Saturday May 17th, 2008
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Got Raw Milk?
Posted by Su Avasthi on April 11, 2008 - 4:17pm.
I'm not exaggerating when I say that I haven't had a glass of milk for about 25 years. I know that milk can strengthen my bones, replenish lost vitamin and generally do a body good, but personally, I don't much like the stuff.
So, I'm essentially on the sidelines when it comes to the increasingly intense (and interesting) battle of the milks.
The question comes down to this: Is raw milk -- which can harbor dangerous pathogens -- healthier than the homogenized, pasteurized stuff, which is possibly loaded with chemicals and hormones?
For decades, government health officials have insisted that raw, untreated milk is a health hazard. Since 1998, it has sickened thousands (and killed a few) by harboring hazardous strains of bacteria, such as salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, and others.
Some 20 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration banned interstate sale of raw milk and in many states, selling it is against the law. So much for milk's ultra-wholesome image.
In states where raw milk isn't considered contraband, however, people are increasingly joining the raw milk movement. According to a recent Associated Press article, the demand for raw milk is exploding, due to concerns about the hormones and chemicals found in conventional milk.
Raw milk advocates -- who are willing to pay upwards of $5 a gallon -- claim that the pasteurization process, which involves heat, denatures proteins and enzymes that help the body absorb nutrients. They also say that conventional milk gives them digestive problems and causes them to feel sick. And let's face it, the antibiotics and synthetic growth hormones used in modern dairy practices are, even at a cursory level, downright unsettling.
Most scientists, health officials and food safety activists say that concerns pasteurization are not backed up by science. According to the FDA and Centers for Disease Control, however, pasteurization has no effect on milk's taste or nutritional value.
In any case, this is one of those debates that's likely to remain unresolved for years to come. Fortunately, there's an easy solution for those of us who think the point is moooot see the downsides of both options: Most grocery stores now devote an entire aisle to the many varieties of soy, rice and almond milk.
Topics:
- Food
- almond milk
- artificial growth hormones
- bacteria
- CDC
- conventional milk
- dairy
- dairy farming
- dairy industry
- E. Coli
- FDA
- Food and Drug Administration
- food poisioning
- Listeria
- Milk
- raw milk
- rice milk
- salmonella
- soy milk
I just recently learned about this at a nutrition lecture.
More information can be found at the Westin A Price foundation www.westinaprice.org
Peace.
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www.sunshineorganics.net
www.holisticmoms.org
www.novaccine.com
Many of our clients drink raw milk and love it! The person who posted the previous comment misspelled the link to Dr. Weston Price's Foundation. You can find many articles about his research on raw milk as well as whole foods. http://www.westonaprice.org
You can also find information on this and other whole food information in our new book, the Liberation Diet-the healthiest diet in America http://theliberationdiet.com
I, for one, have been unable to digest products made from Pasturized milk only as of late. maybe the last 10 years ....as a kid, and into my mid twenties..I drank gallons of the stuff, ate pounds of cheeses,ice cream, sour cream,cream cheese, dips, etc.... ANYTHING made from cow's milk with no problem at all....so now after the Governnebt decided that they knew better and allowed larger dairy conglomerates to add hormones to produce MORE milk to increase profits for their companies....I have at the ripe old age of 47 yrs,discovered that I am not able to digest ANY kind of dairy anymore....nothing...zip, nada, zilch....any dairy caused intense pain and problems...I decided to turn to a Vegan lifestyle to remedy the "Problem"...and gave up my beloved cheeses...I decided enough was enough...If the government wanted to "save us from our selves" by adding hormones to cattle feed, and kill all the living elements of the basid milk itself,...I would find an alternative.Soy cheese, rice cheese, almond cheese..you name it, I tried it....nothing tasted like cheese, or had a comparable texture........nothing tasted like I wanted it to.....then I was informed about " Raw" milk cheese...and lo and behold....I could really enjoy cheese agin...I MEAN REALLY....no bloating, constipation, digestive issues...etc...I am convinced that "heat processing" (pasturization) was the problem ...without the active enzymes found naturally in the dairy...I could not properly digest the foods...( A SIDE NOTE...MOST RAW MILK FARMERS DO NOT USE ANIMAL BY-PRODUCT FEEDS, OR HORMONES...AND THE ANIMALS TEND TO BE FREE RANGE)....I am one who has decided to make the switch to RAW...REGARDLESS OF THE LAW...I will take full responsibily if (IF..) I happen to come down with Listeria, salmonella, or any other "horrible" side effect of choosing Raw over the "dead" alternative....Pasturized milk and it's by products...thankfully I live in NY state where we have several licensed "Raw" milk providers...when will the Government finally see that in the end run, it is the consumers who will decide what is best for themselves and their family's health, and allow dairies to decide how they choose to sell their product.I am tired of our "Government" deciding what is best for my family and enacting laws that dictate the best way to feed them with the lowest chance of lawsuites.....If I choose to raise my family on RAW milk...I have no intention on suing, if they feel sick ( which they WON'T) after having a glass of "real" milk.....then we will deal with it.....c'mon..enough with the covering your ass "mentality".....
Forward thinking woman....Rochester, NY
I've been doing a lot of research on this as well, and raw milk is definitely far safer than most people are led to believe, particularly since the whole pasteurization thing was primarily a reaction to the industrialization and mass consumption of milk. With so many cows from so many dairies contributing to one big pool, so to speak, diseases were bound to happen. Most raw milk dairies are small, family operations, and the good ones test frequently. The one I work with here in Colorado tests EVERY batch of milk before it goes out.
Another site to check out is: http://www.realmilk.com/
And here's some interesting info compared to what the FDA says is safe (with the recent revelation about the FAA, kind of makes you wonder about the FDA as well):
http://www.realmilk.com/documents/SheehanPowerPointResponse.pdf