A specific type of whole milk can reduce the risk of a heart attack, according to a study of more than 3,600 people led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. Unfortunately, less than 3 percent of American milk fits the bill, but if you know what to look for, you can get the good stuff.
The milk in the study came from pasture-fed cows, animals that roam around outdoors, eat grass, and produce milk that naturally contains high levels of a healthy fat, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). When cows are raised in feedlots on a diet of grain, as most cows are in the United States, the CLA content of their milk is too low to be beneficial.
The study was done in Costa Rica, where cows are still routinely raised on traditional pastures. People with the highest levels of CLA from whole milk had 36-percent less chance of a heart attack than those with the lowest levels of the fat.
In animal studies, CLA has been shown to prevent plaque deposits in arteries and reduce body fat. In the Costa-Rican study, CLA benefits outranked the effects of saturated fat in whole milk.
Where’s the Healthy Milk?
CLA isn’t listed on food labels, but grass-fed cows produce it in their normal course of life. When we drink their milk or eat their meat, we get the beneficial fat.
You won’t find milk labeled “grass-fed.” If you buy directly from a local organic dairy farmer, you can ask about the cow’s diet and how it was raised. For the rest of us who shop in stores, most -- but not all -- organic milk will fulfill the requirements.
The regulations that govern organic milk production require cows to have ample access to a pasture where they can graze on their natural diet of grass. In the real world, how much time a cow spends its life in that idyllic setting varies from one farm to another.
According to the Cornucopia Institute, an organic dairy farming watchdog organization, some large commercial dairy farms keep pasture and grass feeding to a minimum, barely following the letter of the law but not the spirit. However, most organic farmers aim for as much pasture time as possible, given local weather conditions.
The Cornucopia Institute surveys organic dairy farmers and reports its findings for dozens of brands at www.cornucopia.org. The site also offers plenty of other information about organic dairy products and farming practices.
The 'Natural' Pitfall
Organic milk costs more than regular milk. As a price-cutting measure, some large milk producers offer “natural” milk without growth hormones that are routinely used to produce bigger cows and multiply milk production on non-organic farms. This type of milk isn’t a good source of CLA.
The term “natural” is not regulated. When it describes milk, it doesn’t mean the cows ever saw an open field or ate any grass.
If you like milk but find reduced- or non-fat versions unappealing, stick with organic whole milk. To get the best return on your dollars, do a few minutes of homework and pick a brand that’s produced the good old-fashioned way.
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