OT - Organic vs. Non-Organic Yogurt

[DisneyCrazyMomma]

I know this is a weird place to ask but with so many moms and dads out there, I thought maybe one of you could give me a quick answer. I am a childcare provider, and one of my parents brought in organic yogurt to share as a snack. At our house, we are big on yogurt, but I just buy the Yoplait, which is non-organic. So my question is this... is organic yogurt supposed to be very runny/watery? This was, and I'm sorry but it looked pretty gross to me. Thanks for the help!

 

[mommy2princesses0309]

I don't know about "regular" organic yogurt but I buy the Yobaby yogurt for my DD and yes, it's more runny than regular yogurt - don't know why. It's not super runny but it's noticably thinner than regular adult yogurt so maybe "adult" organic yogurt is as well

 

[deegack]

most yogurt is runnier (is that a word) than Yoplait, especially if its fruit on the bottom. It has nothing to do with organic or not. My DH eats nonorganic and DD (and I usually) eat organic. They are the same consistency.

 

[DisneyCrazyMomma]

Thanks for the replies! BTW, I'm not slamming organic yogurt, I just wasn't familiar with it. I think I like the consistency of Yoplait best, we have tried store brands, and Dannon and a few others, and while they were fine, I find that we eat more Yoplait than anything else Thanks again!

 

[PatsMom]

Yoplait is kind of more like pudding than yogurt.

 

[bumbershoot]

The difference isn't in the milk. It's in the other ingredients. Check 'em out. Most containers of Yoplait that I've checked out have ingredients I will not touch. But those ingredients help to make the texture that you have grown to like. Has nothing to do with the organic milk that made the yogurt.

 

[npmommie]

I know this is a weird place to ask but with so many moms and dads out there, I thought maybe one of you could give me a quick answer. I am a childcare provider, and one of my parents brought in organic yogurt to share as a snack. At our house, we are big on yogurt, but I just buy the Yoplait, which is non-organic. So my question is this... is organic yogurt supposed to be very runny/watery? This was, and I'm sorry but it looked pretty gross to me. Thanks for the help!

The difference isn't in the milk. It's in the other ingredients. Check 'em out. Most containers of Yoplait that I've checked out have ingredients I will not touch. But those ingredients help to make the texture that you have grown to like. Has nothing to do with the organic milk that made the yogurt.

what bumbershoot said

If your store has Wallaby brand try that one. I think it is less runny than say Stoneyfield.

I like organic because of the lack of other ingredients, no added hormones in the milk, and the cows don't eat GMO grains.
the wallaby comes from grass fed cows

 

[shinysparklybubbles]

Stoneyfield is runny. I used that at first and then now we use simply gogurt. Its not as good for you as organic but this has a little less stuff in it. Plus my son can feed himself! Huge plus right there

 

[princessmom29]

organic yogurt= YUCK!! I am not paying twice as much for that! FWIW, trhat is my philosophy with most organics. It is not worth that much money to feel superior, becuase that is really the only difference.

 

[bumbershoot]

If your store has Wallaby brand try that one.

Wallaby is sooooo good. DS loves it. He also loves the Trader Joes organic raspberry.

I personally like O Organics cherry yogurt.

organic yogurt= YUCK!! I am not paying twice as much for that! FWIW, trhat is my philosophy with most organics. It is not worth that much money to feel superior, becuase that is really the only difference.

I don't feel superior by eating organic foods. What I feel is that I am ingesting fewer pesticides, and that is a good thing for my body. That's the point of organics. And if you can throw in grass-fed cows, then the cows are eating closer to how they should be, which is good for THEIR bodies, if you throw in the organic dairy farms that treat their cows a bit nicer, that's also nicer and better for their bodies, etc etc etc. It's not superiority, it's having fewer chemicals in our bodies and hopefully a happier life for the dairy cow (in the case of milk products).

 

[princessmom29]

Wallaby is sooooo good. DS loves it. He also loves the Trader Joes organic raspberry.

I personally like O Organics cherry yogurt.




I don't feel superior by eating organic foods. What I feel is that I am ingesting fewer pesticides, and that is a good thing for my body. That's the point of organics. And if you can throw in grass-fed cows, then the cows are eating closer to how they should be, which is good for THEIR bodies, if you throw in the organic dairy farms that treat their cows a bit nicer, that's also nicer and better for their bodies, etc etc etc. It's not superiority, it's having fewer chemicals in our bodies and hopefully a happier life for the dairy cow (in the case of milk products).

But does any of that really make a difference in overall health? I have never seen and hard data that says it does, and my own personal experience says it doesnt't so for me, it is not worth the extra money for no benefit. Everyone is welcome to thier own opinion, and opinions abound on the subject. I personally think it is a waste of time and money when there is no real benifit to eating organic. There is NO documented scientific evidence to support it, only vague studies that "show a trend" without the statistics to back it or anecdotal "eating organic cured my cancer" stories. I just don't think there is enough chemical transfer to make a difference. I have seen the data, and in many cases there is no detectable transefr, and in amny others the detected amount is so close to the detection limit of the test used as to be unreliable.

