Raw milk is a living food.
Unlike pasteurized and ultra-high-temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk, raw milk is a living food. Several of milk's natural components including beneficial bacteria, food enzymes, natural vitamins and immunoglobulins are heat-sensitive. Heat-sensitive components of raw milk are destroyed through pasteurization and aren't present in pasteurized or UHT milk.
Raw milk is rich in beneficial bacteria.
As a living food, raw milk is rich in beneficial bacteria. These bacteria are critical to your health; indeed,beneficial bacteria are so critical to human health that you cannot live without them. They're responsible for stimulating and training your immune system to function correctly. By consuming foods rich in beneficial bacteria - like raw or cultured dairy products and naturally fermented foods - you can help to optimize the levels of beneficial bacteria present in your gut. These bacterial allies are destroyed by pasteurization and are absent in pasteurized and UHT milk.
In addition to beneficial bacteria, raw milk has the potential to harbor pathogenic bacteria, and it has the potential to make you sick, just as raw oysters, rare meat and other foods do. While it's relatively rare, it is a real risk.
Raw milk is rich in food enzymes.
As a living food, raw milk is also rich in natural food enzymes: lactase, lipase and phosphatase number among many of these natural enzymes. These enzymes help your body to better digest milk and better metabolize its vital nutrients. Enzymes like phosphatase help the body to better absorb milk's calcium while other enzymes like amylase and lactase help you digest the sugars present in milk. It's the presence of the enzyme lactase that help some individuals who are otherwise sensitive to lactose better digest raw milk.
Raw milk is rich in natural vitamins.
The butterfat present in raw milk is rich in natural fat-soluble soluble vitamins, particularly preformed vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin E. Raw milk is also rich in water-soluble vitamins like vitamin C and B-complex vitamins. Many vitamins, like food enzymes, are delicate and are largely destroyed by heat; therefore, pasteurized milks are fortified with vitamins.
Raw butterfat is rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid.
Meat and milk from grass-fed animals is rich in fatty compound called Conjugated Linoleic Acid or CLA. Actually classified as a trans-fatty acid (but a good transfat!), CLA offers myriad myriad positive effects for those who consume it. Indeed, research indicates that this substance is known to fight cancer (particularly breast, intestinal and bone cancers), hypertension and adipose obesity. If you're sourcing your raw milk well, you're only sourcing it from grass-fed cows which means you're consuming this important fatty acid - something that's missing from that factory-farmed, pasteurized and skimmed milk at the grocery store (and yes, organic milk drinkers - there's plenty of factory farming in the organic industry too!)
Raw milk supports small farmers, not confinement dairies.
Pasteurization of milk was born out of necessity - as unhealthy cows from concentrated animal feed operations produce unhealthy milk. Cows sickened by confinement and an unnatural diet of grain and mash produce lackluster, thin milk poor in vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and rich in pathogenic bacteria. Sick milk from sick cows makes for sick people. Pasteurization kills pathogenic bacteria just as it kills beneficial bacteria. When you purchase pasteurized milk at the store - unless you're careful about your brand - you're purchasing it from farms and cooperatives that follow industrial practices like confining their animals, subtherapeutic and routine use of antibiotics, and feeding grain- and soy-based feed which changes the nutritional properties of the milk
By contrast, raw milk is not produced on a massive, concentrated scale. Instead, raw milk producers operate small operations with fewer cattle spread out over a larger amount of space; rather, they're given space on fresh pasture and spend their time outside with access to shelter when they need it - as in the case of inclement weather. Most allow their animals to graze exclusively on grass, though small amounts of supplementary feed may be given at milking. If raw milk's not for you, you can also find an increasing number of small, grassfed dairies that provide low-temperature pasteurized milk.
Raw milk clabbers.
Leave a carton of pasteurized milk out on the counter for a few days, and you'll end up with a putrid, stinking glop. By contrast, raw milk will clabber as its naturally occurring beneficial lactic-acid producing bacteria proliferate and turn raw milk into a probiotic-rich, yogurt-like food. Bonny clabber is a traditional food originally from Scotland, though most peoples across the globe enjoy similarly clabbered milks through their traditional food heritage. Clabbered raw milk is not only edible, but particularly healthful as its sugars have been metabolized by lactic-acid producing bacteria and continue to proliferate. Moreover, milk that has been subject to pasteurization at ultra-high temperatures isn't even suitable for cheesemaking.
