Two meta-analyses of research on organic milk and meat say the products contain 50 percent more omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced meat and milk, reports the New York Times. “However, the question of whether these differences are likely to translate to better health in people who eat organic meat and drink organic milk is sharply disputed.”
Omega-3 acids are believed to reduce the risk of heart disease. A nutrition-sciences professor not associated with the analyses said people would have to consume a serving of organic meat and a couple of glasses of organic milk daily to increase omega-3 intake by the amount — 200 milligrams — recommended by some diet studies.
The higher level of omega-3 apparently results from the larger amount of grass eaten by cattle on organic farms. Conventional farms feed cattle more grain. The scientists who conducted the studies said they expected to see the same result — more omega-3 — from cattle on conventional farms that graze on grass. Walter Willett, nutrition chairman at Harvard, told the Times that the difference in omega-3 between organic and conventional beef was trivial and both types of beef were high in saturated fat.
The Organic Trade Association trumpeted the studies, which follow a report two years ago that found organic produce contained higher levels of some antioxidants than conventional fruits and vegetables. Carlo Leifert, a professor at Newcastle University in England, was a leader of all of the studies. OTA quoted Leifert as saying, “Taken together, the three studies on crops, meat and milk suggest that a switch to organic fruit, vegetables, meat and dairy products would provide significantly higher amounts of dietary antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids.”