Nutritional Balancing

I have been doing a fair amount of research in order to keep  you up to date on the truth about raw milk products. And let me tell you, if you read what the FDA  had to say about this wonderfully mineral rich milk product, you would think that you are jeopardizing your life by drinking  this moo juice. And to quote from the FDA website,”Raw milk can harbor dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks to you and your family. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 800 people in the United States have gotten sick from drinking raw milk or eating cheese made from raw milk since 1998. Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized to kill harmful bacteria. This raw, unpasteurized milk can carry dangerous bacteria such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which are responsible for causing numerous illnesses.These harmful bacteria can seriously affect the health of anyone who drinks raw milk, or eats foods made from raw milk. However, the bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune system.”

What I find most shocking here, is the “number – 800 people,”  who have gotten sick since 1998. This made me ponder the question, what about dangers from other foods? To counter the FDA’s gloom and doom report, it made me stop and ask, has the FDA thought about all the millions of people who have gotten sick since 1998 on junk food, processed food, artificial sweeteners, colorings and preservatives, all of which they deem safe.  Nothing we eat is risk-free. Just look at all the other food borne illnesses, such as the 76 million annual cases each year. Between 1990 and 2004, a CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) report showed a much greater risk from consuming the following foods:

31,496 illnesses, 639 outbreaks from produce (38%)
16,280 illnesses, 541 outbreaks from poultry (20%)
13,220 illnesses, 467 outbreaks from beef (16%)
11,027 illnesses, 341 outbreaks from eggs (13%)
9,969 illnesses, 984 outbreaks from seafood (12%)

So what is the truth?

The Benefits of Unpasteurized Milk

Besides the  incredible, rich taste of raw milk products, raw milk is a super food for most people. Unlike pasteurized milk, raw milk provides the following benefits:

• It is full of beneficial gut bacteria that are vital for optimum digestion and immunity.
• Raw milk has the full spectrum of amino acids and is a complete protein.
• Real raw milk–full-fat, unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows–contains vital nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins A and D, calcium, vitamin B₆, B₁2,and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty acid naturally occurring in grass-fed beef and milk that reduces body fat and protects against cancer)
• It boasts numerous nutrients packed with folic acid, B vitamins, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that are mostly or completely destroyed in pasteurization.
• It offers a perfect balance of minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
• Raw milk also has many live enzymes necessary for digesting food and enjoying good health.
• It also contains compounds that combat arthritis, cholesterol, and arterial stiffening.

Furthermore, statistics show that children growing up on farms are less likely to develop allergies.  In a study at the University of London, children were given two glasses of raw milk a week. Their incidence of developing hay fever was cut by 10 per cent and eczema by 38 per cent. Last year, a Swiss study of nearly 15,000 European children showed that those who drank raw milk had lower rates of asthma and allergies.

Generally, most people have found when consuming raw milk products, that profound health improvements naturally occur. For instance, many people report clearer skin, better digestion, increased respiratory function, boosted immunity,  fewer allergies and improved energy and overall health.

Pasteurizing Milk

Many claim that pasteurization, where milk is heated for short periods followed by rapid cooling, destroys the nutritional content of milk. Pasteurization dismantles lactase, an enzyme that helps digest the milk-sugar lactose, meaning that lactose-intolerant individuals can drink raw milk but not pasteurized milk. This process also renders calcium more difficult for the body to absorb.  And today, milk may even be ultra-pasteurized, where it is heated at higher temperatures for even longer periods of time. The industry says this is necessarry due to heat resistant organisms that might pass traditional pasteurization.Moreover, ultrapasteurization gives  milk a longer shelf life–up to four weeks.

How to purchase raw milk?

Presently, there are only eight states allow raw milk to be sold in stores for human consumption — Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maine, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, New Mexico and Washington. In Florida, you can get around the law as long as the milk is marked as pet food.  In some of the many states where purchasing raw milk is illegal, you can cow share and actually buy your own cow. I recommend that you visit realmilk.com website for additional information on raw milk and where you can purchase this food that is filled with healthy unprocessed fat, especially good for children who require extra nutrient rich foods during their growing years.

Another new trend is “milk clubs,” where folks take turns driving to farms to purchase milk for everyone else. There are also black market delivery services that sell raw milk products in varying neighborhoods. So what is one to do? Before purchasing raw milk products, get to know your farmer. Ask questions, such as are the cows mostly on pasture? Are the animals and barn kept clean? And once the cows are milked,  is the milk  transfered to stainless steel tanks or clean containers where it is kept chilled?  After that the milk should be used within a week as it will begin to sour( though it is not dangerous when it does so.) With all of these suggestions, give this raw moo juice a try. It is a healthy, safe and nutritious food.