Before You Switch to Soy – Try Real Raw Milk

Before You Switch to Soy – Try Real Raw Milk

While recent campaigns have tried to blame milk as a cause of asthma, arthritis, allergy and gastrointestinal distress among other ailments, you can use milk as part of a healthy diet.

Most of the links between these problems and milk are with processed milk products. That may be key because like all foods, how good it is greatly depends on the source.

Today, you'll learn:

• The benefits of whole milk vs. skim
• The harmful effects and denaturalization of milk through pasteurization and homogenization
• How to separate fact from fiction about whole milk and raw milk
• The healing power and great taste of raw milk
• How to make the healthiest milk choice
• Where to buy raw milk

The Untold Story of Pasteurization and Homogenization

During the early 1800s, Robert M. Hartley, an accomplished zoologist proclaimed in praise of cows, "It is scarcely necessary to say, that they supply us with the most truly precious of our earthly gifts. [Without cows], how different would be the social, commercial and political condition of the most civilized of the human race!" 1

Mr. Hartley had no idea how prophetic his enthusiastic statement was. As New York City and other major cites rapidly grew in the 1800s, city families were unable to keep a family cow for the dairy needs. As demand for milk was just as great, milk was sold in mass quantity through dairy farmers.

To deal with the problems of delivery and freshness, industrialists came up with new ways of processing milk. Unfortunately, processed milk can be dangerous for both the cow and the consumer. 2

Homogenization Leads to Chronic Disease

Whole milk most closely resembles actual cow's milk after pasteurization. Skim milk is another story… Aside from having all of its natural nutrients destroyed during processing, nonfat dried milk is added as a protein and vitamin additive.

"Production of nonfat dried milk involves forcing skim milk out of a tiny hole at high temperature and pressures, a process that not only destroys nutrients but also causes the production of nitrates-which are potent carcinogens. Furthermore, the process causes oxidation of the cholesterol in milk." 3

What's more, skim or fat-free milk is full of milk sugar (lactose). When you remove the fat, all you're left with is sugar. So much so, farmers often feed their pigs fat-free milk in order to fatten them up.

When you look at the chart below, it all becomes clear:

While I have reported to you in the past that cholesterol in food poses no danger, "oxidized cholesterol has been shown to initiate the process of injury and pathological plaque build-up in the arteries." 4

Thus the unknowing consumer who drinks reduced-fat milk in order to prevent heart disease and cancer may actually increase his risk of chronic disease.5

Health Ailments Associated with Pasteurized Milk6
Symptoms/Minor Ailments	Life Threatening or Altering Diseases
Diarrhea Cramps Bloating Gas Gastrointestinal bleeding Iron-deficiency anemia Colic in infants Allergies Skin rashes Increased tooth decay Recurrent ear infections in children Acne Infertility Growth problems in children	Arthritis Atherosclerosis Autism Cancer Heart Disease Leukemia Osteoporosis Rheumatoid Arthritis Type 1 Diabetes Type 2 Diabetes

Nature's Healthiest Option: Raw Milk

Raw Milk has a creamier texture and is full of essential nutrients and vitamins unadulterated by the processing that brings commercial milk to your grocery store. It is without a doubt your healthiest option.

Most farmers drink raw milk because of taste and the knowledge that it is healthier for you. There is not a huge market for raw milk and in some states it is illegal to sell raw milk. Raw milk sales average around 20 percent for those who are able to sell it. More typically, the farmer drinks the raw milk and sells processed milk. But you have the power to change this.

You too can enjoy nutrient rich raw milk. It may not be readily available at your grocery store, but your local dairy farmer and some natural food markets do provide this choice. If you live in an area that this is not possible, read on as I will tell you how to work around this government roadblock.

Raw Milk: Fact vs. Fiction
FICTION	FACT
Raw milk has too much harmful bacteria to safely drink	If bottled correctly and safely, risk for infection is almost zero.
Raw milk is too fattening and high in cholesterol for human consumption	Nonsense. Raw milk is an excellent source of CLA* and good fat. Your body responds better to unadulterated fat with healthier skin, hair, nails, digestion among other critical organ functions.
Raw milk causes heart disease.	No Way. Pasteurization and homogenization are the contributing culprits of heart disease.
Pasteurization makes milk safe to drink	Wrong again. While pasteurization minimizes bacteria contamination it does not ensure it.
Raw Milk causes allergies	Pasteurized milk is the culprit. Many lactose intolerant or allergic drinkers are able to enjoy raw milk even years after abstaining from pasteurized milk.

*CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) a heart healthy and beneficial fatty acid.7

"Milk from grass-fed cows has a beneficial fatty acid known as CLA, short for Conjugated Linoleic Acid. Countless studies have shown that CLA has many potential health benefits. For comparison, grain-fed cows have as little as one fifth the CLA in their milk as grass-fed."8

Where to Find Raw Milk

While raw milk is not readily available at your chain supermarket it can be found at natural food supermarkets and through your local dairy farmer. In the event that it is illegal to purchase raw milk in your state there are some clever options available to sidestep this law. One of which is to buy part ownership of a cow with your local dairy farmer in order to "purchase" raw milk. It may be the cheapest away to "own" a dairy cow.

The best source for information on where to purchase raw milk and how to get around governmental restrictions is http://www.realmilk.com

1. Schmid, Ron. ND. "The Untold Story of Milk: Green Pastures, Contented Cows and Raw Dairy Foods, New Trends Publishing, Inc. Washington DC, 2003: p. 228-229, 2003.
2. Ibid.
3. http://www.realmilk.com
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Mercola, Joseph, MD. "The Real Reasons Raw Milk is becoming more popular" http://www.mercola.com/2004/apr/24/raw_milk.htm, April, 24, 2004.
7. http://www.raw-milk-milk-facts.com/About_Raw_Milk.html
8. Ibid.