This article from msnbc.com, contemplates this topic and answers the questions above. Here is an excerpt that takes part in the debate. To read the full article, click the link here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14458802/
Source:Karen Collins, R.D.
People may turn to organic milk for health benefits, or environmental and animal rights’ issues. But when evaluating the health claims, so far, research does not support a health advantage of organic over conventional milk for any segment of the population.
That's because the U.S. Department of Agriculture has four requirements to define milk as organic, and confusion abounds about each.
Milk that is labeled “USDA Organic” must come from cows that have not been treated with bovine growth hormone (BGH) to increase milk production. People who focus on this goal express concern that hormones in milk could raise the risk of hormone-related cancers, or lead to higher levels of an insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) linked with cancer.
But BGH is a protein hormone, which means that if any does appear in milk, enzymes and acid in our digestive tract destroy it. Dale Bauman, a professor of animal science at Cornell University, emphasizes that if IGF-1 is slightly higher in milk from BGH-treated cows, it represents a tiny fraction of the IGF we all produce each day. Bauman reports that we would have to drink 95 quarts of milk to equal the IGF-1 we make daily in our saliva and other digestive tract secretions.
We need to differentiate between levels of IGF in our blood, which some studies link to a possible increase in cancer risk, and levels of IGF in our food. Several organic-related Web sites refer to a study in which vegans (who eat no animal products) showed 13 percent lower IGF than non-vegans. But, a closer look at that study shows that milk consumption was not related to blood levels of IGF. Research shows high blood levels of IGF are linked with overweight, lack of exercise, and diets too high in saturated fat, refined carbohydrates or total calories.
I really liked this article because you brought up a good point about the treatment of animals and its effect on us. These facts were interesting to know, the article was well chosen, and the pictures at the bottom were very funny :)
ReplyDeleteIn your opinion which type of milk is better?
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting article! I find it hard to beleive, though, that organic milk has no health benefits over the non-organic!
ReplyDeletei liked the artice because a lot of times, people see some sort of growth hormon added and immediatly assume it's bad and that it'll hurt you, but this article pointed out how humans actually produce this hormon!
ReplyDeleteRachel- In my opinion I think both kinds of milk are equally nutritious. Some people feel safer drinking organic milk because it is guaranteed not to have hormones in it. I always drink organic milk anyway because that's what my mom buys.
ReplyDeletei had no idea that organic milk is no better for you than nonorganic milk!
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