Raw Milk

About a year ago, I transitioned from a mostly plant-based diet to a more balanced diet from plants and animals and… I feel awesome. Better than I have in a decade. A major bonus is making my coffee with raw milk and/or full-fat cream. But raw milk - what’s the deal?

Raw milk is the milk in its original form from the animal (in this instance, we’re talking about cow’s milk). Nothing has been added and nothing has been altered. It’s unpasteurized and unhomogenized, meaning it contains all of its natural enzymes, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals. You’re drinking the real stuff. If you’re like me before I researched and learned about the history of raw milk and its amazing benefits, your first reaction might be, “yeah, no.” Fair enough! We’ve been taught raw milk is filled with harmful bacteria that make us sick and wreak havoc on our digestive system, and it’s only safe to drink pasteurized milk. However, the risk of this happening is very, very low. Hear me out.

An extensive look into research and claims made by the FDA and CDC related to raw milk being dangerous have been found to be completely unwarranted. It benefits your body in many ways, and although it might have earned a reputation among some for being dangerous, we deserve to know what this amazing food has to offer because raw milk benefits are truly impressive.

Pasteurized milk is the result of milk that has been heated and cooled to kill any harmful bacteria. In addition to pasteurization, most conventional milks also go through the homogenization process. Homogenization is a high-pressure process that breaks down fat into tiny particles. Both these pasteurization and homogenization processes strip the milk of its natural enzymes, vitamins and minerals. So, pasteurized milk isn’t… really… milk. And lactose intolerance is really more like “pasteurization intolerance”. Per usual, Mother Nature has it all figured out - raw milk facilitates the production of lactase, which is the enzyme designed to break down lactose. Processing the milk destroys this enzyme.

During pasteurization and homogenization, nutrients are destroyed when heat and pressure are applied to the milk. This destroys the lactase enzymes that help our body digest the lactose. It destroys the coating around the fat molecules in the milk which makes them less available for our body to absorb and use as energy. These processes also destroy the amino acids in the milk, decreasing the protein content. Basically, the whole nutrient architecture of the milk is changed! So the end result is “milk” that contains anywhere from half to a sixth of the nutrients from raw milk.

So what does all this mean to you? It means that the pasteurized milk you buy in the store is… well, it’s not milk in it’s true form. And we’re being cheated of the amazing nutritional benefits milk has to offer us. So I reintroduce: raw milk!

Raw milk is truly one of the most nutrient-dense foods in the world and has a nutritional profile unlike any other food. Here’s a chart breaking down the nutritional value of raw milk compared to pasteurized milk, and which nutrients are destroyed or altered during pasteurization:

Still, you can’t just drink raw milk from anywhere. You really, really need to do your homework. Although unlikely, raw milk can be tainted and contain harmful pathogens which will make us sick. According to the CDC, past cases of foodborne illnesses associated with raw milk consumption have been due to bacteria (such as Brucella, Listeria, Mycobacterium bovis), salmonella, shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli), and certain parasites or viruses. Raw milk must come from a trusted source, from a dairy farm committed to cleanliness, protocol, and animal welfare. The nutritional value of the milk depends on the farm conditions where the cows are raised and live, the soil quality, species of the cow, how fresh the milk is, and more. Just do your research ☺️. This site is a great starting place to find good raw milk in your area: https://www.realmilk.com/raw-milk-finder/

Regardless of if you choose to try raw milk or not, this is what I recommend when it comes to dairy:

Do buy and consume:
1. Dairy from grass-fed/finished cows, sheep, and goats
2. Full fat, local dairy products
3. Raw dairy products from a trusted, reliable, healthy source

Do not buy or consume:
1. Skim, low fat or nonfat dairy products
2. Dairy from conventionally raised cows, sheep, and goats (this means the animals have been raised on grain, in an indoor environment, and are generally unhealthy animals)
3. Pasteurized or homogenized dairy products

I realize the last point is very difficult to avoid in our modern culture. So if you can't find raw dairy products, your second best bet is full fat grass-fed/finished pasteurized dairy, ideally from a local farm.

Share this with someone you think would benefit! Leave a comment below if you have questions!