One of the most misguided food myths getting perpetuated nowadays, sadly even by some alternative practitioners, is that dairy is unhealthy to consume.
One reason for the popularity of this modern notion is the skyrocketing incidence of dairy allergies. However, in most cases, these problems are due to the processing (pasteurization/homogenization) of the dairy and/or the unnatural GMO feed given to the cows, not to the dairy itself. When people consume unprocessed dairy from healthy cows grazing on green grass, suddenly the “allergies” disappear. For example, 85% of those who are “lactose intolerant” have absolutely no problem with raw dairy!
Could “lactose intolerance” more aptly be described then as “pasteurization intolerance”? I, for one, definitely think so!
Study of history supports the notion that milk matters and the inclusion of dairy in a healthy, well-rounded diet. The fact is that humans have consumed dairy for thousands of years, even before the advent of agriculture.
Julie Dunne of the University of Bristol, lead author of a groundbreaking archaeological study published in Nature, has found the first direct evidence that prehistoric people of the African Sahara used cattle for their milk many thousands of years ago long before the cultivation of plants in this region.
The initial evidence was found in rock art images illustrating domesticated cattle from the Wadi Imha, in the Tadrart Acacus Mountains, Libyan Sahara. Scientists have dated these images at between 5,000 and 8,000 years old. Ms. Dunne had this to say about the discovery:
Milk is one the very few foods that give us carbohydrates, fats and proteins in one go. So being able to use milk like these people did would have made an enormous difference to their health. It would have provided food for life.
Study of traditional cultures around the world shows the same. Milk not just from cows but from many other mammals such as goat, sheep, camel, reindeer, yak, horses, and even water buffalo have proved an important part of the human diet for far longer than almost any other food.
If the history of milk fascinates you as it does me, you will no doubt enjoy this infographic below sent to me from John Kelle from Online Masters of Public Health. There are numerous factoids about the history of milk to skim through. In addition, 10 good reasons for switching to raw milk from store milk are included for those of you just learning about the benefits of unprocessed, full-fat dairy fresh from the farm.
If you’ve been told that milk is not a healthy food for you and your family to consume, know that history stands firm as a strong and convincing counterpoint to this false, modern notion!
Why Milk Matters
An infographic by the team at Online Masters In Public Health
More Information
A1 and A2 Milk: Do Cow Genetics Even Matter?
The A1 and A2 Factor in Raw Milk
I have found it impossible to get raw milk. I live in Delaware and no one will sell it they say its against the law? any suggestions on where to get it?
It’s illegal in many states. Short of having your own livestock, the only option is to look for a cow share program. You buy a share of a cow, pay for part of its upkeep, and are therefore legally entitled to a portion of its milk, which the farmer can give to you without pastuerizing it.
Thank you for all of your informative articles that keep us striving for optimal health! I LOVE raw milk, but I do go back and forth with eliminating it from our diet for fear that it’s contributing to autoimmune problems. I noticed that a previous person asked a similar question about milk or dairy being eliminated on autoimmune protocol diets, which I am interested in hearing your respond. One of my daughter’s has eczema and I have IBS problems. Also, my 5 month old gets thrush every time I start drinking raw milk again. When I stop, it goes away after about a week. Then, the thrush returns when I start drinking raw milk again (she is exclusively breast fed). None of the conventional or alternative approaches have helped (grapefruit seed extract, gentian violet, probiotics, nystatin, etc.) We do not eat sugar and limit our grains too. Could she be in the small percentage of those that are lactose intolerant? She has had thrush 5 times now and it definitely coincides with me drinking raw milk. Thank you again Sarah! 🙂
Is there something about the process of taking the raw cream (from raw milk) and making it into butter that gives it the X Factor advocated by Weston A. Price? Another way of asking this same question: Is the fat molecule changed in the butter making process in such a way as to make consuming raw butter better for you than just drinking the cream in the whole raw milk?
Thank you for all the informative articles on the benefits of raw milk and related products.
Thanks for the excellent article on milk. I love raw milk so much that I’d go so far as to move out to the country and buy some cows just to have access to it. It’s important for all to keep closely abreast/vigilant of what the huge corporations and Mega-agriculture/CAFO farms are up to , and it’s usually about monopoly on all milk products and farm produce for greatest possible profits.
