Eco, bio, organic – are these just marketing gimmicks? Worth overpaying? It turns out that it is. Organic milk and meat can contain 50 percent more omega-3 fatty acids, more antioxidants and less heavy metals for our health.
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Organic milk and meat under a magnifying glass
There is no end to debates about whether it is worth overpaying for organic products. And when is it worth overpaying? Then, if we know that it will bring specific benefits to our health. To give consumers a clear answer, researchers analyzed 197 articles on milk and 67 on meat, and published their findings in the British Journal of Nutrition in February. Clear differences were found between conventional and organic milk and meat, especially in terms of the composition of fatty acids, antioxidants and some minerals.
Ecological food is a plus
The higher content of omega-3 fatty acids in organic milk and meat, which have anti-inflammatory properties, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and improve neurological development and immune functions, deserves attention. The European Safety Authority has been alerting since today that the consumption of these acids is significantly too low. Changing the milk and meat in our diet to their ecological substitutes would allow to increase the amount of omega 3 in the diet without increasing the amount of fat and calories, which is very important in the era of the epidemic of overweight and obesity.
Half a liter of non-organic milk contains 25 mg of omega-3 fatty acids, and the same amount of its organic counterpart – 39 mg.
However, fatty acids are not the only benefit of ecological products that has emerged from research. Organic meat contains less myristic acid and palmitic acid, i.e. saturated fatty acids that can lead to an increase in LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. The ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids is also more favorable. Deficiency in the diet of omega-3 fatty acids leads to the formation of arachidonic acid (omega-6) pro-inflammatory, pro-thrombotic and allergenic compounds. Organic milk also showed higher levels of fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin E and carotenoids and CLA conjugated linolenic acid (by 40 percent), while reducing the amount of toxic heavy metals such as cadmium.
Are you sure it is ecological?
The fashion for healthy eating continues and is doing well. Producers are doing their best to attract us to buy their products, offering, among others, ecological products. On the shelves, we can easily find packaging with the words bio, organic or eco. However, we should pay attention to something else – a characteristic, green leaf with twelve stars on the packaging, which proves that the product has the appropriate certificate. It allows you to write “bio” and “eco” on the product packaging. Producers can apply for an EU certificate from one of ten certification bodies controlled by the Chief Inspector of Commercial Quality of Agricultural and Food Products. Of course, detailed control takes place before issuing the certificate and every subsequent year thereafter.
Do we need organic food?
More research comparing conventional and organic foods is needed. However, the present analysis already suggests that it makes sense to use organic food. Of course, the higher price is the big block. However, it must be understood that the plants and animals grown on organic farms usually grow slower, and are often smaller, which all adds up to their price.
The photo comes from: panafotkas via Foter.com / CC BY-SA
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