Raw milk supports your local economy.
Raw milk is a delicate food and is not suited to traveling long distance, nor is it shelf-stable at room temperature. Pasteurized milks and UHT milks in particular can and do travel long distances before arriving from the dairy to your door. These milks are often mixed with the milks of several dairies prior to pasteurization so you, as a consumer, lose the opportunity to question your dairy farmer about the milk you serve your family. Further, the money you spend on such milk is divided between your grocery store, the broker/supplier, the branded dairy and, lastly, the farmer. By purchasing raw milk locally and farmer-direct, 100% of the money you spend on your milk stays in your farmers pocket and in your local economy.
For more information about raw milk, check out this post: How to Choose an Organic Raw Milk Dairy.
Sandi says
Raw milk is almost impossible to find, but I agree. But I have a question. The reason I was told not to drink pasteurized milk is bc cows milk is often infected. Why is pasteurized milk more likely to be harboring infection rather than raw milk ?
Jenny says
Hi Sandi,
Pasteurized milk is not more likely to be harboring an infection than raw milk as pasteurization kills bacteria; however, cows who are confined indoors to barns and whose milk is destined for pasteurization rather than a raw market live shorter lives and are more likely to suffer infection than the cows who are raised outdoors on pasture.
Kristina says
Hi there!
I picked up my very first half gallon of raw milk yesterday and was so sure of my decision — until I came home and entered the internet where it warns of certain death should I consume any of this white liquid.
I worked up the courage a had three sips this morning before putting about the same into a cup of coffee; am I going to be deathly ill? I see all these scary diseases and bacteria’s and I’m suddenly a nervous wreck that I’m over here playing with my life and my confidence in the decision is seriously lacking now. Should I be boiling this prior to consuming?
Theresa says
I love raw milk from my local farmer that I know personally. When I go to buy the milk I drive past the cows that it comes from out in their pasture while they eat fresh green grass! Then I drive up to the milk house and if I get their while they are milking I can watch for a bit before I get my milk out of the frig that is next to the bulk tank. I feel so much better when I'm drinking milk. Right now I am drinking nothing but milk and plan to continue to do this for as long as I notice improvements in my health. I hope to make it at least 2 weeks but a month would be more ideal I think. I grew up on a dairy farm and drank raw milk all the time. Then as I got older and out on my own I wasn't able to drink milk any more. I thought I had developed a problem due to age as we often hear people do. Then as I started reading as much info as I could get my hands on and find time to read, this was before the internet, I realized that the stuff in the stores isn't really milk at all after they have done what they do to it. By the time I found a place where I could get raw milk, many, many years later I had so many other health issues I still was not able to drink it no matter how much I wanted to. I had read about how some doctors in the late 1800's early 1900's had used a Milk Diet to cure people of many health problems but I didn't tolerate it well enough to try. Fast forward 5 years or so and after doing even more to regain my health I started drinking it again and again ran across the Milk Diet and decided to give it a try. I'm on about day 5, I don't journal very well, and I feel great. I'm not at all afraid of drinking the milk raw or that my body can't digest the milk. I buy the milk and leave it out to get warm. It becomes sweet and yummy not at all sour like I thought it would. So far I have only left it for a day. I would like to try creating clabbered milk but I can't keep any long enough, they say to use milk that is at least a week old and we drink it way to fast for that.
I agree that people need to be allowed to make up their own minds about the foods they consume. I mean if the FDA is ok with calling a twinky save food how can they say raw milk is not. I bet way more people have died from FDA approved foods than from raw milk. What about a twinky makes it food anyway!
Montana says
WOW! So this means even raw milk butter and clarified butter/ghee are pretty terrible for you since they might be heated up (ruining he bioavailability of those minerals and vitamins) or definitely heated up (ghee/clarified butter)? What is the exact tempature this change im bioavailability occurs at ?
Jenny says
No, I don't think so. Since ghee is pure butterfat, and not a significant source of minerals anyway, it's a non-issue. You eat ghee for the butterfat.
Jeanne Price says
Sure hope we can get "cow shares" approved here in WV so that we can get back to being able to buy "raw milk"....It has been proven that children with autism make great strides when given raw milk...because the enzymes and nutrients are not lost during the pasteurization process.
