Organic diet improves breast milk quality

Chairman of the Organic Federation of Australia, Andre Leu says "Scientific studies show consuming organic milk and meat improves the health qualities of nursing mother's breast milk".

Leu is referring to a new study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, involving 312 breastfeeding women with 1-month old infants from the Netherlands.

It found that a diet in which 90% or more of dairy and meat products are organic is correlated with measurably higher levels of the beneficial fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is a type of fat that is believed to have anti-carcinogenic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-diabetic and immune-enhancing effects, as well as a favorable influence on body fat composition. For newborns specifically, CLA is believed to especially aid immune system development.

"These findings provide scientific support for common sense, by showing that organic foods are healthier," says Dr. Lukas Rist, lead author of the study and the head of research at the Paracelsus Hospital in Switzerland. "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," adds Rist.
 
"These findings confirm other recent studies which add support to the growing body of evidence that organic foods offer measurable nutritional benefits including elevated antioxidant levels. Research undertaken by the University of Newcastle showed that cows raised on an organic diet produced milk with 50% more vitamin E and 75% more beta carotene than conventionally farmed cows. The organic milk has two to three times more zeaxanthine and lutein, which are powerful antioxidants. Higher levels of omega 3 essential fatty acids, that provide protection from heart and other disease are also found in organic milk", explains Leu.

Based on increasing media coverage of scientific and medical research, many consumers know that organic foods reduce their exposure to pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, but now we're seeing proof of their superior nutritional quality.

The relationship between a mother's organic diet and the quality of her breast milk is an important topic that has caught scientists' attention. Pierce Cody, Executive Chairman of Macro Wholefoods Market says "There are few things in life as important as your children. Why would you expose them to anything dangerous when they are so very precious".

Babies, infants and children are especially sensitive to the chemical effects of pesticides used in conventional farming methods, given their small size and high intakes of food, necessary for growth.

Abundant Earth products contain only organic ingredients, such as organic butter in Healthy Handfuls, which are popular for both children and adults alike.