The Rural Voice, 2005-05, Page 16New feeding technology is helping cattle produce
Omega-3 fatty acids in their milk, making
nature's most nearly perfect food
Slightly more
perfect
By Keith Roulston
Milk, for years was advertised
as "nature's most nearly
perfect food, but that
doesn't stop scientists and farmers
from trying to make it better.
While milk's reputation has taken
a beating in the anti -fat crusade, new
products are recasting the image of
milk and milk products like cheese
and ice cream as providers of the
newest nutritional darlings, Omega-3
polyunsaturated fatty acids
In the last decade, nutritionists
have discovered the value of the
polyunsaturated fatty acids
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) in
lowering the risk of coronary heart
disease. As well, it's important in the
12 THE RURAL VOICE
development and maintenance of the
brain, eye retina and nervous system
from the third trimester of fetal
development throughout life.
But according to Leslie Beck,
writing in The Globe and Mail, the
value of DHA also extends to helping
relieve depression and inflammatory
disorders such as rheumatoid
arthritis, asthma and colitis.
Since the most prominent source
of Omega-3 fatty acids has been fish,
health professionals have been trying
to persuade Canadians they should
eat at least two meals of fish a week.
While there is no officially
recommended intake level for
Omega-3 fatty acids, some experts
suggest people should consume 500
Special rations are helping some
dairy cows produce Omega-3
enriched milk for a new generation
of dairy products.
milligrams a day of DHA and EPA
combined to help ward off heart
disease (while the American Heart
Association recommends people with
coronary disease boost their daily
intake to 1,000 mg of the two). It's
estimated the average consumption
by Canadian adults is 78 mg of DHA
per.day, with young children getting
19 mg.
Eating three ounces of cooked
Atlantic salmon provides 1,238 mg
of DHA
"The problem is there are a lot of
people who won't eat fish period, let
alone twice a week, so you need
another source of Omega-3 fatty
acids," explained Dr. Ira Mandell of
the University of Guelph when he
spoke to the Forage Focus conference
in November on the value of feeding
forages to cattle and sheep to produce
Omega-3 fatty acids in their meat and
milk.
Egg producers such as Hanover -
area organic producer Gerald
Poechman have been in the lead in
providing Omega-3 fatty acids