We have "raw milk" legislation pending during this session of our Legislature.
Han Ly says
Great article! Thank you for promoting real traditional food especially raw milk!
I was born and raised in Norway and consumed tons of grass fed raw milk daily. Although of Vietnamese background, I grew tall with perfectly straight white teeth with zero cavities.
In my early teens, my family and I immigrated to the states where we unfortunately switched to the SAD diet. I was unable to digest the pasteurized milk and immediately suffered eczema, psoriasis and other related digestive problems. I spent most of my 20s eating mainly vegan believing it would cure me; it never did. Long story short, my exclusively breasted daughter suffered horrible colic and I knew then my body was not providing the nourishment she so desperately needed. With my diet consisting mainly of organic greens and very little animal products I thought I was eating healthy. Thanks to authors like you I'm the healthiest I've ever been and look even better than my pre baby body. And my baby is thriving!
Also, whenever I visit my friends and family in Europe they all claim we have been brainwashed by an all consuming capitalistic system. Other developed nations are laughing at us and we don't even realize it.
Rahul says
Hi all,
I hope the author will accept this comment but this article came up as a 'related article' when I read the following newspaper piece about a toddler who died from having raw milk in my state. (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/killer-milk-health-alert-after-children-struck-down/story-fni0fit3-1227151867757)
This is not the only fatality from raw milk and while I am sure there may be some benefits to this, I think it will be a much more balanced article if it also included a disclaimer about the fact that there are reasons why it is illegal in so many places and should be particularly avoided for young children and pregnant women. I don't believe in nanny states and people should be free to make their decisions in the end but I think articles on benefits should also include at least a small statement about risks.
Thanks.
Richard says
Actually, how about the author substantiate some the claims of health benefits made in the first few "benefits" with some credible scientific studies? Perhaps because there are none.
Lana says
Thank you for the fantastic article! I actually crave raw milk and nothing will satisfy me until I pour myself a nice tall glass. I've been drinking raw milk for years and now that I'm pregnant, I continue to drink it and never felt better! Just wish it wasn't so pricey -- I would rather have my raw milk than go to a salon for a mani/pedi haha!
Dee Doanes says
Great article Jenny. Thanks for spreading the word about the health benefits of raw milk. Many people that suffered from allergies and asthma had symptoms disappear after drinking raw milk. Do what works best for your body.
Faisal says
Unfortunately raw milk is not legal in Canada but do I buy mine from a farm that pasteurizes it on low temperatures and also leaves it unhomogenized. I can feel the difference so raw would be more of a punch.
Katherine says
Just started buying raw milk from a local TX farm, and am loving it. I know exactly where my milk comes from, and I am having a ton of fun with kitchen experiments like making butter and kefir. Definitely want to try some bonny clabber next!
Caroline M. says
Grt Article........ I like my raw milk hot(?????)..... As soon as our milkman collects it from my cow I drink not less than 250 ml of it straight........ first I had loose stool but that is not at all an issue with my constipation problem........... whenever I get a wheez in the morning or evening I head start to my farm and have my raw milk HOT from cow........ 5 minutes I am relieved of my breathing problem........ I feel healthy the whole day.... I am frm India I have this option of owning a cow..... But Lately I got an info frm a friend cum Sportperson saying that he drinks milk raw to thicken his skin(!!!!!!!!!!!)......... Not so sure of it. as a Female in my late twenties I am trying hard to keep my skin as young as 16 yr old....... but does raw milk thicken my skin???
Dave Visse says
Do NOT drink raw milk. E-coli and a destroyed kidney are not worth ANY perceived health gains of drinking raw milk. Today our good friends child is in the hospital clinging to life.....I blame websites like this one. See Wilsonville Oregon E-Coli outbreak. This is horrible and dangerous advice.
marica says
All over Europe, you can get raw milk from a "kiosk" type machine. No signs of people dropping dead. How do you link raw milk to child's disease? You have been brainwashed by the government! USA is the only "FREE" country where it is Illegal to buy or sell raw milk. That is not a free country in my book!
Marc says
geez!!! sorry for your best friends child. but sorry, either he/she is EXTREMELY unlucky,, or its from something else.
raw milk sickness is an EXTREMELY rare things.
but more importantly,, drinking milk at all is DETRIMENTAL to the health of a child or adult.
