Does organic milk really matter? What you should know...

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I won’t make you wait for the answer. It’s “yes.”

 

The recipes that I create at eatsmartcooking.com do not include dairy.

 

I choose to have a dairy-free diet due to the negative effect that dairy has had upon my body.

 

Natural hormones that exist in a lactating cow’s milk cause my body to become inflamed, cause me joint pain, stomach issues, stimulate my oil glands and cause acne. Not everyone experiences the same issues with dairy as I, and if you choose to eat dairy I highly recommend that you choose organic dairy only. See some of the points below for more information as to why.

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Here’s why…

 

Milk that is not labeled as “organic” is known as “conventional.” Conventional milk has been manipulated by man in more ways than one! Let’s look into some of this below. Keep in mind, not all conventional dairy cows are raised the same, however, organic dairy cows are not experiencing the manipulations by man listed below!

 

Diet.

Conventional milk cows are forced to eat corn and soy. This type of feed is not what cows are meant to eat, cows were born needing grass to eat, not grains. To make matters worse, the corn and soy products that conventional dairy cows are fed is sprayed with pesticides that is then eaten by these animals. Why are cows fed grain like corn and soy? Because it is CHEAP and more accessible than doing the right thing and letting cows feed on grass as nature intended.

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Antibiotics, pesticides & hormones.

Certain antibiotics are illegal to be used in dairy cows. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop these antibiotics from showing up in conventional dairy. A study published online by Cambridge University Press in 2019, found here, found that 60% of conventional milk samples found from supermarkets across the USA contained antibiotic residue. Illegal antibiotics, sulfamethazine and sulfathiazole, were both found at 37% and 26%, respectively in the samples collected. None of these were found in organic dairy, this is great news!

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Next, lets talk about pesticides.

I don’t need a study to tell me that pesticide residue in my food is not good for my body. But it is wonderful to know that a study confirms there are NO pesticides in my organic milk! This same study found zero amounts of pesticides in the organic dairy samples pulled from grocery stores across America. Not such good news for the conventional milk samples, however. Pesticides such as chlorpyrifos, atrazine, permethrin, were found in as many as 60% of the samples tested.

 

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Growth hormones.

It’s important to note that hormones do naturally occur in cow’s milk. Milk comes from a lactating cow, cow’s milk is mean to help a baby calf grow, and is packed full of natural hormones! There are synthetic hormones that are used in conventional dairy, however. Bovine somatotropin (bST), also known as bovine growth hormone, is a drug approved by FDA to increase milk production in dairy cows. In the study we have been referencing,       bST was found in conventional dairy at a rate of 20 times more than in organic dairy.

 

This is really something to consider. Its easy to buy organic dairy when you are in the grocery store. But these results may supply a very strong case for cutting out dairy when eating out. Unless noted (I have yet to find a restaurant that does) you are eating conventional dairy when eating out. That means butter, cheese, ice cream, milk. Consider how much dairy you consume when eating out. The contaminants in dairy add up.

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If you are looking for ways to cut out unhelpful sugars, but still want the desserts,

check out the food blog:

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http://www.eatsmartcooking.com

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Here you will find dozens of recipes with simple, good for you ingredients.

From desserts, to snacks, dinners and lunches on the go!