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A “Beyond Organic”
Standard for Dairy
By Beyond Organic & Christine Dreher, CCN,CCH
 Beyond Organic’s Amasi is a first in the healthy dairy world because
it comes from “Green-Fed” cows that are free of ‘Beta Casein A1’
creating a cultured dairy product that is extremely well tolerated (as
well or better than goat’s milk), and is more nutritious and delicious.
“It starts with our pastures. At
Beyond Organic, we have spent years
getting our pastures ready, from planting to irrigation to growing
diverse forage. Because our cows are allowed to feed on only the
grasses, herbs, legumes and forbs, we take great care in maintaining
them—naturally. We never use pesticides, herbicides or fungicides—no
chemical spraying of any kind—on our land,” notes Jordan Rubin, founder
of Beyond Organic and Garden of Life.
Those pastures are the only source of food for the cows, which is
good since cows are meant to eat living greens— and never grains. As
Jordan points out, this diet leads to a significantly better nutritional
profile.
“If we accept the fact that we crave healthy fats and natural
vitamins and minerals, it’s easy to see why
Amasai is so popular,” says
Jordan. “Because of the GreenFed diet our cows consume, they produce
milk that contains a good ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats, CLA and
natural, fat- and water-soluble vitamins and minerals.
Most dairy, including milk and cheese is over-processed and comes
from inferior dairy supplies. For example, 90 percent or more of dairy
cows are raised in crowded stalls and subsist on a genetically modified
diet of corn and soy. Since cows are designed to eat grass and other
greens, this conventional diet doesn’t agree with them. Due to the grain
feed, it also yields dairy products that are too high in Omega 6 fatty
acids, which adds to the Omega 6 imbalance in our standard American diet
(one of the biggest causes of inflammation and disease).
 Dairy cows raised and fed in these dire conditions tend to have
sub-standard health and produce unhealthy dairy products. In fact, many
of the dairy cows get sick and are given antibiotics, which also get
into the end products. Likewise, many dairy cows are also given hormones
so that they can produce more milk and dairy products. Those antibiotics
and hormones are then ingested by the end users. Hormone imbalances can
create a host of health imbalances and problems for women, men and even
children.
What Makes Amasai Unique?
One of the most frequent questions we get is “How is
Amasai different
from other cultured beverages like kefir?” It’s a good question. After
all, both are considered cultured dairy beverages. However, the
similarity ends there. Specifically, there are 4 major differences that
stand out:
1. The Cattle – Before he invested in the first blade of grass at
Beyond Organic, Jordan researched the genetic traits of specific breeds
of cattle. What he found was a breed of cattle that carried a genetic
trait that made their milk protein more digestible. Never one for half
measures, Jordan meticulously tested every cow he intended to purchase
and only bought ones that carried this genetic trait.
2. What the Cattle Eat – Great milk comes from great pastures. At
Beyond Organic, we’ve spent years getting our pastures ready, from
planting to irrigation to growing. Because our cows are only allowed to
feed on the grasses, herbs, legumes and forbs growing out of the ground,
we place great emphasis on soil regeneration—naturally. This means NEVER
using pesticides, herbicides or fungicides on our certified organic land
and NEVER using chemical medicines such as antibiotics or hormones on
our animals.
3. The Fat – Early feedback from
Amasai fans says that people are
surprised by two things: how much they crave Amasai and how much it
satiates their appetite. This is due to the fact that Amasai is a “true
whole milk” cultured dairy beverage. The fat from our GreenFed cattle is
not good fat—it’s GREAT fat. We never skim the fat from the milk that
our cows produce.
4. The Culturing Process – Unlike every other cultured dairy product
available for sale,
Amasai uses over 30 probiotic organisms to culture
the milk. This leads to a more diverse set of beneficial bacteria that
help provide you the abundant heath you crave.
Uniquely Addictive
In his discussions with people who have tried
Amasai, Jordan Rubin
has heard the word “crave” uttered most frequently. It doesn’t surprise
him.
“I believe that our bodies are genetically programmed to crave food
that is healthiest for it. Unfortunately, we don’t listen to those
cravings very well due to our over-exposure to chemical-laden non-foods.
Our bodies crave good fat, but we answer that craving by consuming
unhealthy fats. We crave healthy protein, but there are so few truly
healthy choices available to us. We crave natural vitamins and minerals
and settle for synthetic nutrients. We crave the good stuff, but we
settle for less.” Your body wants these healthy nutrients and compounds,
and if given a chance and listened to, it will crave the good foods and
nutrients.
Jordan believes that the popularity of
Amasai is linked to several
factors, all of which stem from how the cows that produce the milk are
raised and the way in which the Amasai is produced at
Beyond Organic.
Jordan is also quick to highlight another area in which
Amasai is
unique. It is also one of the more controversial issues facing milk
producers.
“We never skim the fat off our milk. I believe that if God wanted us
to drink skim milk, He would have put a cream separator in the udder of
a cow. Pundits who decry fat are both absolutely correct and 100 percent
wrong. We do need to cut down on the bad fats in our diet. But to cut
out the good fats at the same time is preposterous. Your body requires
them to function! Our milk contains good fats—some of the healthiest
fats on the planet—and skimming off fat from healthy, GreenFed milk is a
decidedly unhealthy practice.”
Finally, Jordan believes that there is one other “crave-ability”
factor that often goes overlooked. Everything about
Amasai, from the
cows that produce the milk to the way it is cultured, is designed to
increase the digestibility of the product.
 Naturally Healthy CowsConventionally raised cattle can be difficult to keep healthy. Close
captivity and unnatural diets can lead to a host of health issues,
requiring the use of antibiotics and other medications. Additionally, in
order to stimulate increased milk production, conventionally raised
dairy cattle are often given growth hormones.
Beyond Organic cows are raised naturally and treated holistically.
They are not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Because they spend
the vast majority of their lives in the pasture consuming their natural
diet of greens, they are naturally healthier. It’s also a significantly
more humane way to raise cattle.
It does come at a cost, however. Our cattle are able to produce
“only” 20 to 30 pounds of milk per day, compared to grain-consuming
conventionally and organically raised cattle that produce 50 to 100
pounds per day. It is a tradeoff we are more than happy to make to
ensure a “Beyond Organic” quality product.
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“Just as important, Amasai is a cultured dairy beverage. Culturing
with probiotics naturally enhances the Digestibility of dairy.”
“We could create the most nutrient dense product in the world, but if
your body couldn’t digest it, there’s no benefit. Simply put, you are
not what you eat; you’re what you digest,” says Jordan. “Our cows were
selectively bred for specific genetic traits that may lead to greater
tolerability of the dairy and increased nutritive value. Just as
important,
Amasai is a cultured dairy beverage. Culturing with
probiotics naturally enhances the digestibility of dairy. Our milk is
nutrient dense and culturing it into Amasai allows your body to better
enjoy the benefits of those nutrients.”
When Jordan set out to produce
Amasai, he did so with one goal in
mind: he wanted to make the healthiest cultured dairy beverage possible.
The fact that people enjoy Amasai so much (maybe to the point of being
addicts) is an added benefit.
Note from Christine: My Husband and I love Amasai, not only for its
great taste but also because it is easily digestible and one of most
nutritious and pure cultured dairy beverages available. I love it
because it is so good for us; my husband loves it because it tastes
good.
Click here for more information on Amasi by Beyond Organic
Amasi Cultured Dairy – First of Its Kind in the USA
Video with Jordan Rubin: View in window below by clicking arrow.
Return to our Beyond Organic Introduction Page, click here.
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