“Raw Milk—the Real Deal”

The delectable, creamy taste of 100% non-pasteurized, straight from a cow, pure milk is an extremely healthy and more flavorful alternative to regular store-bought milk. For thousands of years, people from many different cultures and lifestyles ate and drank raw dairy, receiving from it the full health benefits that it provides. Although, it is reasonable for those who have never tasted raw milk or those with low immune systems to be wary of consuming it due to the possibility of infection or disease, such as E-coli or Salmonella. The need for pasteurization, however, resulted from incidents such as unsanitary farming procedures and maltreatment of the milking cows as urban areas increased, which lead to contamination of the milk in the first place. Nowadays major farms are required to surpass a certain sanitary code which did not exist in the 19th or much of the 20th century. But why do so many people today have low immune systems to fight even minor infections? It could be due to the fact that they have not nourished their bodies with a sufficient amount of minerals and healthful enzymes that it needs and that are found in raw milk.

Researchers have found that the risk of infection or illness for someone after consuming raw milk is very minute in comparison with the causes of annual food-related illnesses. Although pasteurization can kill bad bacteria or infection, it kills good bacteria and necessary nutrients as well. A reason people could be in danger of sickness from raw milk in the first place is because their immune system is weak. Contrary to popular belief, raw milk significantly boosts your immune system and is loaded with calcium, magnesium and other vitamins of which many Americans are deficient. It also reduces allergies, increases growth in bone structure due to high calcium, and is beneficial for dental health. Kefir made with raw milk is the one of the best probiotics in the world and is found among the healthiest cultures on earth. Many people have found that moisturizer made from raw milk can benefit skin ailments like eczema and acne because of the high amount of healthy fats which exist prior to pasteurization and provides plentiful hydration.

Pasteurization, a process integrated into the U.S. in the 1890’s, was invented by Louis Pasteur. In this process, raw milk is heated at an extremely high temperature killing all nutritious enzymes in the milk, and it decreases the amount of vitamins and nutrients that all milk should and initially does have. These important enzymes, which are non-existent in pasteurized milk, provide significant digestive qualities. Due to this lack of digestive enzymes, people often become lactose intolerant, in other words, they cannot properly digest “lactose”, the natural sweetener found in milk.

Sadly, in many states it is illegal to purchase raw milk straight from a farm. My family in Virginia, for instance, have to buy a share of a cow and only then are able to receive the milk from that cow. After drinking raw milk at my own house, I was given a glass of store-bought milk at a friend’s house for the first time in years, and I experienced a flavorless sensation of a watered down version of milk that I couldn’t believe was what the average person normally drank. Although raw milk is a very good health supplement, it is important to ensure that the farm from which it comes is sanitary and that the cows are healthy and grass-fed so that the milk is at no risk of contamination.