3 Reasons to Drink Raw Milk (& 1 Reason Not To!)

There is a lot of misunderstanding around raw milk, and sometimes a little fear. Even a customer who makes it as far as our small farm to buy raw milk will ask at the counter “How long should I boil this for?” The answer is always a resounding “Don’t!” Please don’t boil our beautiful, whole, nourishing, clean, lovely milk! Instead let’s talk for a minute about why we drink Raw Milk.

1. RAW MILK IS NATURAL, as mother nature intended. It reflects the health of the cow and changes with the seasons (long time customers note that our milk is creamier in winter months!) It comes packaged with complete nutrients and everything you need to use it. Proteins work synergistically, vitamins and minerals are unlocked by enzymes, fats are healthy and fortifying, sugars are slowly absorbed and broken down….everything works how it should naturally. People throughout time understood this and prized milk for its nourishing properties. In fact, there was public outcry when pasteurization was first proposed because, even though a health crisis stemming from deplorable conditions led to a need for change, it took a lot of PR to get grandma to accept that gallon of cooked. She understood what was lost when you messed with something naturally good.

2. RAW MILK IS A LIVING FOOD. Simply put, when you pasteurize (or now even ultra-pasteurize!) milk, you kill EVERYTHING in it….the good and the bad. Just like our body is made up of more microbiota than actual human cells, milk has its own microbiome: a lush landscape of beneficial bacteria that work to help us digest and use the nutrients in it. The good bacteria in milk are actually protectants against invasive bad bacteria. Culturing these good bacteria can yield amazing products like cheese, yogurt, kefir, clabbered milk and more. Living, raw milk fosters a diversity in our “gut garden” and supports digestibility and improved immune systems.

3. RAW MILK IS NUTRITIONALLY DENSE. When all nutrients are present and accounted for in a usable form, milk is power packed. As humans, we’ve thrived from the ability to identify and acquire nutritionally dense foods. We began domesticating dairy animals as early as 8,000 B.C. and the tradition continues today for a reason. The infographic shows some of the major nutritional differences between raw and pasteurized. Isn’t raw milk beautiful?

And 1 reason why you may not want to drink it? You’re allergic to milk. Milk allergies come in many forms and having an allergy or sensitivity is not as simple as it sounds. For example, if you are lactose intolerant, there is a good chance you can tolerate and benefit from drinking raw milk. With the enzyme lactase present and active in raw milk (as opposed to absent from pasteurized milk) you have the tools you need to break down and process lactose. (Did you know lactose free milk on supermarket shelves is simply pasteurized milk they’ve added lactase to? And when you take pills like Lactaid to help with lactose intolerance…you guessed it! It’s just lactase…the same enzyme killed when heat processing milk.)

However, If you are allergic to a protein in milk, then you could very well react to raw milk and may need to resolve yourself to being dairy free. It really is more of a spectrum for many than a black and white answer. Some people tolerate aged cheeses but not fresh milk. Others can fit yogurt and kefir into a healthy diet. It may be worth the time and investigation to see where and if dairy can play a role in your diet. (Consider talking to our in-house nutrition therapist for resources to help determine this!)

At Utah Natural Meat & Milk, we have the highest commitment to producing quality food and frankly, the best raw milk available. We love our cows and our customers. And for our families, it’s only the best milk…raw! Come try us if you’re local! If you aren’t, use this link to find a source near you.

 
Utah Natural Meat Raw Milk Grass Fed Jersey Cow
Raw Milk Benefits Grass Fed Utah
 
 
Raw MilkKristenraw milk, raw dairy, Utah11 Comments