In the first wide-scale study of its kind, researchers in the United Stated have found organic milk is apparently best for human hearts.

A team headed by a scientist from Washington State University discovered organic milk contains notably higher concentrations of heart-healthy fatty acids when compared to milk produced by cows at conventional dairy farms.

The study tested an estimated 400 samples of organic and conventional milk over a period of 18 months and revealed conventional milk had an average omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio of 5.8, more than twice the 2.3 ratio contained in organic milk.

Researchers note all types of milk fat can help improve an individual's fatty acid profile. But the lower, healthier fatty ratio of organic milk is a direct result of the pasture and forage-based feeding process employed by organic dairy farms.

Several previous studies have concluded grass and legume forages promote cow health and improve the fatty acid profile in organic dairy products. Even so, "we were surprised by the magnitude of the nutritional quality differences we documented in this study," said WSU researcher Charles Benbrook, the study's lead author.

Dairy products are one of the largest categories of the burgeoning $29 billion organic food sector, according to the Organic Trade Association's 2013 Organic Industry Survey.

Organic milk and cream sales were worth $2.622 billion last year, according to national market data, and accounted for 4 percent of fluid milk sales last year overall, as reported by Milk Processor Education Program.

A variety of health problems, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, excessive inflammation and autoimmune diseases, are vassociated with the consumption of more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids.

While a ratio of 2.3-to-1 is thought to maximize heart health, Western diets typically have a ratio of about 10-to-1 to 15-to-1.

"Surprisingly simple food choices can lead to much better levels of the healthier fats we see in organic milk," said Benbrook.

The study team modeled a hypothetical diet for adult women with a baseline omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of 11.3 and looked at how far three different methods could go in reducing the ratio to 2.3.

It was found almost 40 percent of the nine-point drop needed was achievable by switching from three daily servings of conventional dairy products to 4.5 daily servings of mostly full-fat organic dairy.

Also, women who avoided a few of the foods high in omega-6 fatty acids were able to lower their fatty acid ratio to around 4, approximately 80 percent of their 2.3 goal.

The study was published Dec. 9 in the online journal PLOS ONE.