What Are the Benefits of Raw Milk?

Cow’s milk is without doubt one of the hottest meals world wide, due to its versatility. It’s used to make merchandise corresponding to cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream. It may even be loved by itself for a refreshing afternoon drink, or blended with fruits to create smoothies.

However, chances are high the milk you have been consuming all through your life is pasteurized, which may be detrimental to your well being. This is as a result of pasteurized milk comes from cows raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), which is the proper breeding floor for foodborne diseases.¹

Instead, you must strive making the change to uncooked, unpasteurized milk. It is much superior to commercially manufactured milk not simply in style, however in vitamins as effectively.

Raw Milk Benefits You Should Know

There are many the reason why you must drink uncooked, unpasteurized milk as a substitute of the pasteurized selection. It has been discovered to be a high quality supply of:²

• Proteins — The majority of milk proteins are made from casein, which can assist keep wholesome blood strain³ and enhance the absorption of minerals.⁴
• Probiotics — Raw milk is wealthy in wholesome micro organism that may profit your digestive system.
• Omega-3 — Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are omega-3 fatty acids present in milk. This sort of milk additionally has a greater omega 3 to six ratio than pasteurized milk. Research has found that uncooked milk incorporates 62% extra omega-3 fat and 25% fewer omega-6 fat in comparison with standard milk.⁵
• Calcium — Milk is without doubt one of the most well-known sources of calcium, a mineral which will assist promote stronger bones and tooth. Furthermore, calcium from cow’s milk is definitely absorbed by your physique.⁶
• Assorted nutritional vitamins and minerals — Raw milk incorporates nutritional vitamins A, B, C, D and E together with minerals such magnesium, phosphorus and iron,⁷ all of which can assist improve your well being.

The Difference Between Raw Milk and Pasteurized Milk

Raw, unpasteurized milk is derived from cows which can be raised in an open pasture, free from herbicides and different poisonous chemical compounds that may negatively have an effect on the ultimate product. The look of grass fed natural milk is kind of completely different — it often has a yellowish coloration, versus the pure white look that most individuals are acquainted with. This coloration comes from the carotenoids in the grass that cows eat.⁸

On the opposite hand, pasteurized milk implies that the liquid has undergone pasteurization, a heating course of named after Louis Pasteur. While working as a professor and dean on the University of Lille in 1862, he spent his free time determining find out how to forestall alcoholic drinks from turning bitter as a result of invasion of micro organism. Eventually, his experiments have been a hit and the strategy was adopted to suit the milk business.⁹

In idea, pasteurization could seem useful, nevertheless it really reduces the standard of milk. It additionally destroys the naturally occurring lactic acid bacilli that may profit your digestive system. As a outcome, the method creates a clean slate the place dangerous micro organism can proliferate, inflicting digestive issues when consumed.¹⁰ The Raw Milk Institute lists various detrimental results that pasteurization has on milk:¹¹

• Reduces the bioavailability of calcium¹²
• Reduces nutritional vitamins A, B complicated, C and E,^13,14 in addition to minerals like copper and iron¹⁵
• Destroys beta-lactoglobulin, thereby lowering intestinal absorption of nutritional vitamins A and D^16,17
• Renders useful enzymes, together with anti-inflammatory alkaline phosphatase, inactivate¹⁸

Is Raw Milk Safe to Drink?

The essential factor you must think about is the standard of the product and the way it’s made. For uncooked milk to be deemed secure, the cows have to be wholesome and organically raised in a pasture to assist decrease the quantity of poisonous herbicides and pesticides. This helps decrease the dangers related to consuming uncooked milk. According to the Raw Milk Institute:¹⁹

“… [R]aw milk that’s rigorously and deliberately produced for direct human consumption is a low-risk meals. This sort of uncooked milk is wholly completely different from uncooked milk being produced in unhygienic situations.

Raw milk supposed for direct human consumption is produced in sanitary situations, with a lot care to make sure that the animals are wholesome and that the milk is clear. This sort of uncooked milk is examined typically and held to rigorous requirements to make sure that it’s being produced in a manner that daunts pathogen development.”

They add that so long as farmers bear correct coaching and cling to cautious manufacturing practices and ongoing testing, uncooked milk is a “low-risk meals.”

A Guide On Where to Buy Raw Milk

One of the perfect methods to ensure you are shopping for secure, high-quality uncooked milk is to seek out a neighborhood natural farm that makes a speciality of this product. If doable, meet with the homeowners of the farm to get an thought on how their milk is produced. Here are a few information questions that can assist you decide if the milk comes from wholesome cows:

• Does the farmer and their total household drink the milk themselves?
• Are the cows fed with pure grass on a pasture? If not, what are they feeding the cows?
• What situations are the cows raised in? Do they appear wholesome?
• Is the milk instantly chilled after gathering?
• Does the farmer check their milk for pathogens, and might they show that their product has a low pathogenic inhabitants?
• How lengthy has the farmer been in enterprise producing uncooked milk?
• Is the farm accredited with sanitation requirements? On a associated notice, does the farm have a historical past of sanitation issues?
• Are cows given antibiotics and development hormones? (Remember, natural requirements don’t permit this apply.)

You can examine the Raw Milk Institute’s itemizing for a supply of this useful meals. If there are not any suppliers close to you, take a look at the Real Milk Finder²⁰ and GetRawMilk.com.²¹

Frequently Asked Questions About Raw Milk

Q: How lengthy does uncooked milk final?

A: Raw milk can final wherever between seven to 10 days, nevertheless it should be saved at an optimum temperature of 36 to 38 levels Fahrenheit (2.2 to three.3 levels Celsius). If the temperature goes increased than the really useful vary, the naturally occurring Lactobacilli will begin producing lactic acid sooner, leading to a bitter taste till the milk turns into spoiled.²²

Q: Can you freeze uncooked milk to delay its lifespan?

A: Yes, it is fully secure to position uncooked milk within the freezer to delay its shelf life. In an experiment carried out by Dr. Weston A. Price, he examined frozen butter after a yr in storage and located no deterioration in high quality.²³

If you propose to retailer uncooked milk for a very long time, the Healthy Home Economist recommends giving the container an excellent shake so the cream will probably be evenly distributed. If utilizing glass containers, it is sensible to maintain the lid partially open to forestall the buildup of strain that may trigger the glass to interrupt.²⁴