According to the Food and Drug Administration, you should not drink raw milk. Raw milk hasn’t been pasteurized, “which means there could still be harmful bacteria like E. Coli that are still in it,” reports Nadia Crow from Fox28.com. Some people believe that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized store-bought milk; however, experts say it is just the opposite. In Michigan, 12 people got sick just this month from drinking raw milk that came from a dairy farm in Middlebury.
By drinking raw milk you take the risk of being exposed to bacteria coming from the farm. Pasteurization kills these pathogens that would possibly be in the milk, without affecting the nutrients. Dairy Nutrition Council Dede Hausmann says, “Some people get drinking raw milk confused with being organic…Organic milk is based on how the cows are raised. And organic milk is still pasteurized.” People who have grown up on a dairy farm and have been drinking raw milk all their lives seem to have an immunity to pathogens in the milk, but most people do not, which makes drinking raw milk a “serious health threat,” reports Crow.
Have any further questions or concerns about what type of milk you should drink? Find a doctor near you who can help.
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The FDA also warns against eating raw veggies. Funny, there are no laws restricting that. It’s interesting that small dairy farmers can produce clean, unpasteurized milk, while the industrial producers can’t. That’s because they can’t maintain the same level of cleanliness and rely on pasteurization to make their milk drinkable. Perhaps that’s the reason they bash raw milk.
Hey MJ, Thanks for reading!
I was just talking to a nutritionist the other day, and she actually recommended raw milk over normal pasteurized milk…so perhaps you are right about why the FDA says to stay away from raw milk.
I’ve looked at a great deal of research, while listening to both sides of the raw milk agrument. There seems to be valid information suggesting raw milk is much more nutritious than processed milk. There’s even some research linking homogenized milk to heart disease due to the molecular changes to the fat cells and the way those cells are processed by our bodies.
Oh wow. I myself haven’t researched the topic much, but now I’m definitely interested in looking into it more. Thanks for the tips MJ!
There’s no shortage of info regarding raw milk. Some sources are better (and more valid) than others, however. The Weston A. Price Foundation is a good place to start….decades of world-wide research concerning healthy eating, not just raw milk. I went organic and started drinking raw milk last summer in part to address some health concerns. My diet changes have had a great effect on my overall health. Some chronic issues have all but disappeared.
Well I’ll have to check that out! Glad to hear your diet changes have helped your health.
You should come visit my raw milk facebook page. You will find a lot of good information there – I just posted a link to this article hope the fans are nice to you. Sounds like you just need more information on the subject! Good luck on your journey
Anji,
Thanks for reading! I just checked out your facebook page, found lots of good information! Thank you
Raw milk should be consumed only after personally checking out the dairy farm it is coming from. The large dairy conglomerates are so scary, and it would be a milk-suicide if one were to drink their milk (and eat the meat, etc etc). In fact, good small milk farms are so incredibly consistent with the testing and making sure the product is healthy, that I would never go anywhere else. Besides, once you’ve tried raw milk, you know how it’s supposed to actually taste!
Here is a wonderful chart that describes conventional vs. organic vs. raw. I love coming back to it once in a while. The part under food safety about pathogens related to antibiotic use is crazy!
http://www.organicpastures.com/whyraw.html
Hey Analiesa,
Thanks for the tips! And that chart has a lot of good information! You weren’t kidding about the food safety part being crazy!!
raw milk can also be state certified to verify that the bacteria counts are no higher than that of pasteurized milk. in Massachusetts, they have state certified farms that are regulated. meaning your chance of e coli poisoning, or listeria, or anything else, is actually lower in raw milk. raw milk actually has bacteria that kills off e coli and listeria, so that if it gets contaminated, you still might not get sick. it’s a crazy world out there in the realm of safe and unsafe foods. I think you should do more research before putting out info like this in such a manner. raw milk cows are also fed grass, not grain, making them far less likely to have e coli, as e coli is an intestinal bacteria that flourishes in unhealthy guts, but not nearly as often in healthy, grass-fed cows. organic does not equal grass-fed, and grass-fed is far superior in nutrients, fat, and quality.
Hey Cassi,
Thanks for all the helpful information! I’ve definitely learned a lot more about raw milk since initially posting this.