What would you call a dairy product that has been pasteurized? “Udder bullshit.”
'Make milk raw again' is one of my wishes for the future!
Not only 'make milk raw again’, but stopping altogether the trend that dairy is bad for us.
Childhood consumption of raw milk correlates with higher pulmonary (lung) function and lowers incidences of allergic disease in adults. This is my first sales point but there are many more, so hang on!
All we know is pasteurized, ultra-pasteurized, and homogenized. Raw milk has been forgotten by the common folk. But it used to be the only thing around when there weren’t all the rules and regulations to ‘protect’ everybody.
Once milk is heated to remove pathogens and bacteria, it is a chemically altered substance. And of course, the one thing modern society loves most, it will last for weeks on end in our beloved fridge, but now without the health benefits that it had.
The resultant, denatured milk:
Is more difficult to digest
Has a reduced nutritional quality
Has had the naturally occurring, beneficial bacteria destroyed
While milk in its RAW, living form:
Complements and supports our digestive system via good bacteria and more than 60 live enzymes.
May protect against a range of health conditions such as asthma, allergies, eczema, respiratory infection and tooth decay.
May protect against immune-mediated diseases.
Is high in healthy fats.
Some more nutritional facts and benefits of RAW milk
It contains Vitamin A as in retinol, B2, B5, B12, D3, E & K2
Has plenty of bioavailable calcium, magnesium, potassium, iodine and phosphorus
Contains CLA – An omega fatty acid with impressive effects on everything from insulin resistance to cancer to cardiovascular diseases
Contains all eight essential amino acids
Raw Milk is a delicious superfood!
One of my favorite aspects of milk is that it is an ecologically favorable source of calcium that we need for a fast metabolism, happy thyroid and parathyroid, as well as a strong bones.
When there is not enough calcium in our diet and we have low blood calcium, parathyroid hormones ramp up and tell our body to remove calcium from the bones to maintain a normal amount of calcium in the blood. Our blood is being closely regulated all day everyday and it is the last thing to give. So by the time you see an imbalance in your blood work, the resulting osteoporosis may have started ages ago. We want our parathyroid gland to be low to prevent inflammation, calcification of soft tissue, and decreased respiratory energy production. Calcium, Vitamin D and Magnesium keep your parathyroid to a minimum.
“When PTH (parathormone) is kept low, cells increase their formation of the uncoupling proteins that cause mitochondria to use energy at a higher rate, and this is associated with decreased activity of the fatty acid synthase enzymes.
These changes are clearly related to the anti-obesity effect of calcium, but those enzymes are important for many other problems.
The “metabolic syndrome,” that involves diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, is associated with high PTH (Ahlström, et al., 2009; Hjelmesaeth, et al., 2009).” Ray Peat.
But raw milk has so many other perks!
The protein, sugar and fat compositions of milk cause it to be digested efficiently, supporting the good bacteria in our digestive system.
In recent years there have been studies showing that regular milk drinkers are less fat than people who don't drink it. This is most likely due to the high calcium content which speeds up your thyroid and kick starts your metabolism which in return helps you lose weight. Another factor is the high-quality protein and saturated fat present in milk. It stops cravings of foods you shouldn't give to your body.
Maybe one of the most controversial: Combining milk with fruits.
Unlike the common unscientific belief that this causes digestive upset, milk or cheese in combination with fruit reduces stress! The additional sugar, potassium and other minerals allow the milk protein to be used more efficiently by moderating the secretion of cortisol and the parathyroid hormones.
Milk is a complete food containing all macronutrients
1 cup of raw milk:
Active protein: 8 grams
Saturated Fat: 8 grams
Easily digestible sugars: 12 grams
If you are a busy person that hasn’t much time to cook, have 2 cups of milk for lunch or snack! Kefir is another wonderful option as it is predigested. Add some fruits to it for extra minerals and vitamins.
Lactose intolerant?
When milk is consumed in the raw form it facilitates the production of lactase enzyme in the intestinal tract. A lot of people who are lactose intolerant are able to consume raw dairy without any problems.
