The federal government banned the sale of raw milk across state lines about three decades ago. There are presently about a dozen states where you can purchase raw milk at a retail store, and there are another dozen where all unpasteurized dairy products are illegal. A significant number now allow direct-to-consumer sales of raw milk, and Colorado’s raw milk bill was working its way through the Legislature earlier this year but was scuttled this spring due to several issues, an Avian flu panic being one of them. So, if you’re going to buy raw milk in Colorado, a herd share is the only way, which makes it more complicated for the farmer and more expensive for the consumer.
Some folks look at the price of real milk vs the skimmed-down, watery, pasteurized variety at the grocery store and get sticker shock, but it’s not possible to compare the two. Grocery store milk is just a beverage, and real raw milk is a thick, creamy, nutritionally dense food source that contains all 18 fatty acids, all 22 amino acids, and every known fat and water-soluble vitamin and mineral in their complete, bioavailable forms. The high heat used in pasteurization destroys, denatures, or inhibits the uptake of most of that amazing goodness.
“Those who think they have no time for healthy eating will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~ Edward Stanley.
We recently entered a herd share agreement with a small dairy operation in Colorado, and I have fallen in love with real milk, like being a kid all over again. Grocery store milk has all the fat spun off in a centrifuge. They heat it (pasteurization) until most of the nutrition is destroyed before enriching it with lab-created vitamin D3. Then they add the fat back in various amounts or not to produce skim milk, 1%, 2%, whole, lactose-free, or whatever, but it’s not milk anymore it’s just a dairy drink.
Safety First
They say it’s to keep us safe, but I’d rather not have those decisions made for me, especially when it means destroying one of the most perfect foods in the Great Wide World. Pasteurization destroys 50% of the vitamins and minerals in milk and 90% of the enzymes. All the fatty acids and many of the amino acids are compromised, and the Lactase needed to break down Lactose is gone, leading to intolerance.
Raw milk contains healthy bacteria that inhibit the growth of dangerous organisms, and without these good bacteria, pasteurized milk is susceptible to contamination. Modern equipment makes it possible to bring clean, raw milk to the market anywhere. We’ve been led to believe that milk is a good source of calcium when pasteurization makes calcium and other minerals less available. Destruction of phosphatase is one method of testing to see if milk has been adequately pasteurized. Phosphatase is essential for the absorption of calcium.
“When diet is wrong, medicine is of no use. When diet is correct, medicine is of no need.” – Ayurvedic Proverb
Since we started on our raw milk journey, I have noticed an improvement in some areas of inflammation, as well as a bone spur in my heel that I’ve been dealing with for a while. Perhaps my calcium homeostasis is adjusting well to the addition of the thick, creamy white goodness that has been added to my diet. When you mention raw milk, many people gasp and utter ridiculous responses like, “You can die from drinking raw milk!” The truth is that there are far more risks from drinking pasteurized milk than unpasteurized milk.
There have been hundreds of foodborne illness outbreaks in the last few years for melons, peaches, lettuce, and other various fruits and veggies, and folks have died. Why do they want us to be so afraid of real milk? I think it’s incredible that the government believes they can dictate whether we should be allowed to consume a superfood that has been used for health and sustenance for thousands of years.”
The FDA says that “healthy people can get sick or even die if they drink contaminated raw milk.” Well, I have some news for the FDA. Healthy people can get sick or even die if they eat any contaminated food. All products carry risks, but that doesn’t mean their sale should be outlawed. Should folks only be allowed to buy well-done steaks or fully-cooked chicken breasts, and should fruits and veggies all be sprayed with disinfectant? Umm – NO!