Raw Milk and Weight Loss

When it comes to cows feed on grass there can be nothing better in terms of the quality foods such as milk and also beef produced. There are many reasons why, but one of the most important has to do with CLA, conjugated linoleic acid, a very special fatty acid that our bodies are unable to make for itself, but which is essential for good health. We were designed to consume raw milk and can't do without it very well.

Why Raw Milk from Grass Fed Cows Helps Lose Weight
by Dr Mercola

If you are steering away from red meat due to the negative press on saturated fats, you may be happy to hear that a very powerful fatty acid primarily found in beef and dairy products has been linked to long-term weight management and health. This potent nutrient is called conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, and the best possible sources of CLA are grass-fed beef and raw dairy products that come from grass-fed cattle.


Many ranchers are responding to the call by U.S. consumers by shifting from traditional, factory-farmed, grain-fed methods of raising cattle to a free-range, all-grass diet. Even the USDA is waking up to the consumer demand for grass-fed products. Their June 2010 publication of Livestock, Poultry, and Dairy Outlook indicates that grass-fed beef represents 3 percent of the total U.S. beef production and has been growing about 20 percent for several years.


CLA Benefits Across the Board


A host of research has been conducted on animals, under microscopes, and with humans to determine the impact of CLA on disease. Results have shown CLA to be a potent ally for combating:

Cancer: Animal studies show that as little as 0.5 percent CLA in your diet could reduce tumors by over 50 percent, including the following types of cancer:


Breast

Colorectal
Lung
Skin

Stomach

Cardiovascular disease

High blood pressure

High Cholesterol and triglycerides

Osteoporosis


Insulin resistance: CLA's actions actually mimic the effect of synthetic diabetic drugs. Testing on mice with type 2 diabetes have shown CLA to improve insulin action and reduce circulating glucose. Even better, the early results from human trials are just as positive, when consuming CLA for longer than eight weeks.


Inflammation


Immune system invaders


Food-induced allergic reactions


Body Composition: Exciting research with humans has shown that CLA has been beneficial in lowering body fat, with even greater improvement in those who combine exercise with dietary intake of CLA. Animal research has been even more promising, with significant improvements seen in both reducing body fat and in increasing lean body mass.


Previous studies have shown that CLA reduces body fat while preserving muscle tissue, and may also increase your metabolic rate. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who took 3.2 grams of CLA a day had a drop in fat mass of about 0.2 pounds a week (that's about one pound a month) compared to those given a placebo.


Since CLA cannot be manufactured in the human body, you must get it from your diet. And your best dietary source of CLA is grass-fed beef.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Grass-fed cows may produce healthier milk (nationalpost.com)
• Is Milk from Grass-Fed Cows More Heart-Healthy? (nlm.nih.gov)