Study: Organic Food Produces Healthier Breast Milk

A new study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that organic meat and dairy in any mother's diet could improve her breast milk by increasing the quality and increasing the fatty acids that are beneficial to nursing babies.

The published study concluded that a diet in which the dairy and meat products were 90% organic tended to have more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). This CLA is strongly thought of to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and immune-enhancing effects. CLA also is believed to have a good influence on body fat and can aid in immune system development for newborns.

Dr. Lukas Rist, the lead author of the European-based study published in British Journal of Nutrition, said, "These findings provide scientific support for common sense, by showing that organic foods are healthier...the study shows that breastfeeding mothers can influence the supply and quality of fatty acids for their infants, by eating a diet with organic dairy."

This study was not the first of its kind either. Other similar studies support that organic foods offer measurable health benefits. One study also found that cows who graze on open pastures supply milk that is high in unsaturated fats and CLA.

Charlotte Vallaeys, Farm and Food Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute, said, "Many consumers know that organic foods reduce their exposure topesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, but this study shows that organic foods also offer superior nutritional quality...the benefits of consuming organic food are of paramount importance when thinking about their impact on the development of very young children and fetuses."

Some mothers are also already on the all organic diet and reaping in the benefits of it.

"Ever since I had my first child, I've switched over to organic food. The studies don't lie, organic food is good for you and for nursing babies. It is not packed with preservatives and it does not weigh you down like so many other foods do. It is just wholesome and healthy. I love my organic diet and I recommend it to any nursing or pregnant mother. It is a great and wise start to your baby's future," said Charlotte Awarsky, an organic dieter and Chicago resident.

Dave Minar of Cedar Summit Dairy, an organic farmstead producer in New Prague, Minnesota, said "It should be no surprise that an increasing body of scientific evidence supports the benefits of an organic diet, especially for infants and children."