Organic Milk Vs. Non-organic Milk

I've just made the switch to organic milk for my 2 year old daughter. I'll be anxious to read the other responses, especially anyone who has been using organic milk for a few years for their daughters.

We switched to organic milk as well because of the additives as well. We buy the HEB brand of organic milk in Katy. The one off of Grand Parkway is $4.99 a gallon, but the one in Sugarland has it for $5.25. It seems to do a good job of lasting as well, because we buy 3 - 4 gallons a week. As for the taste I can't tell a difference. Good luck.

I had to switch to lactose free and the brand I normally by doesn't use hormones. The 'research' says that the hormones don't hurt humans, but do you believe everything you hear on the news? I did a little research a few years ago and everything I found lead me to believe that hormone/antibiotic free is the best way to go.

Now I buy whole wheats, hormone/antibiotic free milk, cage free vegitarian eggs, and I try to stick with unrefined sugar. At a minimum this is what we all should do, it's just better for our bodies.

Best wishes!

I have two beautiful girls and I've always used organic milk. It is expensive, but my views are, cancer, or any other disease that can brought on my an onslaught of chemicals is much more expensive! (When we lived in Hawaii, it was $12 a gallon! So this is 'cheap' for me now)

I use organic whenever possible - but there are definitely some foods that are more important that they be organic than others - strawberries, for instance, are loaded with chemicals, so organic is best. If my children drink/eat a lot of a food - I try to go organic. Milk is definitely in that category, espcially when they are young and ovaries, etc. are developing.

Whole Foods and Central Market are excellent places to educate yourself. There are also websites that can give you lists of foods to only buy organic, when it's okay to buy "not" organic, etc. HEB has a great organic section and their organic milk brand is less expensive than most.

I just don't think we can be too careful where our and our children's health is concerned.

I think you'll find some very interesting facts out there - a great book I've recently read is "Lunch Lessons : changign the way we feed our children" Ann Cooper and Lisa Holmes.

Best of luck!

D.

This was ahuge topic in our house as I have 2 girls. My mom went through cancer and treatment 3 yrs ago and then converted to organic everything. She began pushing the organic issue with my husband and I and I really resisted. However, I have friends who have daughters in 3rd grade that have already started their periods - YIKES!!!

SO we have switched to organic on some things. Milkk was a big one - expensive but I have found that I actually like the organic better than conventional now. There is a list called the dirty dozen, if you don't want to go full board organic you can just try the 12 on the list.

The biggest ones are dairy and meat products due to the additives (so think beef, milk, cheese, yogurt), try all natural chicken, berries, apples and lettuces are the other big ones as thye soak up the pesticides more than other fruits and veggies.

The cost of going organic is somewhat expensive, but then again so are feminine hygiene products, so you will hopefully just be trading one cost for another :)

Good luck and experiment!

My pediatrician mentioned it to me when my oldest daughter was 2. We've been using organic milk (and other organic products) for 7 years now. I've read many supporting articles over the years that keep me buying organic, one in particular was a dateline show on the toxic chemical levels in a test group of children and adults. So, even if the hormone research proves false, I use it for the chemical/pesticide benefits as well.
My kids hate the Horizon. Don't know what the deal is with that brand. Try O brand from Randall's, or Archer Farms from Target. I think "O" tastes completely normal.

If nothing else, the shelf life of organic milk seems to be much much longer than non-organic. When I buy regular milk (less and less often these days), I'm lucky to get through a week before it goes bad. When I buy organic, I'm drinking it for weeks! The organic milk I bought this weekend has a sell-by date of May 20. I'm sure I'll have finished it long before by then, but I like that I'm not pressured to finish up a gallon in a matter of days.

I too switched to organic but wasnt crazy about the added cost. I found that the milk at kroger does not have the added hormon so that si what we now drink. Its cheeper than the organic and still has the health benefit that Im looking for

My opinion on organic versus standard is as follows: nothing is different basically. I saw something on 20-20 years ago about this particular subject. The "organic" was being toted as no herbicides, etc. While the standard well you know. I do not buy organic. I figure that if I've lived to 50 years of age eating non-organic and maintaining good health... then who cares about organic products. Think about our grandparents/parents? What did they eat? What did they die from? I have one grandmother that lived to be in her late 70s ... always going to the doctor...maintained a certain diet, lived in the country, educated, and had four children. Another grandmother that lived to be 99.9, uneducated, never went to the doctor... ate what she wanted and had nine children, lived in town. I think the organic versus unorganic overall is a bunch of brooha (spelling).

