Is there any surprise that grass fed cows produce much healthier milk?
Studies have shown that cows on a diet of fresh grass produce milk with five times as much of an unsaturated fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than cows fed processed grains.
Now a paper focused on the grass fed cows in Costa Rica, one of the last places where they are grazed extensively. It found of 4000 people that those with the highest concentrations of CLAs - the top fifth among all participants - had a 36% lower risk of heart attack compared to those with the lowest concentrations.
"Whole-fat milk and dairy products have gotten such a bad reputation in recent years due to their saturated fat and cholesterol contents, and now we find that CLA may be incredibly health-promoting," says Michelle McGuire, spokesperson for the journal's publication the American Society for Nutrition.
This report seems to confirm a wide range of studies which suggest that factory farms, where animals are penned and fed processed grains and antibiotics, compromise the quality of the product for consumers.
As an anecdote my family can attest to the tasty chicken dinners we enjoyed on the farm. They were raised in our chicken coop but had the occasional roost out in the pasture. Nothing comes close to that flavour today and perhaps the health benefits.
But those old days on the farm will not be coming back?
