How To Choose Good Quality Dairy
The Cornucopia Institute Organic Dairy Scorecard
Potential Health Risks
Estrogen
Most of our milk comes from pregnant cows, even with grass-fed organic dairies. Pregnant cows's milk can have estrogen levels of up to 33 times that of non-pregnant cows. These cows typically birth one calf / year, and get two months off of milking before said birth, giving 7 months worth of pregnant / high estrogen milk.
Raises serum and urine estrogen, lowers testosterone [1]
One study found:
- 24-54 ng (nanograms) per day for cow milk drinkers (based on 3/4 cup milk/day)
- 10 ng per day for goat milk drinkers (based on 3/4 cup milk/day) [2]
Goat's Milk
Goat's have a 5-month gestation period but also a 2-month break from milking, leading to a much higher percentage of the year without elevated estrogen levels.