From what I have read and discussed with people for the past year about organic "anything" is there is suppose to be no chemicals or hormones given to the animals. Chemicals such as growth hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides. If you can buy raw milk, even better. My daughter loves raw goat milk. Also, you might think about purchasing organic beef, bison, chicken, and lamb for this same reason. This should also help with the problem of infections becoming atibiotic resistant due to how much antibiotics we intake through non organic foods.

I really buy as much organic as I can for my children, but not for my husband and myself. I figure their bodies have not been exposed to stuff and are smaller than we are...so it makes more of a difference for them.

We use the Central Market (HEB) Organic Milk...it can fluctuate at much a .52 cents on which HEB I shop...

I try to be as healthy as I can in what I serve my family...I aim for 90% healthy, 10% junk...but hope I can actually claim 80% healthy, 20% junk. Just my 2 cents...

Research shows no advantage of organic milk over conventional milk. In fact, watch your labels, organic milk claims to have come from hormone free milk cows, when it is illegal to give hormones to milk cows and is tested quite rigirously. On another note, if BGH (bovine growth hormone) is a protine hormone which means that if it is found in milk your digestive track acids and enzymes destroy it. Other organic factors include no antibiotics given to cows. Although again be careful, if a cow from a conventional farm and is treated with antibiotics, they are not returned to the herd until they test aniobiotic-free. The last factor that makes milk organic, is the cows graze on feed grown without pesticides. Again here there is no research to show that the milk is affected by non vs pesticide treated grains. The choice is yours, but conventional milk is a strictly regulated industry and to date shows no disadvantages over organic milk. Happy drinking! Little bit about me: I live in a agri-community and work at a major US university where agriculture is prevalent. I have seen our studies coming from here. You best bet is to ready research journals NOT common news articles.

we switched too. i buy a gallon for my kids and a non organic one for me and my hubby. the horixon website sometimes has printable coupons.

We drink all organic milk and it is very expensive since we drink close to 2 gallons a day. The cheapest place I have found it is at Target. $5.69 for Bordens 2%. I find that it tastes like regular whole milk. We also use everything I can find organic. I think it is worth the price and much healthier. Just my 3 cents worth.

Where I live in Southeast Texas, HEB grocery stores carry HEB and HillCountry Fare brands of milk...their dairy farmers pledge not to use growth hormones in their dairy cows, and also pledge not to use antibiotics (which are another health concern.) This milk is around $3 a gallon, and is cheaper here than the Borden milk. It is NOT listed as organic, so if the cattle are grazing on pastures with pesticide, it could still be in the milk. When thinking about this issue, remember other dairy products such as ice cream and cheese which can contain these byproducts of the dairy cows. Also, look into the meat...lots of chickens, cattle, and pigs are also given these things (growth hormones and antibiotics) and can also, in my opinion, contribute to the early puberty in girls. I have a 12 yr old daughter, and have been very vigilant in her years as to not let her have these things, and she has been a "normal" bloomer compared to her friends who all began developing MUCH earlier than she........I feel she had a longer childhood, and am very glad about that. Good luck with yours!

Go for the organic milk, also try and watch for phytoestrogens,(things that mimick estrogen, food additives, etc.) My daughter went thru puberty at 10, it has not been a great experience for her. At ten life should be more carefree than worring about periods. Stick to your guns on the organic as much as possible.
Thanks,
D.

If you can afford it, then you can't afford not to. The years of build up of the chemicals and additives may not be seen in your current child but may be pasted on to their children. Or you may have past some of those harmful chemicals onto your children unknowingly. With those and several other possibilities, if you can afford to go organic then do so. And yes, children will not know the difference unless you introduce the difference or assist them in looking for the difference. Since yours are very young yet, don't allow them to dictate their food preferences. If that's all you give them then their tastebuds will not know the difference. I buy ours at Costco and it does not seem to be that much more. However, my son is not a big milk drinker and my dt is allergic to milk and any milk product, so our family does not go through gallons and gallons of milk in a day. But the DRs say kids, once they get to a certain age, do not need to drink that much milk.

