Where have you been all my life, raw milk?
Drinking milk in adulthood is not a common practice in most of the world. Americans love their milk, however, and I am no exception. Venturing to the store presents a dizzying array of options, ranging from whole to skim, and a host of milk substitutes and artificial milks thrown in for good measure. One thing almost all of the milk in the grocery store had in common was the distance from the real, fresh product.
Pasteurized milk is cooked in an effort to preserve and purify. This doesn’t come without a steep cost. From realmilk.com:
If we are to be compelled to drink pasteurized milk, we should at least understand what pasteurization means. It set out to accomplish two things: Destruction of certain disease-carrying germs and the prevention of souring milk. These results are obtained by keeping the milk at a temperature of 145 degrees to 150 degrees F. for half an hour, at least, and then reducing the temperature to not more than 55 degrees F.”
It is undoubtedly beneficial to destroy dangerous germs, but pasteurization does more than this-it kills off harmless and useful germs alike, and by subjecting the milk to high temperatures, destroys some nutritious constituents.
Ughh. This sounds eerily similar to the food processing routine in which our whole foods are stripped of their most beneficial qualities along the way. I stay away from packaged foods for this very reason and have been preaching the same to you. From nourishedkitchen.com:
“As a living food, raw milk is rich in beneficial bacteria. These bacteria are critical to your health; indeed, beneficial bacteria are so critical to human health that you cannot live without them. These bacteria are responsible for stimulating and training your immune system to function correctly. They also work in conjunction with your immune system to keep pathogenic bacteria at bay.
So I’m sold on the value of raw versus pasteurized, but you know me, taste is king. I couldn’t help but think that I was going to have a tough time adjusting to the taste and consistency of raw. I found myself hypothesizing that it must be like trying whole wheat pasta after eating the fully enriched stuff (I don’t eat either these days, by the way).
It has been unseasonably warm here in Socal (sorry, Boston) so when I drove by Sprouts, one of the only outlets carrying raw milk in these parts, I popped in to see if they had a container to quench my thirst. Boo ya.
Ice cold and straight from the carton, this raw, whole, sweet creaminess was far superior to any milk product I’d experienced.
I’m wondering if I just got California’s best batch or something. The stuff is downstairs in my fridge, and I can’t wait for tomorrow to take a big gulp. Could this stuff really be good for me?
I found so much positive data out there I could have shared a book. Here’s another nugget from Chris Kresser:
There is substantial epidemiological evidence from studies in Europe that consumption of raw milk during childhood may protect against asthma, allergies and other immune-mediated diseases. A large cross-sectional study demonstrated a significant inverse association between “farm milk” consumption and childhood asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, sensitization to pollen and other allergens. (9) While we must always remember that correlation does not prove causation, the findings were consistent across children from farming and non-farming environments, indicating that farm milk consumption may have had an independent effect on allergy development.
So are there any other arguments for buying the stuff off the grocery store shelf? Apparently the homogenization process distributes the natural cream evenly throughout the milk for drinking. Guess what else does this quite well? Shaking it. No mechanical process needed.
Data and research aside, raw milk fits comfortably into my philosophy around food. I want it in its original form, as nature intended it, whenever possible. When our consumption includes products that have been processed, in this case pasteurized and homogenized, our bodies don’t recognize it as well and can’t utilize its nutrients as efficiently.
Case in point, leave pasteurized, homogenized milk out too long, and you’ll notice it spoils and stinks. The raw milk will transform into a probiotic-rich, yogurt like food. Ahhhh, nature’s tricks.
Give it a shot,
Kap
Danny says
How long is the raw milk good for ?
Viva la Kap!!
rawmilkmike says
Danny, raw milk lasts indefinitely but it does sour in 2 to 4 weeks.
Diego Forlan says
http://skeptoid.com/mobile/4383
Gabe Kapler says
Thank you, Diego. As with any hot button topic, there are those on all sides of the issue. Appreciate the share.
Gabe Kapler says
Danny, my man-
When kept at the optimal temperature of 36-38° F. (2.2-3.3°C.) you can expect fresh raw milk to last from 7-10 days. Higher temperatures allow the normally occurring lactobacilli to get busy making lactic acid, which gives soured milk its characteristically tangy taste and reduces its shelf life. Bring a cooler bag and ice or gel packs with you when buying milk on hot summer days or if you have a long drive home – it’ll stay fresher tasting longer.
Kap
Mike says
Any reason you’re not eating even whole wheat pasta right now? I’ve got two toddlers at home and it’s a quick fix meal in our regular rotation.
rawmilkmike says
Today’s wheat is not healthy. Google wheat belly.
Gabe Kapler says
I’ll post on this, Mike. Thank you.
rawmilkmike says
60% of American adults can not tolerate dairy products(what we call lactose intolerant) but only a very few Americans are true lactose malabsorbers and most of them are not lactose intolerant. That is why most lactose intolerant people have no problem drinking raw milk and why all this talk about genes is nonsense. Also if you’re allergic, raw milk cured my hay fever and food allergies. It also cured my wife’s cat allergy.
rawmilkmike says
Milk was originally pasteurized because homogenization would have otherwise caused the milk fat to go rancid in a matter of hours. It has never had anything to do with so called foodborne pathogens.
rawmilkmike says
Milk is now homogenized at over 14,000 PSI so pasteurization really becomes a moot point.
Depending on your current health, if you drink at least a quart of raw milk a day, it is possible to start seeing the health benefits in a matter of days. It’s safety is proven in a matter of months.
Gabe Kapler says
Thank you for your comments, RMM.
Ian Casselberry says
Here’s something on the safety guidelines and standards that are currently applied to raw milk producers. http://modernfarmer.com/2014/04/reducing-dangers-raw-milk/
Gabe Kapler says
Much appreciated, Ian.
Darin says
This blog just gets better all the time. Glad to be checking in more often. This post and subsequent discussion has motivated me to get over the hump and finally try raw milk. Kap, hope you find time to write more baseball pieces too. Either way, thanks for these articles!
dbreer23 says
My wife and I have been pondering raw milk to help combat allergies (both seasonal and year-round) as well as for its overall health benefits. Looks like I’m going by Sprouts on my way home from work tonight – thanks, Kap! Well timed…
rawmilkmike says
Well, there are other healthy foods out there but a quart of raw milk a day cured my hay fever, food allergies, sensitivity to dust, and my wife’s cat allergy.
Terri Torrez says
I’m a big milk drinker. Unfortunately it’s not legal to sell raw milk (or raw milk cheeses) in many states, including mine. I have to settle for pasteurized milk from a local dairy. On the plus side, they pasteurize at a lower temp and for less time than grocery store milk. And it gets delivered in glass bottles; no cardboard cartons here.
Duncan Pohl says
I grew up drinking raw milk. We had a dairy deliver it fresh a couple times a week. Settling for pasteurized milk was a big jump for me – and don’t even think about offering me low or non fat milk – bleah! There is nothing better than raw milk, I had far less allergies and the taste is so much better. And rather than mix the cream in before drinking, my Mom would often skim the cream off of the top and whip it into fresh cream for topping our fruit and vegetables. If you think raw milk tastes so much better than pasteurized, wait until you taste fresh cream!
Mae Lynn Arlinghaus says
I’m lucky enough to have a farm down the road that sells raw milk. I bought a half gallon the other day while buying some yogurt. Then I came home and read the Internet and it scared me to death. Then I started reading about how to pasteurize it at home so as not to kill my family. Now I’ve read someone I trust and I feel good again. Thanks, Gabe.