Organic milk is a little more expensive than regular milk.  This is because cows that produce organic milk do it the normal way.  They are fed with grass and are free to roam vast farmlands.  They are not given any hormone injections to boost milk production and their feeds are not sprayed with chemical fertilizers.  In short, they live easy stress-free lives, grazing and eating whenever they feel like it.

Regular milk producing cows on the other hand are given bovine growth hormones (BGH) to increase milk production.  They live in crowded pens where they eat feeds laced with ingredients that may have been genetically modified.  They live their lives in crowded barns with little exercise.  Their milk is cheaper to buy because of all the tricks used to increase milk production.

Studies have found that organic milk contains a higher quantity of vitamins and nutrients.  Organic milk contains 50% more Vitamin E, 75% more Beta Carotene and three times more antioxidants compared to normal milk.  Aside from this organic milk contains more Omega 3 essential fatty acids that help the body, specifically the heart function properly.  Organic milk is also easier for the body to break down and metabolize.  This property makes it easier for the body to fight of diseases and boost the immune system.

However, organic milk producers are still small in numbers compared to regular milk producers.  This is because of the price differential between the two.  Unless studies and advocates for organic milk take their case to the public, this disparity will continue and the number of organic milk farmers will not increase.  It is very clear that organic milk is more beneficial to humans than regular milk and the time is ripe for a change in milk.

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The harmful health effects of hormones used for increasing milk production in commercial agriculture can be seen most clearly in the case of rGBH, or recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone, a protein hormone branded commonly as Posalic®. Despite the strong and persistent concern of scientists and farmers, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the hormone in 1993. Research on health-effects of rGBH has revealed that milk produced by cows injected with rGBH carries elevated levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), another protein hormone, which may be responsible for colon and breast cancer. While further research is needed to verify these initial findings, the safety of rGBH is strongly disputed.

Synthetic or genetically modified growth hormones have also been linked to early pubescence in girls, some of whom have been found to hit puberty as early as in their eight year of life. Other studies have found a decrease in sperm production in boys as a result of exposure to these hormones. Growing children are, therefore, vulnerable to reproductive abnormalities on account of artificially engineered growth hormones for increasing dairy production.

Yet another dark side to the use of growth hormones on cattle is the health risk of antibiotics. The hormones injected into the cattle frequently cause mastitis, which is a painful inflammation of the udders. To treat this condition, the dairy industry injects the cattle with antibiotics that remain in the milk obtained from them. Children fed on this milk get the antibiotics in their blood, something that weakens their natural immunity to fight bacteria and other pathogenic microbes. Continued feeding on antibiotic-containing milk compromises the immunity of children, making them easy victims to all kinds of infections and diseases.

The health risks associated with the use of growth hormones in cattle, for the purpose of increasing milk production, call for the urgent need to discourage such practices on dairy farms. Organic farm communities, which promise natural and safe dairy products, are the ideal solution to this problem. Organic agriculture is eco-friendly, healthy, and conducive to life in the long run. Consumers of dairy products living in urban areas can choose to buy organic, hormone-free dairy products at many superstores. In rural areas, safe milk and other dairy food is easily available at organic farms.

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