Green is Universal: The Power of Raw Milk

« A Fabric Frenzy of Innovation | Main | At the Olympics, Green is Gold »

The Power of Raw Milk

Posted at 07:45 AM on November 07, 2007 comments (8)

By Mary Beth Gonzalez, iVillage.com

There is something very Laura Ingalls Wilder about being able to meet the local farmer who feeds you and your family. My husband and I belong to a local buyers club, and the Amish farmers I've met over the years are earnest, hard-working, simple family folk. In fact, they often bring their children with them on their dairy run to NYC and have them help package the orders. If the delicious taste of their fresh, locally grown organic food isn't enough, seeing the beaming, round face of a 7 year old Amish boy proudly hand over your order makes the entire experience profoundly satisfying. Through our membership, we basically own a share in a cow in Pennsylvania Amish country. Twice a month our farmer delivers his raw milk orders to NYC. His dairy farm produces delicious and nutritious raw milk, raw cream, raw cheese, kefir, yogurt, organic eggs. Often the farmer also has local organic meats such as beef, sausage, bacon, chicken and pork.

Now when I talk about Going Green, my friends and colleagues nod along with me on why we should drive hybrids, eat organic foods and unplug our cell phone chargers when not in use but when it comes to consuming Raw Milk, they just shake their heads and wonder what I'm up to this time. I'd like to explain the secret power of Raw Milk as it can have an enormous impact on the health of you and your children.

Raw Milk is safe and good for you and your family if the farmer takes proper care of his cows, the milking and delivery process. Raw Milk contains multiple bioactive components that can reduce pathogenic bacteria. Simply said, though many of us fear raw milk, it can actually protect your body from dangerous bacteria. One of the reasons why doctors recommend that women breast feed their children is because of the natural Lactoperoxidase found in human breast milk. Lactoperoxidase seeks out and destroys bad bacteria. Animal milk like goat's milk has 10 times the level of Lactoperoxidase than in breast milk.

For those of you who seek more detail, raw animal milk contains dozens of bacteria fighting components such as Lactoferrin, Polysaccharides, Medium-Chain Fatty Acids, Enzymes, Anitbocides, White blood cells, B-lymphocytes, Macrophages, Neutophils, T-lymphocyes, Lysosyme, Mucins, Oligosaccharides, B12 Binding Protein, Bifidus and Fibronectin. All of these components are actively fighting bacteria when consumed raw but are made inactive when milk is pasteurized. In fact, pasteurization provides virtually no bacteria fighting protection.

So why should you care? You have the power to use the power of raw milk to protect you and your family from dangerous bacteria such as E.Coli and Salmonella. If you want to read more about this subject from scientific sources follow these links: realmilk.com and westonaprice.org.

Unfortunately access to Raw Milk is limited due to legal restrictions. If you want to know where to find Raw Milk in your area check out this link: realmilk.com/where1.html. While access to Raw Milk isn't easy for everyone, it is truly worth the extra effort.

Mary Beth Gonzalez
iVillage.com
http://www.ivillage.com/green/

comments

Posted by: Darcy Winslow on November 7, 2007 11:47 AM

AMEN!! I am so glad I came to this site and was surprised to see The Power of Raw Milk.

My husband is a farmer and is from a long line of farmers. 13 years ago he had a dozen cows and made true homemade ice cream from their own mix. He divorced and had to sell all equipment but not the farm.

Since our marriage he had threatened to get a cow for me to milk. Well we finally got a Guernsey because his grandfather had one but my husband is also lactose intolerant. The cow had a calf and then we were off. We creamed the milk the next day because we did it by hand.

Anyway after he ravished that first glass we waited for the bomb to hit. It never did. He has been drinking as much as he can. Mind you we are getting close to 5 gallons a day from one cow. so we share some also with our family.

I am amazed at how many people are excited about being able to buy the raw milk, when we get licensed. and then the amount of people that think it is full of bad bacteria and won't even consider it.

Thank you again for good information.

Posted by: Kate on November 7, 2007 02:04 PM

One word...YUM! What could be better than a large class of wholesome and flavorful milk! More people should be aware of how healthy and beneficial raw milk can be but more importantly, more people should realize the negatives associated with processed and pasteurized milks as well as non-organic dairy farming methods.

I've heard that the amount of hormones injected into today's dairy cows is causing serious developmental issues among young children. Synthetic growth hormones given to dairy cows find their way into commercial milk products and can cause premature adolescence or hormonal imbalances.

People should really consider what they are putting into their bodies and demand that only the healthiest and most natural products make their way to their plates...and cups! :)

Posted by: Pantera on November 9, 2007 02:54 PM

A few issues with what you mention is in milk that fights bacteria.
1. Polysacchrides are just complex carbohydrates like starch. They have nothing to do with anti-bacterials.
2.enzymes can be just about anything and don't do much against bacteria.
3. bovine white blood cells won't help you much because they're not your cells. They're cow cells. If these cells actually helped you, then you're immune system wouldn't produce natural ones and your immune system would be dependant upon drinking raw milk constantly. Not a good situation.