Stay with organic. Everything I buy is organic and I even shop from an online store that sells all natural products for your home and family because after doing research, the things in the store that say all natural, really aren't. The kids shampoos, lotions, powders, your shampoos, deodorants, cleaners, pretty much everything we use in our home are causing tons of health problems. I would love to share with you how you can get all natural products for the same price or less than what you are paying now. Email or call me:
B.
____@____.com
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www.MoreForMyBaby.com

We switched from "regular" food items to organic because we found that I was allergic to a certain pesticide that is commonly used on foods. There were a few things that the kids still drank and ate that weren't organic. Then my 8 year old started her period...

Everything is organic now, including personal products and household cleaning supplies. We have even started buying organic clothes when we buy new clothes. I'm not taking the risk that any of my other children grow up any quicker then they're supposed to.

I think the milk tastes the same but I usually drink organic soy milk, so I wouldn't be the best judge there. As far as price goes, it is a bit more expensive, but knowing my kids aren't being harmed by all the chemicals and hormones in their food is so worth it. We've started growing our own herbs and some veggies (all in pots in the backyard) in order to supplement.

Good luck in making the switch!

First, let me state that I am a tad jaded when it comes to any dairy product since I grew up on a dairy farm and farming in general is close to my heart. In my eyes, yours is a very loaded question.

I support those in the organic market (producers and buyers) trying to make life healthier and more sustainable for all of us. Sometimes going organic is the only choice for small-time family farmers who want to keep from being pushed out of business by the big guys. It is very expensive to get certified and maintain standards, thus the cost of your food! I do think it's better also, to use the least amount of pesticide, drugs, and additives necessary to provide safe products. And, if a farm is run correctly and consciously, for the most part extra drugs aren't needed.
That being said, I have problems with some of the arguments for "going organic". Did you know there is evidence that our drinking water contains drug residues and is also being linked to "premature puberty" in girls? Think about even just a few years ago when it was recommended to dump out-of-date prescriptions, aspirin, birth control, etc down the toilet. How about DEA raids where the druggies flushed their dope before the feds came in? Yup. Okay, so water is used for ALL crops, livestock, et cetera - and no, organic farmers do not use bottled water. :) Follow me now? Easy to get paranoid, isn't it?

As for milk, anything "added" to it at the processing plant is out of the farmer's hands (this includes vitamins A & D). That story is a whole other animal - and those "organic" processing plants (really?) add A & D too. Milk straight from the cow is the same whether the cow has been injected with hormone or not. That is a scientific fact. Also, not all cows are injected - maybe on one farm only two out of 100, another farm may use more (hey those drugs are expensive, too). All the milk is mixed together on the farm, of course, and again at the processing plant (hundreds of farms). So even if there was a difference, you have a HUGE dilution factor.

I understand your concern for your children's health. I have three girls myself and believe me I am not looking forward to puberty. Of course, there is the argument that "premature puberty" isn't premature - ever wonder why 18th century wives were so young? Our culture has changed, yes, but our DNA hasn't.

Okay, sorry to open Pandora's box here. Back to subject!
Yes, overall it is most likely healthier for your body, but may not be sustainable for your budget to go "all out" organic. Buy regular milk and put your cash toward organic produce (produce uses the most pesticides in production) and stay away from overly processed foods and you'll do great.
In my humble opinion :)

If you look in the "regular" milk that has the stamp "NO rHGH" or "NO growth hormone", you will be just as safe as buying organic. The USDA and FDA are keeping a tight squeeze on the dairy industry right now and this is not a claim that they are taking lightly. You can trust it. I agree with you about the organic....yuk!$$

What kind are you drinking?
We drink Horizon. Everyone I know likes the taste. Our babysitter called us to ask what kind of milk we use, because she had cereal with it at our house and was surprised that she liked it.

L.

Me personally, I don't see the big deal with all the new organic stuff. All the hype about germs and bacteria is all bologna to me. I mean, look at our parents and grandparents (I highly doubt they were worried about germs) they're fine! I can see eating some organic foods b/c it's healthier but I wouldn't get in too big of a fuss over it. Most milk now is hormone-free anyway. Good luck!

