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high-quality dairy in my diet ever since that

yogurt/cheese experiment.

When I began this book, I dedicated time to

learning the science behind the health benefits of

dairy, but I also wanted to dispel some common

myths about the “downsides” of dairy—most

importantly, the misconception that the saturated

fat in all dairy products is harmful. As researcher

Charles Benbrook noted in an article in PLOS One:

Dairy products contribute significantly to dietary intakes

of saturated fat in the United States and Europe, which

has led to widely endorsed recommendations to limit

consumption of whole milk and other high-fat dairy

products, in favor of low- and non-fat dairy products.

However . . . they give little or no consideration to the

cardiovascular disease-risk reducing components in milk

fat, especially omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic

acid . . . protective minerals, and a beneficial effect on

serum HDL (“good”) cholesterol.¹

We must consider that milk fat with a high omega-3

fatty acid content, which is found in pasture-raised

dairy, may actually help combat cardiovascular

disease. Here are a few research excerpts that

describe possible benefits of grass-fed dairy:

Milk from cows consuming significant amounts of grass and legume-based forages contains higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids (FAs) and conjugated linoleic acid than milk from cows lacking routine access to pasture and fed substantial quantities of grains, especially corn.²

Daily consumption of grass-fed dairy products could potentially improve U.S. health trends. In addition to the well-established metabolic and cardiovascular benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and conjugated linoleic acid, there are additional benefits for pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children. Various forms of omega-3

fatty acids play critical roles in the development of

eyes, the brain, and the nervous system. Adequate

omega-3 intakes can also slow the loss of cognitive

function among the elderly.³

Our dietary modeling scenarios show that replacing recommended daily servings of conventional dairy products with grassmilk products and avoiding some foods high in linoleic acid (LA) could substantially decrease historically high dietary [omega 6: omega 3 ratios]. . . . Such decreases have several potential health benefits.⁴

While I consider plain, full-fat dairy from 100

percent pasture-raised cows to be ideal, I know that

it is not accessible for everyone. That said, organic

dairy is increasingly available in most grocery stores,

as well as Target and Walmart. What “organic” means

THREE TIERS OF DAIRY QUALITY

1. “Grassmilk” cows receive an essentially 100

percent organic grass and legume forage-

based diet, via pasture and stored feeds like

hay and silage. . . . [G]rassmilk provides by far

the highest level of omega-3s.

2. “Organic” cows receive, on average, about

80 percent of their daily Dry Matter Intake

(DMI) from forage-based feeds and 20

percent from grain and concentrates.

3. “Conventional” cows are fed rations in

which forage-based feeds account for an

estimated 53 percent of daily DMI, with the

other 47 percent coming from grains and

concentrates. Conventional management

accounts for over 90 percent of the milk cows

on U.S. farms.⁵

¹ Charles M. Benbrook et al., “Organic Production Enhances Milk Nutritional Quality by Shifting Fatty Acid Composition: A United States–Wide, 18-Month Study,” PLOS One 8, no. 12 (2013): e82429, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3857247/.

² Benbrook, “Organic Production.”

³ University of Minnesota, “Forage-Based Diets on Dairy Farms Produce Nutritionally Enhanced Milk: Markedly Higher Levels of Health-Promoting Fatty Acids Reported,” Science Daily 28 (February 2018), https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180228085349.htm.

⁴ Charles M. Benbrook, et al., “Enhancing the Fatty Acid Profile of Milk Through Forage-Based Rations, with Nutrition Modeling of Diet Outcomes,” Food Science & Nutrition, February 28, 2018, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fsn3.610.

⁵ University of Minnesota, “Forage-Based Diets.”