Milk is for INFANTS!!!! why doesnt anyone realize such a simple obvious fact !!!
rawmilkmike says
Yes Marc, and bananas are for monkeys.
Debbie says
I recently saw the movie Knives over Forks, which talks about the strong relation of casein in dairy products to cancer. I currently drink raw milk from a great source, but I am of course willing to cut it out if there any health risks. Do you have any information about this? I don't know if the protein itself changes when pasturized/homoginized.
Marc says
Yes!!! there are MANY health risks to drink ANY KIND OF MILK!!! (even if its from your own garden organic Raw cow).
quick analogy: if you made your own organic jam with organic sugar, does it mean you can eat loads of it ??? the answer is a BIG Definitely Not !!
the pro's: if the milk is raw,, then yes,, there will be some nice beneficial things in there (enzymes, etc), so thats the good part... and some debatable calcium.
the con's: MILK IS STILL MILK !!!! no matter what way you look at it.
it is for infants to develop their infant bodies.
once they can eat fruit and vegetables, then they dont need milk anymore.
look at nature to realize the blatantly obvious answer 🙂
the protein in milk (Caesin) is linked DIRECTLY to tumor growth. umpteen studies have shown this direct correlation.
then theres so many other issues!!
and PS: you DO NOT NEED MILK FOR BONES!!!
calcium in Green Vegetables is way more absorbable than calcium in milk! and far better quality too.
you DO NOT NEED MILK !!!
sure, have the odd glass here and there,, but DO NOT MAKE MILK DRINKING A REGULAR HABIT!!
regard milk the same as coffee... its an evil and you need to kick the habbit.
a few glasses here and there is fine.
just go easy on it and try to reduce it.
PPS: DONT DRINK SOY MILK EITHER!!!
settle for rice milk or other milks (if you really crave something that looks white!!)
other than that, GOOD QUALITY WATER is your best friend 🙂
stuart says
an interesting article some good points but few patically point 3 that have bad science all those nice enzymes that raw milk contains are composed of amino acid chains (protien) the body does not recognise and use them it digest's them cleaveing the peptide bonds breaking them down into there consitiuant parts (amino acids) like every other protien source it encounters, some of the other points however contain some intrest
Jeremy says
As a small dairy farmer I know a lot about raw milk. Your article brings up some good points, but also has several "facts" that just are not correct. I would like to see a more factual article!
Jenny says
Perhaps you could point out which facts are just not correct? And small is relative, how small is your small dairy? Is it a grass-fed dairy?
Jeremy says
70 Brown Swiss and Holsteins, 1 Milking Shorthorn. Family owned, family run, no outside employees. Yes we graze in the summer. All of the land we own is in pasture. All other feed is purchased. We did not inherit anything, we have to work for it.
Jeremy says
There are many factors that affect CLA in milk, grazing is one of them. Pastuerization does not affect CLA in milk. Genetics and breed have a far greater impact than nutrition. Also for instance our milk is currently 4.0% Butterfat and 3.5% true Protein, compare that to standardized store milk which is 3.25% butterfat and about 2.9% protein. It is not even comparing the same product! #2 above, well that is just plain disgusting, It is saying drinking contaminated raw milk is like protecting yourself from disease. I suppose If it doesn't kill you it just makes you stronger, right?
Cecilia Long says
Wow... Your answer about # 2 shows you pretty much know nothing about microbiology.... YEs. plese tell me whose milk you supply to so I can tell people to avoid it,.. Egads.
Summer says
One of the other things about raw milk is that you're at a higher risk of getting sick if you're say 30 than a child who has been drinking raw milk most of their life. My bestfriend lives on her families homestead where they milk 40 cows. She and her family drink milk straight from the bulk tank, but she can't bring any of the raw milk to school for others to try since their bodies have never had experience with all the different bacteria; their immune systems simply would not be able to handle it. The rest of her farm's milk gets sent to a processing plant where it is pasteurized for the public.
Jeremy says
there are a lot of benefits of raw milk. There is also a lot of risks. I know of several people who have gotten sick. I also know lots of people who have not.
Teddy says
Jeremy, so I'm guessing that you sell milk to be pasteurized? Would that be Organic Valley?