The key here is that you need to start slow. By slow, I mean start out with 1 tsp the first day, then slowly increase over the week and find your sweet spot. For some people ½ cup of milk a day is all they can do. Others can work up to a quart per day safely.
But you heard raw milk contains harmful bacteria?!
There are two types of raw milk:
One is meant for human consumption. With this type, the farmers take excellent care of their cows.
The second is raw milk that is meant to be pasteurized. Those farmers know that the milk will be heated to kill bacteria and they don’t clean the udders well.
So when you get your raw milk, just know your farmer. Ask them questions about their milking process. If you buy it raw in the store it has been tested for pathogens already.
In Texas, between 1998 and 2010, only two people contracted food-borne illness attributed to raw milk. NEITHER was hospitalized, indicating relatively minor illness.
But listen to this:
In the same time period, according to the CDC data people became ill, 27 people were hospitalized, and 3 died from pasteurized milk!
“In a recent study of 69,796 hospitalized newborns, a diagnosis of cow's milk allergy was made in 0.21% of them. Among those whose birthweight had been less than a kilogram, 0.35% of them were diagnosed with the milk allergy. Gastrointestinal symptoms were the main reason for the diagnosis, but a challenge test to confirm the diagnosis was used in only 15% of the participating hospitals, and a lymphocyte stimulation test was used in only 5.5% of them (Miyazawa, et al., 2009). There are many publications about milk allergies, but they generally involve a small group of patients, and the tests they use are rarely evaluated on healthy control subjects.” Ray Peat
There are many other reasons why somebody may be sensitive to store bought milk.
Reduced fat contents in milk is required to have added synthetic Vitamin D and Vitamin A. These synesthetic vitamins in themselves can cause an allergic reaction. So it may not be the milk at all. Whole milk is likely to be free of allergens.
Unfortunately, thickening agents are used in skimmed milk to make it more smooth and thick, but those gums and/or fake gelatins like carrageenan are powerful allergens that can cause “pseudo-latex allergy” (Tarlo, et al., 1995).
Which milk to get.
Grass-fed, organic or conventional?
It is always best to get milk from pasture raised animals that have not been fed soy and corn. Grasses are the perfect nutrient the animal needs to make nutrient dense milk for their offspring, and us. The next best is free range with alfalfa as their main feeding source and some additional grains. In conventional milk, by comparison, the nutrition profile is highly reduced by bad quality feed, water and lack of sun exposure. It would still be better to drink conventional milk than fake milks like almond, oat, hemp or soy.
Cow, Goat, Sheep or Camel Milk?
Camel milk seems to work the best for the most sensitive people. Goat milk is the next best option. Sheep milk is hard to get but also a great option. Cow’s milk tends to be the least tolerated but some people have no issue with it whatsoever.
If you like dairy, I highly suggest you try adding it back to your diet.
If you only have access to pasteurized milk it's ok too, if you can stomach it.
What is every cow’s favorite movie? The sound of MOO-sic
Where to get raw milk?
You can look online and have it shipped to you. Some states allow raw milk. Often, it is sold as pet food. It usually goes through the same quality standards, and still gets tested for diseases.
There are raw milk Facebook groups and you can ask if anybody near you sells it out the door.
If you find a raw milk source and you don’t like the taste, please try again. Each animal breed, feed, and farming technique produces different flavors.
Even switching milk or cheese brands can make a big difference if you didn’t tolerate one. For example, some cheeses are made with genetically modified rennet, and folks react to the rennet not the cheese. So try other brands.
Keep hacking your way to true health and nourishment!
Here are some amazing resources for you!
http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/milk.shtml
Am J Clin Nutr. 2008 Oct;88(4):877-85. Dairy calcium supplementation in overweight or obese persons: its effect on markers of fat metabolism. Bortolotti M, Rudelle S, Schneiter P, Vidal H, Loizon E, Tappy L, Acheson KJ.
J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Dec;24(6 Suppl):569S-73S. The myth of increased lactose intolerance in African-Americans. Byers KG, Savaiano DA.
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