-L. D.
www.just4mylittlegirl.com

Jennifer,

In an effort to avoid extra antibiotics, hormones and other additives, we eat almost entirely organic. All of our produce, dairy and meats are organic. We started with just milk and yogurt for hormone reasons, then realized that if it's in the milk, it's in the beef and cheeses. From there on to other meats, produce, etc...
Organic is more expensive. I think in our area it averages twice as much as conventional products. It does take up a larger chunk of our monthly budget than it used to, but when deciding between our health and money....
I think that just like any brand change, there is an adjustment period. We recently (last fall) had to cut out all corn from our diets for allergy/health reasons. Ever look at pancake syrups? Pure maple syrup tastes pretty different when you're used to Log Cabin and Mrs. Butterworth :-) but over time, I've gotten accustomed to it. When you know it's healthier for you, you stick with it and your body and taste buds adjust.

Also, keep in mind that you can sub yogurt and cheese for the milk in a lot of cases. We barely go through a gallon a week. Other than cereals, we don't drink milk at all. Water and unsweetened fruit juices work well for us. I guess what I was trying to say is that whatever your reason(s) for drinking milk, there is almost always a substitute for it that will be just as healthy (if not healthier).

HTH and if you have any questions about stuff that I wrote, don't hesitate to email me

K., mama to
Catherine, 4y
Samuel, 15m

We are using organic milk for our daughter. We have always tried to do organic for her with her baby foods, but sometimes organic is hard to find in my town. I can't testify to the taste, as we are not drinking organic milk yet. I have found that the store brand milk is always cheaper.

I think organic is good, not just for our bodies, but also our environment.

I buy as much organic products as possible. There's a lot of info flying around -pros and cons and it can get very overwhelming.

To me is just comes down to common sense. Putting unatural substances in an animal(or sprying on fruits and vegetables or putting into feed for animals) you are consuming, or consuming it's by-product, cannot be good for you over time. Every now and then, certainly. I eat Fritos and grape soda for goodness sake!!! But putting the best ingrediants into a growing body has to take priority over convenience and cost. (when budget permits) Beware, however, of things labeled "organic". It does not have to be 100% organic to be labeled that on the front, so always read the ingrediants before making your purchase.

you dont have to get organic milk just get the milk that says no hormones not homoganized oaks milk has it and kroger brand milk has it just read the front to say not .

Hi Jennifer -

I have three boys and decided the same - to get as much organic as we can afford. And yes - there is a difference. I have noticed how healthy and active my kids are - heathy is the key word. There are lots of kids that do not eat healthy and they are fueled on lots of sugar and other junk food. My kids just seem more balanced than most of their friends and they actually like eating healthy!

Good news - COSTCO - they have organic milk and lots of other frozen organic food and other organic meat, etc..- also HEB is building their organic foods too. It doesn't have to cost a fortune. And, these are our children, our future - it's so worth it in my opinion - there are so many people buying organic, otherwise all these basic stores would not all-of-a-sudden making room for green products for cleaning, organic foods, etc... It's where things are headed and the more we all buy, the cheaper it gets - I have seen it get cheaper in the last year - and it will continue -have faith - your are doing a really good thing for your daughters - absolutely! you are to be commended!

Alli

I saw a nutritionist that told me that organic is always better because 90% of what we eat nowadays has loads of hormones,steroids, and pesticides. Why do you think non organic meats are so much bigger? they are fed hormones and steroids to plump them up. my husbands mother used to raise chickens for mass production( i won't name companies) and he saw chickens the colors of peacocks and exposed brains and extra legs. crazy nasty disgusting stuff. so in this moms opinion, knowing that why would I buy anything else?

Hi Jennifer,

I think there is also milk that isn't organic, but that doesn't have rgbt in it, which might be less expensive than the organic but also not have the hormone problems. I'm not right up to speed with this stuff, but I think Central Market has a good selection of milk from free-range cows that are not mega-dosed with hormones and antibiotics (if I had to choose, the antibiotics scare me even more than the hormones, since they are overdosing our whole biological environment with antibiotics and therefore enabling the build-up of resistance to antibiotics in germs that are now becoming more and more dangerous and untreatable), but that aren't fed exclusively on organic plant materials. It is my sense of this issue that meat and milk products from animals that aren't "feedlot" animals -- that aren't megadosed with all the crazy junk they feed these animals, filled with stress from being crammed in together in a completely unnatural way, and possibly very ill from being fed parts of other dead animals (I am totally not making this up -- that's where mad cow disease came from) -- is a health issue and also an ethical issue, since animals raised in feedlots are subjected to worse conditions, whereas choosing organic meat and milk is more an environmental issue. In the long run, environmental choices ARE health and ethical choices, but they involve the health and wellbeing of our whole environment, not questions of whether antibiotics will work on our children if they get sick or if our children are likely to hit puberty at 8 rather than 11.

best wishes,
M.

