Making the Decision to Switch to Raw
Milk
March 08, 2016
By Dr. Mercola
Many people, upon taking their first sip of raw milk — dubbed
real milk by some — are surprised at its richness and
flavor. Raw milk from a high-quality source is a far cry from
the pasteurized, homogenized version sold by most U.S. grocery
stores.
You may scarcely believe it actually comes from the same
animal.
In fact, raw milk and
concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) milk may come
from different types of cows, with potential differences. A1
cows include the black and white breeds like Holsteins, which
are commonly used by the large-scale industrial CAFOs.
A2 cows, such as Jerseys, are primarily used in European
dairy products and may be used to produce some U.S. raw milk
products (this isn’t a guarantee though; you’ll need to ask the
farmer to be sure).
The evidence is far from conclusive, but observational
evidence suggests many people have more difficulty digesting
protein in the milk from A1 cows, which may also be associated
with a range of health conditions.
Anecdotal evidence also suggests milk from A2 cows is
creamier and may deliver nutrients more efficiently. This is,
however, just one reason why some people make the
switch to raw milk.
Why Make the Switch to Raw Milk?
If you’re a milk drinker, you may be curious about the latest
“trend” toward raw milk. But this isn’t a trend at all; it’s an
example of people reverting to traditional sources of food that
have not been adulterated and processed.
For some, tasting raw milk again brings back memories of
growing up on a farm. For others, the trip to the farm to pick
up fresh raw milk is an experience of its own, connecting people
to their food in a way that’s intrinsically pleasant.
It’s an experience that’s sorely missing from most food
options in the modern world. In an article for Chicago Now, a
writer by the name of Genevieve shared her own experience in
making the switch to raw milk.1
She described the health advantages, as pasteurizing milk
destroys many of the natural immune boosters and good bacteria
in the milk, and touched on the A1/A2 difference.
But, primarily, she described the way raw milk is satisfying
in ways her old milk (pasteurized skim) could never be:2
“The bottom line in my personal experiment? After
only a few short months of consuming raw milk, I’m a
believer. It took a quick minute to become accustomed to, as
raw milk is not like the watery, nondescript substance we’re
used to acquiring in grocery stores.
More so it is a delicacy that differs by season,
farm, and cow, an experience that is different with every
jar I bring home …
I also have to admit that I look forward to my farm
visit every week to see the goats, cows, horses, ducks,
chickens, turkeys, dogs, and cats that call the lively place
their home, as well as the wonderful conversations I share
while I’m there with the farmer, someone I have already come
to call my friend.
… A farmer named Jonathan Crickmore hits the nail on
the head when he says, ‘We have lived in the age of mass,
low-quality food production for too long.' I couldn’t agree
with him more and I’m working every day to change my
lifestyle in accordance.”
International Dairy Foods Association Tries to Halt Raw Milk
Movement
Food Business News recently published a misleading interview
with Cary Frye, vice-president of Regulatory and Scientific
Affairs at the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).3
It features the type of fear mongering and statistical
manipulation that is common in the war against raw milk — and
for the IDFA, winning this “war” is crucial to protect their
bottom line.
As more Americans demand the right to purchase and consume
food of their own choosing, increasing numbers of states are
introducing legislation to loosen restrictions regarding
intrastate sales of raw milk. Raw milk, by the way, is the
only food banned from interstate commerce.
Bills in favor of making it easier for consumers to obtain
raw milk are pending in at least a dozen states, from Hawaii to
Utah to Wisconsin.
IDFA is actively opposing the legislative efforts and, not
surprisingly, has sent letters to state committees warning that
allowing raw milk sales would be “opening up consumers to the
inevitable consequence of falling victim to a foodborne
illness.”4
Really? Frye quotes data from the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) to show how “dangerous” raw milk
is, but the CDC is well known for putting out
misleading data regarding raw milk.
CDC Twists Raw Milk Data to Make It Seem More Dangerous
Public health agencies had previously stated there were 21
reported illnesses linked to raw milk in Minnesota from 2001 to
2010. But that doesn’t exactly scream “danger,” does it? A CDC
study then claimed more than 20,500 Minnesotans were actually
sickened.5
How they arrived at this number demands scrutiny. If
a person was sickened by campylobacter, E. coli O157:H7 or
salmonella during the study period, and had consumed raw milk in
the week before, the illness was blamed on raw milk (even though
many foods could have caused the illness).
Even using the above criteria, this only raised the illness
to 530, which were then multiplied based on an assumption
that the illnesses were underreported. The Food Business News
article then goes on to make a statement that:6
“It seems in this day and age with food safety front
and center after Chipotle’s recent situations, and other
issues with Listeria in ice cream and cheese and E. coli on
leafy vegetables, consumers would want to err on the side of
caution.”
This explains the absurdity behind raw milk bans in a
nutshell. You can get sick from eating any food — a
burrito, a piece of cheese, a fresh salad or, yes, even a bowl
of pasteurized ice cream.
The Hypocrisy in Banning Raw Milk While ‘Legal” Foods Kill
Millions
After three people died due to listeria bacteria in
Blue Bell ice cream products, no one suggested that
pasteurized ice cream be banned from sale, or that Blue Bell
Creameries, which has a history of ignoring contamination at its
plants, be shut down.
But the sale of raw milk continues to be illegal across much
of the U.S., while the government continues to target peaceful
raw milk farmers producing a safe, healthy food for people who
want it. Outrageously, aggressive armed raids by
federal agents against
Amish raw milk farmers are not uncommon.
