You may be wondering what raw milk is -- proponents say that it's healthier for you than typical store-bought milk, which has undergone a process called pasteurization. In reality, however, there is no scientific evidence to support claims that raw milk is any healthier than pasteurized milk, and it can actually be dangerous to your health. Furthermore, it's nearly identical from a chemical perspective, meaning that raw milk isn't a solution if you're lactose intolerant.
Raw Milk
Raw milk is, quite simply, milk that hasn't undergone the process of pasteurization. Pasteurizing involves a quick and rapid heating process that kills bacteria that may be present in samples of milk -- particularly in samples of milk that have come from large-scale dairy operations and have been exposed to a variety of environments. Scientific American says that pasteurizing milk significantly reduces the risk of bacterial contamination and food poisoning.
Health Value of Raw Milk
Some individuals and organizations claim that raw milk is healthier for you, but there's no scientific support for these claims. The vitamins, fat, carbohydrate and protein in milk that give it its nutritional value all survive the pasteurization process. Furthermore, pasteurizing milk changes it far less than swallowing it does -- all the carbohydrates, fats and proteins are quickly broken down by the digestive tract, making any changes that result from the process of pasteurization negligible. Furthermore, humans neither use nor benefit from any enzymes in milk. While pasteurization can destroy these, their destruction has no bearing whatsoever upon the nutritional quality of milk.
Lactose Intolerance
If you're lactose intolerant, whether or not you believe there might be nutritional benefits to raw milk, you won't be able to drink it. This is because raw milk, like pasteurized milk, contains lactose. Lactose is the chemical name for milk sugar, and if you're lactose intolerant, you can't digest it. Drs. Reginald Garrett and Charles Grisham, in their book "Biochemistry," say that this is because you lack the enzyme lactase, which breaks lactose into its constituent components.
Solutions
Rather than attempting to turn to raw milk as a solution if you're lactose intolerant, you can try using a lactase supplement. These are pills sold over-the-counter that provide you with a temporary supply of the lactase enzyme, allowing you to consume dairy. You can also drink lactose-free milk, which has been pre-treated with lactase. Many lactose-intolerant individuals can consume yogurt and other fermented dairy products without difficulty, since the bacteria in yogurt break down the lactose.
References
- Scientific American: Raw Milk
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