I get the weird feeling you're just listing chemicals without having any knowledge of what they do and hoping that using big words makes you look smart.

Posted by: Dr. Jill on November 11, 2007 11:51 AM

Pantera,

As a student of raw milk, raw foods, enzymes, as well as a physician, I found Ms. Gonzalez's blog quite smart and her accurate use of "big words" quite appropriate. However, since you raise some issues, here is my detailed response.

1."Polysaccharides are just complex carbohydrates like starch. They have nothing to do with anti-bacterials (sic)." Your statement is completely false. Scientists proved decades ago that certain carbohydrates, both disaccharides and polysaccharides have a powerful anti-bacterial action. Historically, pure white cane sugar, the disaccharide sucrose, consisting of glucose and frutose linked together, has been used to preserve food and as a poultice on wounds precisely because of its anti-bacterial activity. Recent evidence has proven that honey, containing a combination of both simple sugars, disaccharides and some polysaccharides, has powerful anti-bacterial properties, and recently has gained favor once again as a treatment for diabetic ulcers and other wounds. It works effectively, more effectively in fact than many antibiotic potions.

And Ms.Gonzalez is precisely correct that certain polysaccarides in raw milk have an anti-bacterial effect, helping to preserve its freshness for many days at usual refrigeration temperatures.

Considerable recent evidence indicates that polysaccarides have immune modulating, immune enhancing, cancer-fighting, membrane signalling properties - all big words I know but trust me, words I understand.

Ms. Gonzalez, whom I don't believe claims to be a scientist, deserves credit for correctly writing about polysaccarides, this important class of biological molecules.

2. "Enzymes are just about anything and don't do much against bacteria."
Enzymes, contrary to the above, "are not just about anything." Enzymes have a very specific, very limited scientific definition: they are first, complex proteins, consisting of linked chains of amino acids, with a distinct four dimensional shape (primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary). By definition, they are catalysts specifically and only in biological system, allowing chemical reactions to occur efficiently, at low temperature with signifcantly less input of energy required. Though the defnition technically limits enzymes to living processes, industry routinely uses these proteins routinely in many situations, ranging from the tanning of leather to the production of chocolate.

Enzymes are also essential for all immune, anti-bacterial reactions in our body, and in fact without enzymes our white cells, our main defenders against infection, could do nothing. I thought this was taught in high school biology, but perhaps I am wrong.

3."Bovine white blood cells won't help you much because they're not your cells..." Here, Pantera criticizes Ms. Gonzalez for something she didn't write in her blog. Nowhere does she imply that bovine white blood cells help fight infection in our bodies (for certainly they do not). I understood her comment to mean correctly that the cow white cells that appear in raw milk - and which pasteurization kills - protect the milk itself from spoilage (and indeed they do). Her comment is right on, your comment right off.

With regard to your inappropriate and nasty tone, I learned from one of my Ivy League medical professors long ago that before you start attacking others, check your own facts first. It's a good rule to live by, in science and in life.

Dr. Jill

Posted by: Sallly Fallon on November 13, 2007 04:25 PM

For more information about the anti-microbial components in raw milk, go to http://realmilk.com/ppt/index.html. Most of these components are deactivated by pasteurization. Raw milk is unique among foods in containing its own anti-microbial components. Sally Fallon

Posted by: brenda on November 13, 2007 07:56 PM

I own a share of a cow as well. I'm not a scientist or a nutritionist... but I am a foodie. Raw milk tastes better. Period. I don't even see the need to debate it. Until you have partook in the deliciousness that is raw cream, you have no idea what you're missing.

Here's what annoys me though. The farmer that takes care of my cow has been approached by the Dept. of Agriculture multiple times to shut him down.

This drives me NUTS.

I'm donating today to their legal defense fund: http://www.ftcldf.org/

I only hope that one day I will see raw milk products available in a regular store, but until then, I will continue my love affair with my local dairy farmer.

If you want to see what all the fuss is about, I highly recommend finding a share of a cow soon. My farmer is at his capacity.

Buy a cow, your tastebuds will thank you for it!!

Posted by: Rusty Bishop on November 26, 2007 10:34 AM

Let's please add a little scientific fact to this discussion. Most of the compounds or components listed in the original article are found in raw AND pasteurized milk (in response to the incorrect claims made originally), especially any produced bacteriocins that would retard the growth of pathogens (but not necessarily kill these pathogens). By far the best way to destroy these bacterial pathogens is with heat (i.e., pasteurization), which does not deplete the milk of any of the positive nutritional aspects for which we drink milk. Remember, adults can choose to use or ignore the scientific facts about the foods we eat; our children cannot. Let's don't play Russian roullette with them!

Posted by: Sally Fallon on December 24, 2007 10:08 AM

Regarding Mr. Bishop's comments, most of the anti-microbial components in milk are indeed inactivated by heat. For more on the science of raw milk, including the evidence that pasteurized milk is more risky that raw milk, see our recent posting, Reply to the FDA Powerpoint presentation at realmilk.com.