Consuming raw milk is becoming more popular in North America. I've got a source for it here, and have been researching more into it. It is very difficult to find reasonable, objective information. But, it seems that, like most things in life, it's about a risk/benefit ratio. Are there *some* risks to drinking raw milk? Yes. Are there some benefits? Yes. Apparently the rate of asthma, allergies, and eczema are much lower (3% vs 13%) among the raw milk drinking population. Stomach illnesses are also reported to be less. And, from what I've read, the risk of becoming sick from consuming deli meats is about 10 times higher than the risk of becoming sick from raw milk. However, since raw milk has normal bacteria in it, your gut must be prepared. Eating plain, live culture yogurt for about a week before starting raw milk should suffice.
For what it's worth, milk naturally contains the enzymes necessary to process lactose. Pasteurization kills those. People who are lactose intolerant can drink raw milk without trouble.
And finally, if you're interested in benefiting from raw milk, but a little nervous about the potential risks, you can try low-temp pasteurization at home - heat the milk to 140F and keep it there for 30 min. Cool rapidly, and put it in the fridge. You won't gain all of the benefits, but you'll avoid some of the risks too. That's what I've done for my family.
I think finding a raw milk source is generally done quietly, by asking around. Farmers can get in BIG trouble otherwise....
Funny, eh? You can buy raw meat, and raw eggs, but not raw milk.
Raw milk some of the time here. Mainly from a cost perspective and the girls really love it. It is jersery milk, so is extra creamy. Not sure if the girls are better for it and I really wish it was organic. The amount of chemicals etc used in conventional dairy farming is quite scary.
I'm not confident to drink raw milk but I did buy some lovely jersey pasteurised, non-homogenised milk the other day. It's expensive compared to normal "milk" but wow! This is the real stuff I remember from childhood. Real milk in a bottle you need to shake to get the cream to mix. It was delicious.
I've been reading about the risks with raw milk and having milked cows before and seen some of what's involved, I'm not sure I'll take the risk.
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