Organic Milk Significantly Unhealthier Than Regular Milk
Russell Eaton
It is generally accepted that organic food is, at the very least, not worse than nonorganic food. But when it comes to dairy milk it's another matter. A new book reveals dramatic evidence showing that organic milk is significantly unhealthier than regular pasteurized milk.
This may come as a shock to many people and families who pay extra money for organic milk in the belief that it is better than regular milk. Sometimes the extra cost of organic milk can be nearly double the price of regular milk.
You may wonder how it is possible that organic pasteurized milk, available from retailers everywhere, can truly be worse for you than regular pasteurized milk? You may consider that organic milk is not particularly better than nonorganic milk. However, to consider that organic milk is very much worse for health (compared to regular milk) is a different matter entirely.
However, just about all the latest research is showing exactly this. Worse still is the fact that UHT milk (also known as Long Life milk) is actually even worse for health than organic milk. About 80% of organic milk sold throughout the world is UHT milk; so if you consume organic milk it is very likely to be UHT.
It is hardly surprising that most organic milk is UHT when you consider that in many countries nearly all milk sold is UHT. For example in Belgium, Spain, Brazil, and France over 95% of total milk consumed is UHT. Throughout the world UHT sales are fast catching up or overtaking non-UHT sales. This is welcomed by milk producers because UHT has a much longer shelf life, making the supply chain to the consumer an easier task as no refrigeration is required. Governments worldwide are also encouraging the production of UHT milk because this is considered to be better for the environment (less emissions from less use of refrigeration). In fact, the opposite is true - organic milk is considerably worse for the environment.
According to a study by Prof. Rusty Bishop, University of Wisconsin, even in countries such as the USA and Canada, where UHT sales are less than half of all milk sales, "over 80% of organic milk is sold as organic UHT milk."
All kinds of UHT milk (whether organic or nonorganic) are worse for health than non-UHT milk for a variety of reasons. For example, it is a fact that UHT is much higher in damaged whey proteins compared to non-UHT milk. Damaged whey proteins are a major cause of brain diseases such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's disease. There is plenty of research to support this view.
For example, in a study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology in January 2007, shows a strong link between milk consumption and Parkinson's Disease. Over 130,000 people were analysed and it was found that the people who consumed the most milk had a frightening 70 percent higher risk of getting the disease.
But why is organic milk worse than regular milk? Isn't organic milk meant to have less pesticide residues and no antibiotics? Isn't organic milk meant to be better for the environment and kinder to cows? When the evidence is examined, an astonishing picture emerges. Organic milk has no less pesticides and antibiotics than regular milk. Furthermore, the vast majority of organic cows (in the world generally) are treated no better than nonorganic cows. They are kept in confined spaces in cow sheds most of their lives, and the belief that organic cows are allowed out to pasture most of the time is very much a myth.
When it comes to the environment, the latest research is clearly showing that organic milk is significantly worse for the environment in terms of energy consumption and global warming emissions. This is so because the supply chain for organic milk requires greater energy expenditure (pint for pint) in terms of transportation, warehousing and distribution. Organic milk, which is mostly produced by smaller farms, simply cannot match the economies of scale that apply to regular pasteurized milk.
To find out why organic milk and UHT (Long Life) milk are so unhealthy (compared to regular milk) see http://www.about-milk.info/organic/) Organic Milk Myth. Other resources can be found at http://www.about-milk.info/ www.about-milk.info.
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