As American as apple pie, raw, pasteurized or homogenized milk has a longstanding role in human development. Most parents wouldn't consider raising their young without cow's milk to help them grow big and strong.
What to Look for
There's the ubiquitous pasteurized or homogenized milk, then local sustainable organic, hormone-free milk, and fresh raw milk straight from the source. Raw milk is once again being considered by many Americans troubled about consuming rBGH, a hormone and antibiotic injected into cows.
Purchase local, grass fed organic cow milk devoid of ancillary substances. Should you decide to switch to raw milk products, visit the dairy. The happy cows should be grass fed, tested regularly for TB, brucellosis and dust pneumonia. How clean is the farm? Gaze around for a certificate of inspection. Raw milk should be sampled routinely by a certified inspector, guaranteeing the absence of human pathogens. Pasteurized milk is heated to destroy potential pathogens. In the process, enzymes and calcium are devitalized. After pasteurization, chemicals may be added to suppress odor and restore taste. Artificial vitamin D, shown to be toxic to arteries and kidneys, is added. Homogenization shrinks the milk fat particles to prevent the cream rising to the top.
Accustomed to whole-milk products 3.5 percent fat? Dose down slowly. Try 1 percent low-fat milk first. You'll be able to switch to fat-free milk before you know it. For desserts or snacks, choose ice milk, frozen or fruited low-fat or nonfat yogurt, sherbet, sorbet or low-fat pudding. Fat-free and 1 percent fat milk all provide slightly more nutrients than whole milk and 2 percent fat milk. They're much lower in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and calories.
Common Pitfalls
Harvard Medical school reports that homogenize milk high in cholesterol and saturated fat contributes to heart disease.
Dairy products create mucus, stressing your respiratory, digestive and immune systems. The American Journal of Public Health says frequent milk consumption and high dietary calcium intakes in middle-aged women do not provide protection against hip or forearm fractures. Women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods had significantly increased risks of hip fractures.
Twenty-one percent of the population is lactose intolerant and are unable to digest large amounts of lactose due to an insufficient amount of the enzyme lactose. Symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, flatulence and bloating. Symptoms differ depending on how much lactose consumed. A milk allergy is associated with the proteins in milk, not lactose.
The possibility exists that cow's milk consumed by humans may play a central role in the origins of atherosclerosis and heart attacks, allergies, diarrhea, heart disease, colic, cramps, gastrointestinal bleeding, sinusitis, skin rashes, acne, increased frequency of colds and flus, arthritis, diabetes, ear infections and osteoporosis. The Weston Price Foundation claims that pasteurization destroys enzymes, diminishes vitamin content, denatures fragile milk proteins, destroys vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6, kills beneficial bacteria, promotes pathogens and is associated with allergies, increased tooth decay, colic in infants, growth problems in children and heart disease. It can lead to iron deficiency, anemia, asthma, autoimmune diseases and more, possibly even lung cancer, multiple sclerosis and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer.
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