Raw milk is not pasteurized. This means the milk does not contain any preservatives. Additionally, raw milk is not generally refrigerated. Humans have used raw milk as a food source for centuries. However, today many medical professionals advise you not to consume raw milk. According to David Gumpert and Joel Salatin's book "The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights," raw milk is sometimes more dangerous than pasteurized milk. However, if handled correctly, raw milk has more health benefits than pasteurized milk.
Pasteurization
Until the Industrial Revolution, you had to consume raw milk immediately. Starting in the early 19th century, American towns began to evolve into cities. As the towns expanded, companies distributed milk to meet the increased demands. These companies created the first milk-processing plants. Due to a lack of sanitation controls, many people got sick form the milk produced at these early plants. This led to the development of milk pasteurization, invented by Louis Pasteur. Pasteur discovered that by heating milk to 161 F for 15 seconds, you can kill most of the harmful bacteria in it.
It Is Good for You
Raw milk proponents state that raw milk has many health benefits not found in pasteurized milk because the pasteurization process kills the friendly or good bacteria naturally found in milk. According to Gumpert and Salatin, these friendly bacteria may help with digestion and strengthen your body's immune system. Additionally, the pasteurization process removes vitamins, minerals and enzymes from the raw milk. Further, raw milk proponents argue that raw milk tastes better than pasteurized milk.
It Is Bad for You
Opponents of raw milk often cite reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that found illnesses can result from the consumption of raw milk. According to "The Raw Milk Revolution," these reports show the health risk of drinking milk increases when you drink unpasteurized milk. Opponents also argue that there is no significant difference in taste when comparing pasteurized milk to raw milk.
Raw Milk and Lactose Intolerance
Milk contains sugar lactose that lactose-intolerant individuals cannot consume. The process of pasteurization not only kills the milk enzymes, but also the beneficial lactobacilli. According to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine," the principal function of lactobacilli is to ease digestion by breaking down lactose. Pasteurization, however, does not eliminate lactose from the raw milk. Therefore, individuals with a mild lactose intolerance can normally drink raw milk but not pasteurized milk.
References
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine"; Dennis Kasper, et al.; 2004
- Raw Milk: Raw Milk Advocacy and Resources
- "Time"; Got Raw Milk? Be Very Quiet; Wendy Cole; March 2007
- Raw Milk Facts; Finally! Raw Milk Information You Can Trust!; Randolph Jonsson; May 2011
- "The Raw Milk Revolution: Behind America's Emerging Battle Over Food Rights"; David E. Gumpert and Joel F. Salatin; November 2009
Member Comments