Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Dairy Products

Recently, a reporter from the Indianapolis Star wrote about the health benefits of grass-fed dairy products. You can read the article here: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080624/LIVING01/806240305/1083/LIVING01

I’m glad to see that the mainstream media is providing space and time to write about green eating. There is too much research coming out about the health benefits of grass fed daily to ignore the topic.

Traditionally, American farm animals have been fed grain, soy, and other supplements for their daily diet. Starting in the late 1990s, a growing number of ranchers have stopped feeding animals the grain-soy diet. Instead, some organic farmers are keeping their animals foraging on pasture, which is actually their native diet. Typically, ranchers do not treat their livestock with hormones or feed them growth-promoting additives. As a result, the animals grow at a natural pace.
As it turns out, the old adage, “you are what you eat” really is true! When animals are raised on pasture and eat the rich green grasses, as opposed to grains, they acquire nutrients that are important to human health. Some of the nutrients that grass fed dairy contain include omega-3 fatty acids conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), beta-carotene and vitamins A and D.

Americans tend to be quite deficient in Omega 3s, so the additional omega-3s found in grass-fed dairy is important to consider. Why are they so important for optimal health?
omega-3s are "good fats" because they play a vital role in every cell and system in the body
people who have ample amounts of omega-3s in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat
individuals with sufficient omega-3s are also 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack
a diet rich in omega-3s has been shown to decrease the likelihood that one will suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, or Alzheimer's disease

It is important to note that organic does not mean grass-fed. Always be sure to look on the label. Manufacturers of grass-fed dairy will almost always indicate on their food label that their cows were only grass fed. Consider making the switch to grass-fed dairy!