I didn't know much about organic and why you should eat it until I read "You on a Diet". It's not about a diet, it's about a way of eating. It explains a lot about organic foods and why we should be consuming them. The issue with dairy and meats is that they give hormones and antibiotics to the animals. Those drugs are consumed by those who eat them. Thus causing early puberty. If you look back 30-40 years ago before the Agricultural Commision was formed they didn't use those drugs and there wasn't as much organic disease and or failures as there is now. God didn't buils our bodies to filter all these drugs and chemicals, he built it for natural undrugged, inpesticided foods. These drugs and chemicals are clogging and damaging our organs causing a lot of the diseases you hear about today. I support organic foods.

Dear Jennifer - Have you tried Promise Land Milk? It is really good!

My 10 year old daughter has drank nothing but goat's milk since she started drinking milk. If you look at her compared to her friends, she is not near as developed as they are. Okay, I know that genetics play a role but I do believe the hormone free goat's milk is also a big contributor. It is expensive but for her health, it is worth it. Get the goat milk in the dairy section, not in the baking aisle. Also, if you are concerned about fat intake (which you really shouldn't be at that age), just don't shake the milk up. All the fat settles to the bottom. The brand we use is Meyenburg and is in a purple container.

We love organic milk! It last longer tastes better and we don't worry about any added extras that shouldn't be there. Our son is still to young to have milk, but we plan on giving it to him. Have you tried the Paul Newman cookies? They are organic and taste great.

Most of my friends have switched to organic milk, but I have not made the switch yet. Frankly, I do not think it matters. I have 2 girls, ages 9 and 11 and non-organic milk hasn't affected them. I think there is alot of hype about it just like everything else. My sister and I grew up drinking non-organic milk and it never affected us.

A lot of the stores sell their store brand milk now without artificially added hormones. I am not sure where you live, but HEB grocery stores and the Hygeia Brand milk that Walgreens sells has Milk without the Bovine Growth Hormone. Both brands put a little asterick/star on the label that tells you that. I hope this helps you save a little money.

I buy Horizon Organic milk in the paper cartons (1/2 gallon size). The dates are usually almost a month out so I can buy several at a time and not wory about it spoiling. You have to drink it within 7 days after opening the carton. I think the milk tastes better out of paper cartons and I feel like it is better for me because the light isn't taking nutrients from the milk. Also, we can each have our own flavor. I prefer skim. My husband prefers whole.
Hope this helps.
S.

Jennifer, organic milk IS more expensive but in the long run it's worth it. We drink strictly organic milk at the house b/c the studies do show that the level of hormones found in non-organic milk CAN produce early onset puberty in girls. The two best tasting that I've found is Horizon and O Organics (Randall's). 2% tastes better than the whole milk. My daughter, who is 6 1/2, and I have been drinking those for about 3-4 years now. Many times you can find the Horizon or the O Organics at a reduced price (usually 3.00) if it's about 1 or 2 days before the "best by" date. We drink milk so much that the gallon is usually gone in about 3 or 4 days. Hope this helps you out!

Also as far as eggs go, go with the "free range" eggs. Those a MUCH healthier than the regular ones.

I've switched to organic milk for the exact same reasons you mentioned. After further research, I've determined it was a good decision. Switching to organic EVERYTHING can be costly though. I've learned that it is a good idea to buy an organic product if it comes from the ground ( potatoes, peanuts (peanut butter) carrots, etc...) Buying organic bananas are not important and if you want to removed any pesticides from fruits, just soak them in a bowl of sea salt for a few minutes before putting them out for your family. The salt will draw out any impurities. Organic meats is also a good move. Eliminating red meats from your families diet would be ideal. Good luck and god bless.

What do you not like about regular milk...just the hormones? Borden and HEB's brand milk both have "made w/o artificial hormones". If you do some research on organic dairy farms...some aren't all that they are cracked up to be. I can't remember where I saw it, but the conditions of the living arrangements and situations were just plain gross! I do believe organic is better b/c we don't need all those pesticides in our bodies, it just isn't healthy.

