More nutritious dairy products produced by Cows fed flaxseed
Dairy
cows that are fed flaxseed produce more nutritious milk, according to a new
study by Oregon State University. Their milk contained more omega-3 fatty acids
and less saturated fat, the study found. Diets high in saturated fat can
increase cholesterol and cause heart disease, while those rich in omega-3 and
other polyunsaturated fatty acids may reduce the risk of heart disease, studies
have shown.
Traditional cattle feed mixtures of corn, grains, alfalfa hay
and grass silage result in dairy products with low concentrations of omega-3
and other polyunsaturated fats, according to Gerd Bobe, the lead scientist on
the study, which has been published online in the Journal of Dairy Science.
Ten
pregnant cows at OSU's dairy were fed different amounts of flaxseed -- up to
seven percent of their daily diet. Researchers attempted to pinpoint the amount
of flaxseed that would maximize the amount of omega-3 in milk and dairy
products without negatively affecting their production and texture.
"We
were looking for a sweet spot," said Bobe, an expert in human and animal
nutrition. "Too much of a good thing can be bad, especially when trying to
maintain consistency with dairy products."
Collaborators
in OSU's food science and technology department assisted in turning milk into
butter and fresh cheese, which were then tested for texture and nutritional
composition.
The
study found that feeding cows up to six pounds of extruded flaxseed improved
the fat profile without negatively affecting the production and texture of the
milk and other dairy products. Extrusion presses raw ground flaxseed into
pellets with heat.
At six
pounds per day, saturated fatty acids in whole milk fat dropped 18 percent,
poly-unsaturated fatty acids increased 82 percent, and omega-3 levels rose 70
percent compared to feeding no flaxseed. Similar improvements were observed in
butter and cheese.
Still,
saturated fat accounted for more than half of the fatty acids in the dairy
products while the increase in polyunsaturated fats compromised no more than
nearly nine percent of the total.
Researchers
also noted that the refrigerated butter was softer and less adhesive thanks to
fewer saturated fatty acids. Also, the cows produced the same amount of milk
while eating flaxseed.
Although
flaxseed costs more than traditional cattle feeds, Bobe hopes that it still
could be an affordable feed supplement for cows because products enriched with
omega-3 can sell for a premium at the grocery store.
"Many
consumers already show a willingness to pay extra for value-added foods, like
omega-3 enriched milk," he said.
One
thing is for sure, he said: Dairy farmers will have no trouble convincing cows
to eat flaxseed.
"They
loved it. They ate it like candy," he said.
Source: Oregon
State University
Posted by Unknown
on Monday, January 28, 2013.
Filed under
Health And Medicine
.
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