But there is one item you should buy organic. And that is milk, especially if you have children. Here’s why:
- Conventional milk comes from cows which are fed synthetic growth hormones rBST (recombinant bovine somatotropin) and rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) to boost milk production. These hormones can be passed on into the milk that you buy.
- These synthetic growth hormones result in frequent infections in cows – mastitis.
- Because of the mastitis, conventional cows are fed many, many antibiotics.
- So you and your family are consuming synthetic growth hormones, the by-products of mastitis, and antibiotics.
Organic milk, in comparison, comes from animals that were fed 100 percent organic feed and were not given antibiotics, prophylactic drugs or genetically engineered and synthetically created growth hormones (such as rBGH) for at least the last year.
All these extra hormones in food are taking their toll on our children. Puberty is starting earlier and earlier. In fact, I talked with an elementary school principal recently. She said that the maturation talk that used to take place in 5th grade now takes place in 3rd grade! There’s evidence that the hormones in milk are part of the reason for this.
One last note – You’re likely to see this on the label of organic milk: “Our Jersey cows are not treated with rBST or rBGH. The Federal Government has determined there is no significant difference in the milk from rBST or rBGH treated & untreated cows.”
Don’t be fooled. That second statement is a result of the lobbying of the manufacturers of the synthetic drug hormones.
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