 

[nessz79]

But does any of that really make a difference in overall health? I have never seen and hard data that says it does, and my own personal experience says it doesnt't so for me, it is not worth the extra money for no benefit. Everyone is welcome to thier own opinion, and opinions abound on the subject. I personally think it is a waste of time and money when there is no real benifit to eating organic. There is NO documented scientific evidence to support it, only vague studies that "show a trend" without the statistics to back it or anecdotal "eating organic cured my cancer" stories. I just don't think there is enough chemical transfer to make a difference. I have seen the data, and in many cases there is no detectable transefr, and in amny others the detected amount is so close to the detection limit of the test used as to be unreliable.

I think that as far as the added hormones go, yes it probably does make a difference. Unfortunately I can't quote any research, but I know that there are theories out there that the reason so many girls are going into puberty earlier and earlier may be due to hormones that are in chicken and eggs.

Also, pesticides...now, from my understanding, not all organic fruits and vegetables need to be organic for this reason. However, I believe some are best to have organic for fewer to no pesticides- lettuce, for example. Any fruit or vegetable that you eat directly (without taking off a hard skin, etc) should be organic due to pesticides. That being said, I don't personally eat all organic, mostly due to availability of produce and price. But I do try to integrate some. There's nothing snobby about it, though I think some people *can* get snobby about eating everything all organic, so I do know where you're coming from.

 

[princessmom29]

I think that as far as the added hormones go, yes it probably does make a difference. Unfortunately I can't quote any research, but I know that there are theories out there that the reason so many girls are going into puberty earlier and earlier may be due to hormones that are in chicken and eggs.

Also, pesticides...now, from my understanding, not all organic fruits and vegetables need to be organic for this reason. However, I believe some are best to have organic for fewer to no pesticides- lettuce, for example. Any fruit or vegetable that you eat directly (without taking off a hard skin, etc) should be organic due to pesticides. That being said, I don't personally eat all organic, mostly due to availability of produce and price. But I do try to integrate some. There's nothing snobby about it, though I think some people *can* get snobby about eating everything all organic, so I do know where you're coming from.

I have never seen any research to support that. To my knowledge there is none, and it is only speculation at best.

Organic does nto mean pesticide free, just no man made pesticides. Plant based pesticides are still used. They come from plants that are for the most part toxic to humans. Just becuase they are "natural" doesn't mean they are any better for you. Nightshade will kill you, and a lot quicker than DDT. The organic produce you are eating is NOT pesticide free. You simply cannot grow produce on a large enough scale to be profitable without some kindof pesticide. Certified organic just means the farms use only "natural" pesticides.

 

[nessz79]

I have never seen any research to support that. To my knowledge there is none, and it is only speculation at best.

Organic does nto mean pesticide free, just no man made pesticides. Plant based pesticides are still used. They come from plants that are for the most part toxic to humans. Just becuase they are "natural" doesn't mean they are any better for you. Nightshade will kill you, and a lot quicker than DDT. The organic produce you are eating is NOT pesticide free. You simply cannot grow produce on a large enough scale to be profitable without some kindof pesticide. Certified organic just means the farms use only "natural" pesticides.

That's why I said "from my understanding." I can't quote research.

What about the hormones, though? Even without citing research, I think that's a viable reason to go organic or even just hormone-free (not always necessary to buy organic to get hormone or antibiotic-free).

Anyway, I'm sure there is someone much more knowledgeable than me on this subject.

 

[tartemis]

The hormones are what freaks me out. We don't eat all organic either, but since DD#1 was born, we have only drank organic milk -- and I try to eat only organic meat (although admittedly that doesn't always happen). I can actually taste the chemicals in non-organic milk; I simply can't go back. By extension, we also only eat organic yogurt - I have not noticed the consistency thing, but I tried to have a Yoplait the other day and after 1 spoonful I had to throw it away (and I used to live off the stuff in college).

 

[princessmom29]

That's why I said "from my understanding." I can't quote research.

What about the hormones, though? Even without citing research, I think that's a viable reason to go organic or even just hormone-free (not always necessary to buy organic to get hormone or antibiotic-free).

Anyway, I'm sure there is someone much more knowledgeable than me on this subject.

There is not reliable evidence to prove that homones are being transferred, and no evidence that, even if transferred, they are absorbed by humans, or have any effect on human growth and development. They are not human hormones, and as such many are not absorbed or processed by human systems, it fact it is rare for an animal hormone to be useful in humans. Taht is why the insulin amde from pigs has to be genetically ingineerd to be effective in humans. It is the same idea as a disease that can infect a certian species of animal, but not other species or humans. Personally, with my background, and having read the reseearch, I think it is a bunch of hype rather than solid science.

 

[princessmom29]

The hormones are what freaks me out. We don't eat all organic either, but since DD#1 was born, we have only drank organic milk -- and I try to eat only organic meat (although admittedly that doesn't always happen). I can actually taste the chemicals in non-organic milk; I simply can't go back. By extension, we also only eat organic yogurt - I have not noticed the consistency thing, but I tried to have a Yoplait the other day and after 1 spoonful I had to throw it away (and I used to live off the stuff in college).