The milk is not the risk, the risk is how it is derived and processed, including feed, facilities,etc. This has been proven endlessly. Besides that most cultures fermented the milk into kefir, yogurt or clabber which is another level of insurance. Other cultures like the swiss made a lot of aged raw cheese and drank the milk in the summer. Raw is the new bogeyman. Anyway I have never been sick from raw milk and it's no accident. I know my dairy and I know my system. I and others should not be denied access to any food because someone is scared people with compromised immune systems might get sick or they are just afraid to fight back.
I can get sick from many things but the law says that's okay. Slap a warning on it, make it for sale to only 18 years old and above.
You know what, let the processors pay factory farms $1.50/gallon to pasteurize it. Most US milk and dairy is crap anyway, except those selling raw milk. I would not drink or eat any dairy from a farm that was pasteurized. Crap in = crap out.
Maybe instead of attacking raw milk drinkers and farms they should force all dairies to make high-quality milk that doesn't need to be pasteurized instead of the swill they produce now. What they do to the cows to make them produce the high levels of milk that factory farms require to survive is disgusting. They should give the farm and animals to someone who cares, they don't deserve it.
Beth says
Besides finding a reputable source, what would your advice be to raw milk "newbies"?
I live in a state where I cannot purchase legally, but close enough to the border of a state where I can. Just recently, I found that my most trusted source for raw milk cheese also makes raw milk available in certain locations near that state border and I will be able to get raw milk somewhat regularly.
So asssuming that the milk is fresh (less than one day old), how long can I expect it to keep under normal refrigeration. How long will it keep cultured? Do I need to culture it fresh or is it OK to do so as it approaches no longer being "fresh". Is there a common procedure for removing the cream, or is it as simple as a ladle-ing it off? How long will raw butter keep, and does culturing the butter extend that shelf life?
I just have so much to learn! I am excited, but also anxious since the price is steep and I'd like to avoid waste.
Danielle says
The government has good intentions for making raw milk illegal. In the current factory-farming way of producing milk, raw milk would not be safe for human consumption. It is easier for them to make it illegal so that they make sure raw milk not suitable for human consumption is not sold. I would be VERY careful if I was to drink raw milk. Know the farmer and their practices very well, I'd suggest.
Heather says
Lies
-lg says
Seven reasons I love raw milk:
1) It makes my skin looks better than ever! I used to spend loads of $$$$ on face creams and facials! Now I confidently just rinse my face with water and a little "soap." Everyone also comments on how great my daughter's skin looks too.
2) My eczema has completely cleared up! My skin has never been this smooth without any dry patches, even when I take lots of probiotics and eat cultured veggies. When I travel and am not drinking raw milk, the eczema always returns.
3) Blood sugar stabilizer. It must be the lipase or lapase ? enzyme, but this is the only food so far that I can take to stabilize my blood sugar and curb chocolate and carb cravings.
4) It bolsters my daughter's immune system (she is 3 years). She never gets colds when she drinks this. I nursed for two years and she would still get an occasional cold when we would travel, but since she has been drinking raw milk (since she was two), her immune system is even better - very strong. So is mine - and I no longer have post nasal drippy nose that I have has my whole life.
5) Tastes so delicious.
6) It does not go bad! I can make whey, buttermilk, etc with it instead of throwing it away. It never gets thrown away or wasted.
7) I’m supporting my local farmers, rather than the grocery store. It is also cheaper when I buy milk from the farm: .50 per liter verses 1.75 euro per liter! We fill our own bottles from the tank.
When we move back to U.S. (we live in Europe now) we will chose a location based on the ease of accessibility of raw milk for our family. In London, you can order raw milk online to be delivered fresh to your door and it is also sold at farmer's markets in the city.
Anita says
No wonder they call raw milk "White Gold" !
[email protected] Your Balance- I always call my raw milk- WHOLE milk, 'cause this puts it back on them- why aren't they drinking their milk WHOLE?
I think No. 2 & 3 are most important to me- good bacteria & digestive enzymes. Then No. 7 & 9.
I kefir & clabber most of my milk anyway.
Erica says
Is clabbering the same as making crème fraîche/buttermilk? Also, when you make kefir, do you leave out the cream? I am having problems kefir-ing the raw milk for some reason. I think it's clabbering and kefiring at the same time?
