RAW Milk

Raw milk has been getting a lot of bad reviews in the media, not to mention that it is illegal for 22 states to even sell it!  Now, when there are so many illnesses that seem to be creeping into our local grocery stores, why would the FDA and other government run health organizations make it illegal? Why not just let the consumer make the decision and put warning labels on the products? I am here to give you multiple reasons on why RAW milk is safe and extremely beneficial to your health.  Now, don't get me wrong, some milk can make you sick, but so can the local bagged spinach, beef, and other foods that are mishandled and sold to the consumer.

I personally have drank raw milk for months.  The only reason I stopped purchasing it was because, to be honest, it was getting way too expensive ($10 a gallon).  I now purchase organic milk, but I miss the amazing benefits and feeling that raw milk gives you.  My mom and grandfather both drink raw milk and have been for months now.  My mom has been looking for local farmers to supply her with raw milk for years and now she finally found one.  After months of consuming raw milk, we all have NEVER had one incidence where we got sick or had any problems with the milk and here's why! 

PASTEURIZATION AND HOMOGENIZATION

Pasteurization slows the process of microbial growth in food. It is not intended to destroy ALL pathogenic micro-organisms, but does destroy some of them. Many of these anti-microbial and immune-enhancing components are greatly reduced in effectiveness by pasteurization.  Ultra-pasteurized milk kills all beneficial bacteria and micro-organisms so that the milk can be preserved even longer! Milk is brought to very high temperatures to reach the regulated "pasteurization" standard. Pasteurized milk is also linked to Crone's Disease. (Scientific American, December 1995; British J of Nutrition, 2000:84(Suppl. 1):S3-S10, S75-S80, S81-S89).

NUTRIENT DEGRADATION BY PASTEURIZATION:

Vitamin C	Raw milk but not pasteurized can resolve scurvy. “. . . Without doubt. . . the explosive increase in infantile scurvy during the latter part of the 19th century coincided with the advent of use of heated milks. . .” (Rajakumar, Pediatrics. 2001;108(4):E76).
Calcium	Longer and denser bones on raw milk (Studies from Randleigh Farms).
Folate	Carrier protein inactivated during pasteurization. (Gregory. J. Nutr. 1982, 1329-1338).
Vitamin B12	Binding protein inactivated by pasteurization.
Vitamin B6	Animal studies indicate B6 poorly absorbed from pasteurized milk (Studies from Randleigh Farms).
Vitamin A	Beta-lactoglobulin, a heat-sensitive protein in milk, increases intestinal absorption of vitamin A. Heat degrades vitamin A. Said and others (Am J Clin Nutr. 1989;49:690-694. Runge and Heger. J Agric Food Chem. 2000 Jan;48(1):47-55).
Vitamin D	Present in milk in protein-bound form, assimilation possibly affected by pasteurization. Hollis and others ( J Nutr. 1981;111:1240-1248).
Iron	Lactoferrin, which contributes to iron assimilation, destroyed during pasteurization.
Iodine	Lower in pasteurized milk. Wheeler and others (J Dairy Sci. 1983;66(2):187-95).
Minerals	Lactobacilli, destroyed by pasteurization, enhance mineral absorption (MacDonald and others. 1985).

Homogenized milk is where it is processed so that it is the same throughout.  This is basically removing the natural separation of raw milk. Because of this process the store bought milk will not have the thick cream on top of the milk (this cream can be taken off and used as cream, or shaken up and drank with the rest of the milk--it is VERY yummy)! 

BENEFITS OF RAW MILK

Raw milk has been shown to prevent or help cure the following symptoms:

1) Asthma

2) Allergies

3) Lactose Intolerance

4) Osteoporosis

5) Tooth decay

6) Skin problems

7) and many more....

Have you ever wondered why so many children have so many health issues like asthma, allergies, food allergies, lactose intolerance etc...? I believe that it is contributed to the lack of essential vitamins, minerals, and healthy bacteria in our foods due to the efforts of trying to make products have a longer shelf life!! Not only is it contributed to our milks, but all the processed and UN-natural foods that stock our grocery store shelves. 

The great thing about raw milk is the fact that if it "sours" you can still use it? You can also FREEZE raw milk in portion size containers (no plastic) and use it at leisure.  

ANY DANGERS?

With anything, there are dangers to having your product exposed to diseases and harmful bacteria; however, through research and personal experience I would have to say that the dangers are MINIMAL. If you know WHERE you are getting your milk and that the farm is HEALTHY and CLEAN then you will have a very slim chance or contracting a serious illness. 

The dangers from using homogenized and pasteurization processes is not to the human, but to the cow or goat.  This is because the farmers are OVER MILKING their animals.  They know that the milk will be pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized so over milking the animal won't affect their final outcome.  If the farmers had to sell raw milk, they would not be able to over milk their cows because it would contaminate the milk with puss and other harmful bacteria that would make the consumer sick.  The other reason these processes are harmful to the animal is the artificial hormones the animals are given to make their utters produce more milk than a "normal" cow/goat can produce.  All of this is done not for the health of the consumer or animal, but for the greed of the farmer. 

YOU CHOOSE
Although it will be hard to gain access or find a farmer near-by that will sell you raw milk, I do believe that the health benefits FAR OUTWEIGH the potential danger.  So, if you do have access to raw milk I would say give it a try. Yes, raw milk is thick, but it DOES NOT taste or go down like whole milk from your local grocery store.  The cream on top can be scooped off and used for baking, while the body of the milk tastes more like a mixture of 1 and 2% milk. 

If you are interested there are many websites that talk about raw milk and its benefits.  One website is the Real Milk.com website below.  Check it out and let me know what you think! 

If you don't have access to raw milk then I would suggest getting ORGANIC milk that is NOT ultra-pasteurized and make sure you SUPPLEMENT your diet with a multi-vitamin (not a compacted store bought vitamin)  since you will not be getting them from your milk!

Read Real Milk.com for more info on Raw Milk