Grazing with Mom (photo by Emily Roesly, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

Dairy cows grazing in pastures produce milk more likely to keep your heart healthy than cows raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), according to a report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The report was based on research conducted by scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, the Michigan School of Public Health, and the University of Costa Rica. The study was conducted in Costa Rica, where dairy cows are pasture-grazed.

The researchers concluded that dairy cows grazing in pastures have more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in their milk than cows fed grain. CLA and the omega 3 fatty acids considered beneficial to keeping a healthy heart are not typically found in the vast majority of cattle in the U.S., which are raised on corn in CAFOs.

One of the study’s authors, Hannia Campos of the Harvard School of Public Health, told Reuters, “Because pasture grazing leads to higher CLA in milk, and it is the natural feed for cattle, it seems like more emphasis should be given to this type of feeding.”

Graze Cows n Pastures for Less Foodborne Illness

Much of the foodborne illness plaguing the nation’s food supply could be eliminated by grazing cows in pastures. Deadly E. coli contamination comes largely from beef and dairy cows fed in CAFOs. Family farms caring for pasture grazing cows face tough competition from CAFOs, where most of the cattle in the U.S. is kept. The densely penned cows are fed genetically modified (GM) corn grown with massive government subsidies.

Pasture Feeding is a Better Environmental Choice

The corn fed to cattle in CAFOs requires a great deal of fossil fuel to produce and poisonous pesticides are used in growing that corn. The vast amount of manure produced by the thousands upon thousands of tightly confined animals poses a very real threat to human health and the environment. In contrast, the manure from the cows grazing in pastures serves as rich fertilizer for the grasses on which those cows feed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture requires organic animals to be out on pasture for not less than 120 days per year and to receive at least 30% of their feed from pasturing during the grazing season.

To access the full report cited above, go to: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

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