Wow, what a can of worms to pick apart. Go to www.realmilk.com and look up Weston A. Price Foundation for a full explanation but here are the different sides of the issue to consider:

Non-organic vs Organic: Hormones/pesticides/herbicides vs no hormones/no pesticides/no herbicides. These products or either side are not required to be nutrient dense, just free of the bad stuff on the organic side.

Pasteurized vs non-pasteurized: dead vs alive; crushed casein vs in-tact casein (actually the component to lactose intolerance, mucus buildup, milk allergies, asthma, etc); histamines from exploded pathogen cells vs no pathogens b/c the live milk kills them. www.mercola.com sold a great video tape made by Mark MacAfee of Organic Pastures in California that was very informative about this issue.

Grain Fed vs Grass Fed: High omega 6/low omega 3 vs balanced omega 6/omega 3 (which is what you want); low CLA vs high CLA (which is what you want b/c the CLA's clean your arteries); synthetic vit & min that the body does not use well vs the natural vit & min found in nature (which the body does use well); acidic blood chemistry making the animal prone to all kinds of disease, especially bovine leukemia (which can be passed to other mammals in pasteurized or raw milk or meat) vs a proper blood pH and animals that rarely get leukemia or TB or Brucellosis, ect (there is some good research on BLV if you do a search); rotationally grazed vs confinement; GMO vs non-GMO (check out "Seeds of Deception" on the web for GMO information)

The bottom line is: Raw, rotationally grazed, grass fed, hormone free, from cows tested for BLV, BVD, Johnes, TB and Brucellosis; on organically managed pastures with as many organic inputs as can be found for the vit/min or extra energy needed in times of little grass growth - www.sandcreekfarm.net

I buy non-organic milk. Here’s why.

Milk cannot be sold if it contains antibiotics. It doesn’t matter if it’s organic or not. This is a fact of which I have first-hand professional knowledge.

As for the BGH, all cows produce varying quantities of it on their own. So if you’re really nervous about it, you should probably avoid organic milk too. I think the general consensus is that while it’s not so good for the cow, it won’t hurt the humans that drink their milk. The internet sources that I’ve seen which are anti-BGH are so misinformed on the antibiotics issue, that I am doubtful of their BGH information too.

Good luck.

Wow talk about a lot of information to sort through! LOL

We switched to Horizons Organic Milk for our DD. 1. to avoid the growth hormones, antibiotics, etc. 2. Because they offer the DHA & Omega 3 fatty acids added, but just in the half gallon size at our HEB.

Then I picked up a half gallon of the fat free Horizons just to try out. I don't drink much milk by my husband liked the taste much better than HEB's fat free milk, so we switched for him too. It was worth the extra price for the extra taste for him.

I switched to Horizon's cottage cheese for the better taste, IMO

I have learned that the brand/package has to say directly on the package that it DOES NOT contain, or USE whatever it is you're trying to avoid. So you have to do some research. "Organic" is a lose label that some work has been done to make more specific, but Organic isn't regulated that much. Packaging can be very deceiving on a number of fronts.

Like others have said, if you're going to make the switch to hormone & antibiotic free for milk, then it makes sense to do it for meats, cheeses, etc too.

I absolutely agree! We buy as much organic as possible. Fortunately, the world of merchants is finally figuring this out and there are many more selections available in the regular grocery stores.

I'm actually a Marketing Director and work from home for an Internation company that manufactures and distributes it's own lines of about 400 environmentally friendly, safe/non-toxic daily use products at wholesale prices. In doing my research to better perform MY job, I have learned so many things about this particular subject, I am apalled that I ever used the poisons in my home around my children that I was buying at the retailers. It's very frightening to know what we are doing to ourselves after learning the scientific research behind all these chemicals! And the lack of FDA regulations is also very disappointing! I could go on and on. :-)

There ARE affordable alternatives, and, regardless of cost anyway, we are remiss in not doing our homework and protecting our families at all cost! I commend you.

