Vitamin D In Raw Milk Vs. Pasturized Milk

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that is crucial for bone health and the maintenance of proper blood levels of several elements. Vitamin D can be obtained through the body's own production or through food products. Vitamin D is added to milk during the pasteurization process, so it is unavailable in raw milk.

Obtaining Vitamin D

Vitamin D can be produced by the body or obtained from food sources and dietary supplements. Although sun exposure is the only necessary ingredient for the body's own vitamin D production, many people, even in sunnier southern climates, may not receive enough sunlight to synthesize adequate vitamin D for optimum health. Because of this, vitamin D is added to many food products in the United States, including many brands of milk.

Role of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that fulfills a crucial part in regulating calcium and phosphorus in the body. Vitamin D's activity with calcium and phosphorus makes it critical in facilitating bone and tooth formation, mineralization and ongoing health.

A vitamin D deficiency can lead to bone weakening and breaks, osteoporosis, muscle weakness and injuries. A shortage of vitamin D impedes the body's absorption of calcium even from rich calcium sources such as milk and other foods.

Daily Requirements of Vitamin D

U.S. nutrition standards recommend a daily intake of 400 International Units (IU) of vitamin D for infants younger than 12 months of age, 600 IU daily from 1 to 70 years of age, and 800 IU daily from age 70 years onward. Few foods are natural sources of vitamin D, but a few fish species contain significant amounts. For most Americans, especially children, milk is the most important and common food source of vitamin D.

Vitamin D in Pasteurized Milk

"Raw," or unprocessed, milk is low in vitamin D. However, the dangers of vitamin D deficiency and the vitamin's key role in promoting calcium absorption have led almost all commercial milk producers in the United States to fortify their milk with vitamin D.

Vitamin D is added to milk during pasteurization, the process during which milk is heated to kill dangerous bacteria and stop potentially harmful enzyme activity. An average 1-cup serving of vitamin D-fortified milk contains 30 percent of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance of vitamin D.

Lack of Vitamin D in Raw Milk

Raw milk does not contain substantial amounts of vitamin D, and is not fortified with vitamin D. Although raw milk is not illegal in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration, National Institutes of Health and many medical associations and state governments strongly recommend against consuming raw milk and especially against feeding it to children.

Raw milk is substantially more likely to contain disease-causing bacteria than pasteurized milk, and its lack of vitamin D means that calcium in the milk is more difficult for the body to absorb.