You are not tasting "chemicals" in non organic milk becuase there are none. What you are likley tasting is a difference in how fresh the milk is. Your organic milk is likely local and probably dsoesn't go through the same pasturization and sterilization processes and commercial milk. Studies have shown that local organic milk and free range eggs contian more bacteris than more pasturized milk and house raised eggs. I don't recall the numbers on the milk, but the incidence of salmonella in free range eggs is twice that in house raised eggs.

 

[sweetsusannah]

There is not reliable evidence to prove that homones are being transferred, and no evidence that, even if transferred, they are absorbed by humans, or have any effect on human growth and development. They are not human hormones, and as such many are not absorbed or processed by human systems, it fact it is rare for an animal hormone to be useful in humans. Taht is why the insulin amde from pigs has to be genetically ingineerd to be effective in humans. It is the same idea as a disease that can infect a certian species of animal, but not other species or humans. Personally, with my background, and having read the reseearch, I think it is a bunch of hype rather than solid science.

You are right that there is no definitive research yet to prove that hormones are causing us bodily harm. There is however an epidemic of children entering puberty earlier that ever in both China and the USA, the two countries that allow the growth hormones to be given to cows in very high quantities. Same thing with antibiotics and antibiotic resistant viruses that are now wreaking havoc on cows and humans. They have had studies showing women who grow up on farms that use pesticides are at an extreme higher percentage to get breast cancer that those who don’t. There are many studies that are in their infancy that are showing the hormones are passed through cows milk and entering our bodies. We know that medications taken by a nursing mother are passed from breast milk to nursing infants and this has been scientifically proven. Why would we think that the bovine body filters chemicals out any differently than the human body?
You said that everyone is entitled to their opinions and I absolutely agree! You don’t feel that there is enough evidence to make you want to eat organic and that’s cool. I do believe there is enough evidence to make me question feeding non-organic to my family and I’d rather be safe than sorry.

 

[princessmom29]

You are right that there is no definitive research yet to prove that hormones are causing us bodily harm. There is however an epidemic of children entering puberty earlier that ever in both China and the USA, the two countries that allow the growth hormones to be given to cows in very high quantities. Same thing with antibiotics and antibiotic resistant viruses that are now wreaking havoc on cows and humans. They have had studies showing women who grow up on farms that use pesticides are at an extreme higher percentage to get breast cancer that those who don’t. There are many studies that are in their infancy that are showing the hormones are passed through cows milk and entering our bodies. We know that medications taken by a nursing mother are passed from breast milk to nursing infants and this has been scientifically proven. Why would we think that the bovine body filters chemicals out any differently than the human body?
You said that everyone is entitled to their opinions and I absolutely agree! You don’t feel that there is enough evidence to make you want to eat organic and that’s cool. I do believe there is enough evidence to make me question feeding non-organic to my family and I’d rather be safe than sorry.

1. ALL viruses are anitbiotic resistant. Atibiotics have no effect on ANY viruses. They are used to treat bacteria. There are a limitied number of antibiotic resistant bacteria that are aproblem, but the overuse of antibiotics due to the misconception you just presented, i.e. that they will treat a viral disease is the main cluprit there. MOral: don't take antibiotic you don't need and son't demand them from your doc for a cold.

2. There is not an epidemic of kids entering puberty early. ther are more cses that in the past, but we also have better healthcare and nutrition than in years past. there is a strong argument for this being the source.

3. Just becuase hormones may be contained in milk doesn't mean the interact with human phisology. Mediacations in breast milk are of much greater concern because they are HUMAN medications. The study of girls growing up on farms is one I have seen and is highly questionable. The biggest one being that most of the girls studied also lived in rural areas with limited access to health care. There is not a definite causality proven. There were too many other factors in the works there. I am simply not buying it.
I really feel like it is more about making money by scaring peole into buying "organic", and that is what bothers me about it. It is just another example of companies taking advantage of parental guilt, and the "I'm a better parent than you" market. I just hate to see poeple taken advantage of in that manner. The organic produce market is a HUGE moneymaker, and I really think those companies are more motivated by money than anything else.

 

[sweetsusannah]

PrincessMom you are very right, I misspoke when I typed viruses. I did indeed mean bacteria as I was thinking of ecoli and hoof and mouth. I really don't want to aurgue about it, it's clear you feel very strongly on your position and I have no desire to change your mind. I simply wanted to state that I too have valid reasons for making the choices I make and it isn't because I feel superior to anyone. I agree organics are a huge profit driven industry, as for my family we buy from a local Community Supported Co-op farm and help support a very lovely local farm family. We also buy our milk and meat local, it is not organic, but is hormone free grass fed cattle. We do buy things we can't get local in organic if possible. We actually don't spend a ton more than conventional groceries and in many cases we spend less.

To the OP: I meant to comment on this in my previous post. We started buying the greek style organic yogurt. It has a much thicker consitancy.