed a corn-based diet produce milk that’s higher in omega-6 fatty acids.
The reason organic milk is healthier comes down to its ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which is lower than in regular milk. A diet containing too many omega-6 fatty acids and not enough omega-3s has been linked to heart disease, as well as cancer, inflammation and autoimmune diseases. That’s because your gut converts omega-6s to arachidonic acid, which can cause inflammation. But the anti-inflammatory powers of omega-3s help to counterbalance that reaction, which is why keeping that ratio low is so important. (An omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 2.3 to 1 is best for heart health, research suggests.)” — nbcnews.com
The 80’s and 90’s did a serious, real and detrimental disservice to our health that slowly (I think) people are reversing or figuring out. Along with the influx of terrible preservatives and artificial colours, the ‘low-fat’ BS got subtly ingrained into many a mind...which still lingers today.
If you’re going do do dairy…full fat is best.
With dairy specifically, it’s ultra important to buy products of the highest fat content. I buy 11% Greek yogurt and homogenized milk. No low-fat yogurt, no low-fat cheese…nadda. Again, I’ll leave you to research that.
“If organic milk is out of your budget, conventional milk is still OK — but choose whole milk, rather than skim or 2 percent. “The heart-healthy fatty acids in milk are part of milk’s overall fat content,” Benbrook says. “This benefit will be reduced about 50 percent when people choose 2 percent fat milk, and by about two-thirds when purchasing skim or low-fat dairy products.”-nbcnews.com
To summarize; if you do milk…consume it minimally and buy full fat products (c’mon 80’s and 90’s Moms, you can do it!). If you prioritize it in your budget, it’s worth buying organic/grass-fed.
-Becky
