Benefits of Raw Milk

Warnings about human consumption of raw cow's milk is nothing new. It's been getting bad press ever since the late 1800s when infected cows were spreading the pathogens that cause tuberculosis, typhoid, and diphtheria. Sounds awful, right? So, public health officials in New York, I believe, started requiring the city's milk supply be pasteurized to make it safe for the public to drink.

Pasteurization is the heating of milk to kill any bacteria or other disease pathogens (germs). There are two ways to pasteurize milk: get it very hot very fast for a short time or bring it up to low heat and hold it there for a longer period of time. The most common method of pasteurization in the United States is the first method...high temp, short time. Raw milk is heated to 161*F for 15 seconds and then cooled. This gives the milk 2-4 weeks of shelf life once it's packaged and 99.99% of any living microorganisms (both harmful and beneficial) are killed. Pasteurization also extends the shelf life of the milk. Clean raw milk has a standard shelf life of 10-14 days. But if you handle it properly (mainly chilling it quickly and keep it very cold), it can stay good for up to a month, just like pasteurized milk.

Hight temp, short time pasteurization can also be bumped up a notch to what is called ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurization. Here the milk is heated to 280*F for just two seconds. This UHT milk can be stored unrefrigerated for 6-9 months, but that's a topic for another day.

So, the impact of the pasteurization requirement in the early 1900s drastically reduced infant death rates and created an over-all healthier population. It was a good thing. Fast forward to today and lots of people are not only drinking raw milk themselves but they're advocating for it and lobbying to get states to ease up on local restrictions. Why? Well, first of all, lots of areas around animal husbandry, sanitation, and food handling have changed since 1900. We have running water and indoor plumbing; public sewer system and water treatment facilities are in place. Everyone has access to thousands of cleaning and disinfectant products and to say we have made major advancements in basic hygiene would be an understatement!

And raw milk is healthy. Read on to browse through a list of the benefits of raw milk.

Raw milk that is unpasteurized may allow people who are lactose intolerant to eat and drink dairy products due to good bacteria that helps the intestines produce enzymes that help your body digest lactose.

Raw milk is not homogenized (which is why you don't see the cream at the top of milk in the grocery store). The lack of processing may be more easily digestible because the fat globules are not broken down, so a person's immune system doesn't go into attack mode.

Raw milk contains probiotics and enzymes that can help your gut biome function more effectively.

Impressive nutritional profile. Full-fat raw milk from cows that spend most of their day grazing green pastures contains high amounts of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, & E, vitamins B & C, calcium, lipase, omega-3 fatty acids, beta-carotene, and beneficial anti-oxidants. It also provides key minerals that are known deficiencies such as magnesium and potassium.

Raw milk can support skin health and has even been known to help ease they symptoms of eczema, psoriasis, and acne.

You can skim the cream off of raw, non-homogenized milk to make butter, whipped cream, coffee creamer, half and half, sour cream, caramels, and ice cream!

Raw milk has been known to contribute to relief from asthma, allergies, and food intolerances.

Raw milk can help support and even strengthen your immune system due to the active pre-biotic organisms, antibodies, and protective proteins.

Raw milk yields better results for cheesemaking due to the unaltered protein structure, enzymes, and natural cultures.

Raw milk from responsible farmers is safe. Milk is obtained and processed in a clean, sanitary, responsible manner. Cows and milk are regularly health and quality tested.

*Bonus!

This is actual feedback from people who get raw milk from us:

• I had not been able to drink store-bought milk in YEARS! I would be so bloated that is caused me pain every time I would try it. I decided to try raw milk because I had heard it may not cause the same problem. I was totally amazed and drink it every day!

• For 10 years I struggled with joint pain, mainly in my knees and some ankles and hips. After drinking raw milk for a few months I noticed the pain, especially first thing in the morning, had eased up. After about a year we quit raw milk because we lost our source. Within a few weeks of drinking store-bought milk the pain was back and very noticeable. I will never switch back to convention dairy again, if I can help it.

Interested in learning more about our raw milk herd share? Click over to our herd share page and read all about it.

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