Stay with the organic milk, if you are going to drink milk. It is better for you. You are right, many additives are in the non-organic milk, including many controversial hormones and antibiotics. We drink unsweetened soy milk (Silk) and my kids love it. I also use it for baking.

if you are really wanting to do the best for your kids and family milk in a grocery store is not the way to go. pastuerized milk has been killed of all the enzymes our bodies need to help digest it appropriately. it also increases blood cholesterol. we use raw milk from a dairy. www.realmilk.com is where we found it b/c they are so strict on who they list. i know it sounds out there, and it took me a little while to get used to the idea. but isn't your family worth at least checking into it? please let me know if i can help in any way! i've seen firsthand the benefits, not to mention it tastes yummy!

I buy HEB brand milk which boasts "no added hormones". I agree that Organic milk is too expensive. Organic milk just means that the cow had an organic diet. All cows are given medicines and vaccines. All milk will have some hormones (that's how milk is made... just like human milk... a child nursing triggers a hormone in the mother's body to cause milk production)but to me "no added hormones" means the cow is not given additional artificial hormones to make more and more milk.

We used to buy organic milk as well, until I discovered that it can actually put you at risk for various diseases. These organic farms do not give their cows the recommended antibiotics and vaccinations in order to keep their products "organic". And even though the milk is pastuerized, some of the viruses these cows get because they are not vaccinated can remain in the milk. I've heard the early puberty argument against non-organic milk, but to be honest I have not seen this with my neices and other pre-pubescent girls I know that drink it. And, the organic fruit and veggies are not a good idea because the lack of pesticide use puts you at risk for parasite infection. I'm a nurse, so I have to stay up on this stuff.

Hi Jennifer,
I personally believe that buying organic milk (as well as meats) is pretty important due to all the additives and hormones that can and have led to early puberty in girls. (I have a friend that has a daughter who started her period when she was 9 years old.) However, it is outrageously expensive and if you aren't crazy about the taste, I would recommend switching to Borden. They don't use additives or hormones, but don't brand themselves as "organic".
Hope this helps!

Take care,
R. N

I grew up drinking milk straight from the farm, we skimmed the cream off the top & everything. You can't get much more organic! I started developing at age 7 & I had my first period at age 8 almost 9. Everyones developing time is different & I don't believe it has anything to do with the milk. Good luck with your decision.

I think that even if the hormone dangers prove bogus, the fact that there will be little to no pesticides/ chemicals in the milk is a huge plus. My mom (who drinks organic milk) once told me that my milk tasted terrible, she could strongly taste the pesticides. I didn't believe her but a year or so later I started hating the taste of milk- it tasted off so I stopped drinking it. Every once in a while I'd try it but just couldn't tolerate it. Then I bought some Horizons milk on clearance, about four gallons for $3 each. I had no problem drinking the milk (it does taste different but it also doesn't have that weird twang I couldn't tolerate.) Well, after drinking the Horizons milk for a couple of weeks (we put them in the freezer and thawed them as needed) we went back to regular milk. There was that awful twang again!

I recommend doing your own taste comparison- drink organic for a few weeks and then try regular and see what you think. pesticides are really bad for us and if you can taste it in the milk, that's a clear danger sign.

S., mom to four girls

Have alwayS used organic. Hormones etc. Nephew was drinking non-organic and started breast like develop. Family switched and all was ok. Other sister swears by same. With or without puberty impact, which I think iS accurate, with antibiotics/hormones, it is at least one place we can avoid influx of same.

Meat, chicken, milk....all dosed with antibiotics. Can't afford organic meat at this point so at least this is something.

My kids, since they have had no other, are happy.I like it.

I've heard all the prior responses...I'd just like to add something. I buy organic in everything my family eats in bulk. If they are going to eat something day in and day out, I'm buying the best! If my son eats pb&j everyday, he's going to eat WHOLE GRAIN bread, organic pbutter & jelly (or fruit). Peanut butter has hydrogenated oils that harden arteries...not going to start him out at four yrs old!! So, I definitly think it's worth the extra cost for something your family consumes non-stop. We don't even do dairy...just soy and rice milk!

We buy all organic dairy products and try to buy mostly organic meat and produce. The hormones and antibiotics concern me, and I personally think the evidence of potential harm is compelling. I was just discussing this issue with my son's pediatrician, and his take is that the hormones in meat and dairy should definitely be avoided if at all possible--he mentioned even seeing some breast development in infant girls as a result of the hormones. For this reason, he said that he personally is more concerned with organic meat and dairy than with organic produce. For what it's worth, he said that chicken is the worst cuprit and told me not to give my son (who is almost 8 months) any non-organic chicken.