Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobby_Light
Pasteurization is only 146 years old. Think about how many thousands of years humans have drank raw milk.
The contamination of milk will be determined by how the milk is handled, the conditions in which is collected, and by the health of the cow. Due to the much greater regulations on raw milk, the standards by which raw milk is collected and tested are superior to that of the dead milk from sick cows packed into pens and raised in their own feces and urine. Pasteurized milk collection doesn't have to be as strict as the farmers know they are going to heat it anyways. It is this unsanitary, fed-lot environment that is the catalyst for potential disease and sickness. These unsanitary conditions are what fostered the thought of heating milk to kill pathogens. Unfortunately, this heat also kills all benefecial bateria, destroys enzymes, destroys some vitamins and minerals, and dentaures proteins/amino acids.
The question to ask is how healthy of a cow can you be living in your own shit/urine and the shit/urine of others, pumped with antibiotics and synthetic hormone, and fed corn/soy/grain/crap when you're meant to eat grass? What type of product could you create given those parameters? Do you normally get hormones and antibiotics when you're healthy? Does pasteurization destroy synthetic hormone and antibiotics present in the milk? If the cows aren't sick and aren't in unsanitary conditions and the collection process is sanitary, is distorting the food by heating it necessary at all?
The incredible, perfect plan that mother nature has set up shouldn't be molested as it is perfect. You can't improve on perfect. The healthy bacteria that appears in raw milk from healthy cows fed the right diet on free range pasture serves to kill pathogens ON THEIR OWN without the need to heat the milk. Nature already has a built in mechanism, a checks and balances system, that has been perfected over time. It is this mix of beneficial bacteria, fats, vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that also assists the human immune system in defending itself from disease. It's a living food that fosters vitality.
The denaturing of proteins and fats in pasteurized/homogenized milk leads to poor digestion and assimilation of these proteins in the body which triggers degenerative, inflammatory, and auto-immune responses from the body resulting in IBS, fibromyalgia, atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Chron's disease, Celiac disease, autism, lactose intolerance, allergic reactions, etc. This denaturing of the milk doesn't occur with raw milk as the body is provided with the factors it needs to assimilate totally the food into the body. As a result, none of these inflammatory reactions occur.
I could continue this comparison but really don't see a need. As a health professional, I tell my clients to stay away from the white death -- table salt, white flour, white sugar, and pasteurized dairy -- as much as possible because of the understanding of the stressful, inflammatory environment that these processed foods create within the body. Body building experts of the early part of the century understood these very premises. If you read the works of Vince Gironda, a bodybuilding legend, he is extremely adamant about consuming raw milk and not pasteurized dairy. He mentions it over and over again the weight gaining and muscle building characteristics of raw dairy. This is when bodybuilding was about building an amazing physique and fostering top-notch health and exceptional endocrine and digestive health. Guy was in his best shape when he was 45 years old.
I propose that pasteurization doesn't benefit the health of the consumer in any way. What it does though is allow for sub-standard collections policies, continuation of the fed-lot operation, contributes to poor treatment of animals, supports the drug industry, and extends the shelf life of milk. It's about bigger production and cheaper production not about health or vitality. $$ is the name of the game.
Do your research and make the decision that's best for you.
http://www.realmilk.com/whichchoose.html
Keep drinking it. It is second to none in its ability to support your immune system, provide vitality, nourish the brain, and promote overall health. You have nothing to worry about. |
Certainly a very thoughtful response. I think your statement about "do your research and make the decision that is best for you" is a good one.
The raw vs. pasteurized milk has for many years been controversial. You're right, pasteurization has in fact only been around for a relatively short period, but before it's invention raw milk was one of the major sources of food borne illnesses and one of the primary causes of infant mortality. Many scientists and health professionals think that pasteurization is one of the most, if not the most important advances in health in the past century.
In addition, raw milk is NOT federally-regulated, unlike pasteurized milk. Some states do have separate regulations related to raw milk production, but most do not.
And while I don't disagree with your statement regarding the unsavory practices of some dairy farms or "feed lots", without personally inspecting each dairy farm (not to mention possessing the appropriate knowledge of GMPs, HACCP and other food safety measures) and following the milk from cow to bottle, how could you ever know what kind of facility is producing the raw milk? Whether treated with antibiotics, growth hormones, etc, cows are still animals, and there are still severe risks associated with eating anything directly from any animal. Would I rather have raw milk from a small farm with good sanitary and animal health and welfare practices vs the large feedlot farm? Absolutely. But it doesn't mean that one is going to pose no risk, a risk much greater than that of pasteurized milk.
Many scientists have examined the nutritional content of both raw and pasteurized milk, and with the relatively new methods (heating to a very high temperature very quickly), it has been shown that there is no substantial nutritional benefit to drinking raw milk. Raw milk and pasteurized milk are equivalent in terms of protein, nutrient, fat and carbohydrate makeup. The author of one of the leading studies on this subject concluded: "The risks of drinking raw milk outweigh any nutritional benefits."
Personally, I would say that for most of the general population drinking raw milk is not a good idea. It is an absolutely no-no for children, pregnant women, or those with immune disorders. But as Bobby_Light said above, do your research and if you feel comfortable with who is selling the milk, the risks associated with consuming the product, and it's legal in your state - then that decision is yours.
But at the end of the day perhaps picking up a gallon of good ol' fashioned organic milk might be the best bet.