Raw milk isn't the only food on the chopping block, either.
Raw milk cheeses and
heritage-breed pigs are also being targeted, and there's no
telling what other small-farm, niche foods may be next. Sprouts,
oysters, and just about anything else may also be headed to a
processor in the future.
When this happens, direct sales may become illegal, thereby
taking control away from the small farmers and putting it into
the hands of agribusiness conglomerates, fixing prices, and
forcing consolidation for the sake of “efficiency” standards.
Meanwhile, other foods are killing and sickening
millions. According to the CDC, 48 million people are sickened
by foodborne diseases each year, including 128,000
hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.7
What’s Caused Recent Listeria Outbreaks? (Hint: Not Raw Milk)
According to the CDC, 1,600 illnesses and 260 deaths due to
listeriosis occur every year in the U.S. Listeriosis is often
touted as a major risk of drinking raw milk, it is nowhere on
this list of recent listeria outbreaks. According to CDC data:8
- 2011: Whole cantaloupes were
responsible for 147 illnesses, 33 deaths, and one
miscarriage. This was the largest listeriosis outbreak in
U.S. history.
- 2012: Pasteurized Frescolina
Marte-brand ricotta salata cheese sickened 22 people, and
four deaths occurred.
- 2013: Three types of pasteurized cheese
made by Crave Brothers Farmstead Cheese Company of Waterloo,
Wisconsin sickened six people, with one death reported.
- 2014: Pasteurized cheese products made
by Roos Foods have sickened eight people with one death
reported.
Other foods found with listeria contamination in 2014, 2015
and 2016 include pre-packaged caramel apples, organic and
conventional spinach, packaged salads and hummus. A 2011 study
also revealed deli meats to be the most risky choice.
Ready-to-eat foods like these can become contaminated after
cooking during the packaging process.9
According to the 2011 report, the risks associated with deli
meats from the supermarket deli are five times higher than for
prepackaged deli meats.
Raw vegetables are also a potential source of contamination,
as are other meats. A report produced by the Interagency Food
Safety Analytics Collaboration (IFSAC), a partnership of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FDA and the CDC, also
revealed which foods are most likely to make you sick. CAFO
(concentrated animal feeding operation) beef and vegetables
(often contaminated by CAFO pollution) were the top sources of
foodborne illness.10
The majority of foods that are making people sick are coming
not from small organic farms selling raw-milk products. They’re
coming from CAFOs and the mega-companies that use their
products.
If You’re Insulin Resistant, Should You Drink Milk?
Truth be told, many people should not consume dairy whether
it is raw or pasteurized, as they are allergic to the milk
proteins. Additionally, if you’re insulin resistant, you would
likely be better off avoiding raw and pasteurized milk, as it
contains the dairy sugar lactose, which can worsen
insulin/leptin resistance.
However, if you are healthy and want to drink milk, raw milk
from a high-quality source is generally superior in nutrition
and flavor. It will also help to decrease the likelihood of
insulin spikes from the milk sugar, courtesy of the
thick layer of cream on top. Raw dairy farmer Max Kane
explained:
"The cream is perhaps the most important part of the
milk because the cream is where all the energy is that's
needed to digest the milk protein casein. That's why it's
important to consume full-fat dairy products instead of
non-fat or skim dairy products. The cream is also
responsible for regulating the sugar absorption into your
blood. It decreases the likelihood of insulin spikes.
The cream naturally floats to the top of the milk,
and it can be skimmed right off the top. Traditionally,
people would use the cream line as a visual aid to help them
assess the quality of the milk … Homogenization [is] an
industry process that fractionates the cream molecule, the
fat molecule, into small little pieces.
This was done for the purpose of making the cream
line non-detectable to the human eye … That's how they
standardized the milk, by taking away the viewable quality
assessment from the consumer, and ultimately left the
consumer with no real visual way to assess the quality and
the value of the milk."
Join the Fight for Food Freedom
The fight over raw milk stands as a symbol of the much larger
fight for food freedom. Who gets to decide what you eat? You? Or
the FDA? If the FDA and other government agencies are allowed to
impose their view of "safe food" on consumers, raw milk won't be
the only thing lost — all food will be pasteurized, irradiated,
and genetically engineered.
The effort to reclaim our right to buy and consume raw milk
is leading the way for everyone who wants to be able to obtain
the food of their choice from the source of their choice. So
please, get involved! I urge you to get involved with the
following action plan to protect your right to choose your own
foods:
- Get informed: Visit
www.farmtoconsumer.org or
click here to sign up for action alerts. To review the
raw milk laws in your state, see the Farm-to-Consumer.org's
Raw Milk Nation page.
- Join the fight for your rights: The
Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (FTCLDF) is the only
organization of its kind. This 501(c)(4) nonprofit
organization provides a legal defense for farmers who are
being pursued by the government for distributing foods
directly to consumers. Your
donations, although not tax deductible, will be used to
support the litigation, legislative, and lobbying efforts of
the FTCLDF.
- Support your local farmers: Getting
your raw milk from a local organic farm or co-op is one of
the best ways to ensure you're getting high-quality milk.
You can locate a raw milk source near you at the Campaign
for
Real Milk Website. California residents can find raw
milk retailers by using the store locator available at
www.OrganicPastures.com.
As with all foods, the source matters, and this is
just as true with raw milk as any other food. If you’re
interested in raw milk, here are tips for finding
high-quality raw milk sources.
© Copyright 1997-2016 Dr. Joseph Mercola. All Rights Reserved.
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