Violet says
Thank You! Articles like this bring awareness and truth to people. I appreciate every effort made to bringing people information about raw milk. I hope that with more information less people will think I'm crazy for owning my own cow.
The Runaway Lawyer says
Very interesting article, Jenny - thanks for posting. We often had raw milk growing up - the experience of going out to the small dairy farm was probably as important to us as the nutritional benefits.
ferry says
in my country indonesia ...they are believe that milk can clean blood from toksin
Heather says
And I in America believe that they are right 🙂
Melanie says
Thank you for the article. It's nice to see so much good information in one place. My wife and I have been drinking raw milk when we can find it. As some have stated above it is illegal in most states, but there's always a way. We are in contact with a local farm that provides it through delivery at a private home. It'd very convenient and we know it's good. You can even taste the grassy taste with the first sip.
Juanita says
I grew up on a dairy farm and never drank anything but raw milk until I left home. When we adopted our children I started buy milk from a local dairy farmer for them. They were always really healthy I believe because of the raw milk. I would encourage anyone to use raw milk but like Jenny please know the person. My granddaughter can't drink cow's milk so she is drinking raw goat's milk. Doing great on it.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance says
This topic is such a hard one to bring up with friends. They'll be talked into maybe eating kale or trying quinoa, but raw milk gets a lot of weird looks. One day, someday, this will be mainstream!!
Dalyn says
Great post! I had to share it. I'm a big raw milk fan. Raw goat milk from our own goats changed our lives. Two of my kids had allergies and asthma and were on lots of medications and restrictions. We got goats for the raw milk and now they have no restrcitions and better yet- no medications!
Jenny says
Nicci -
I can't speak for everyone, but were I to get pregnant again I would have no hesitation in continuing to drink raw milk throughout my pregnancy.
The concern about drinking raw milk during pregnancy is listeriosis. Listeriosis is a pathogen that can be found in foods like dairy products and cold cuts. Most listeriosis contamination actually occurs after pasteurization / cooking during packing ready-to-eat items. Listeriosis infection can cause miscarriage, premature delivery and infection in the newborn. As scary as that might seem the actual incidence of listeriosis in pregnancy is only about 0.01%.
Bottom line for me: healthy cows produce healthy milk so know your source. Raw milk - particularly raw cream - is very rich in natural fat soluble vitamins as well as folate and those goodies are precisely what an expectant mama needs to grow a healthy baby.
Karen says
Raw milk sounded scary to me before, but now I might give it a try. What you've said about raw milk being alive and the cream rising to the top makes sense to me now that I've had the experience of pumping breastmilk for my baby. Breastmilk is also alive and should not be shaken hard, and the fat rises to the top when stored.
Charlotte says
Don't be afraid to drink raw milk. My aunt Florence had 9 kids and raised dairy cows and we all drank the milk.And
Not a one of us ever got sick ........ I am still drinking it 60 yrs later and I look very young for my age 68'
Don't know if that's the reason, but I am very healthy , very rarely I'll. I love raw milk hmmmm good
Nicci says
Is Raw Milk healthy for pregnant mothers?
Deanne says
Excellent post! I will link to it next time I have a pertinent post. But right now, I am off to the farm to get our 3 gallons.
Tara says
I've been fully convinced for awhile now, but raw milk is illegal in our state. I'd have to travel 2 states away to find a place where it is legal to purchase...
Lydia says
Tara, here in Washington State it is illegal to privately sell raw milk for drinking without a permit...which means inspections, regulations, fees, taxes, etc. Something about liability? However, if the buyer does not disclose their uses, or just says it's for their pets, then they should not hold the seller responsible, and as long as the government is not involved....hehehe
As long as you trust your source, there should be no danger to you, and there is also no need to pay full price for an "illegal substance." Just saying. Also, you might be able to find raw milk dairies in your state that have gone through the red tape and jumped through hoops to be able to sell their milk raw. I have found atleast one in Washington, so I'm assuming it's a valid option anywhere in the USA.
Debra says
Lucky for me my dearest friend and neighbor owns a goat dairy here in Washington state!
Ren says
Succinct and compelling article, Jenny! No kidding, I am sending this link to every member of my family the second I hit the Submit Comment button.
Brilliant! Thank you!