So glad you wrote this article! I also have fallen prey to listening to “so called experts” criticizing milk and telling us how bad it is. Although I have still been getting my raw milk , I had actually considered stopping it but now I will drink my raw milk, thanks to you Sarah. I truly trust your research.
Thank you for all your work!
I am finding myself annoyed with some of this. First though I should say I am an pastured beyond organic farmer so you know I’m not a random crack pot. One by volume cows are the largest producer of milk in the world by volume. Goats however are the most milked livestock in the world. I am lactose intolerant. The “fact” about most people with it can drink raw milk was decided by a study of 16 people. The study was financed by a small group of raw milk advocates, including Mark McAfee of Organic Pastures Dairy Company and members of the Weston A. Price Foundation. The study proved to show anything and actually cast doubt on this so called fact. Believe me I wish beyond anything it was that simple. Drink raw milk be cured. I also think it’s dangerous to tote that it cures anything especially to desperate parents. I would never buy raw milk from a store. You have no idea how that stock was raised or how the milk was stored and handled. Raise your own stock or get to be friends with your local farmer. Just because it says organic doesn’t mean crap. That’s one reason I refuse to get a certification. Alright last thing. Why is artificial insemination in cattle a bad thing? It is used not just in CAFO but with most farmers now. I see this popping up everywhere. This has got to be from people who have never been around cattle. A bull is dangerous not a lot of people can handle them. Also you have to feed it year round when all he does is work a month or so. You do not breed year round. You plan your breedings so they freshen at the same time. It is not worth keeping one unless you rent out the bull or have a very large herd. Anyhow just some thoughts.
We’ve had raw dairy in our house for about 11 years now. My H and the kids have it every day. I don’t have the raw milk but eat the raw cheese and yogurt. But I am constantly reading that even raw dairy isn’t good if you have inflammation going on, an autoimmune condition, for example, which I do. So, I am eliminating all dairy for 3 weeks and then, reintroduce to see if there are any issues with it. What do you think of the raw milk and autoimmune protocols? They all eliminate dairy. IT’s frustrating for me. I don’t think it’s ever been an issue for me, but I am doing this experiment anyway. Thank you!
I have read similar things. We eliminated raw milk for 30 days and then reintroduced it. For me, I discovered it was the cause of my knee and ankle pain. For my husband, it was the cause of his back pain. Our friends did the same thing and found milk to be the trigger of several of their ailments. I think everyone should go dairy free for a time and then reintroduce. You might be surprised about how your body reacts.
The problem with drinking milk because traditional cultures did has to do with the state of our guts. Traditional cultures grew up with great guts. Most Americans these days do not.
Does anyone know anything about milk and inflammation or autoimmune problems? I would love for someone to respond to this above about inflammation clearing up. I have scalp psorisis and everything I read says to give up dairy. So frustrated because I love my raw dairy.
Psoriasis is normally cured by drinking raw milk…
realmilk.com
Quote from site:
Interestingly, diseases that have no similarity respond equally to this treatment. For instance, psoriasis clears up beautifully. The improvement in tuberculosis or nephritis is equally interesting but there is no similarity in these diseases. I once heard a very distinguished medical man discussing a case of psoriasis. He said, “This was the worst case of psoriasis I have ever seen. This boy was literally covered from head to foot with scales. We put this boy on a milk diet and in less than a month he had a skin like a baby’s.” To me, this means that there was evidently some nutritive substance or vitamin or glandular secretion lacking, that was furnished by the milk.
So wouldn’t the fix ultimately be to “fix your gut” instead of avoiding foods since our guts can’t handle it??
Yes, the primary goal is to fix your gut but that takes time. Until its fixed (which takes a lifetime of work for some) you have avoid foods like dairy, grains and legumes. Some find they also have to avoid nuts, seeds, and nightshades. If you don’t you are letting improperly digested substances into your body which perpetuates the problem and can cause new problems.
Madison, farmers who provide raw milk have very humane conditions for their cows. The farmer I get mine from feeds her cows sprouted grains in addition to what they get in open pasture. I’ve been to the farms for pick ups and see how the cows are treated.
Raw milk is also legal in Utah.
I think that this article is missing a very important element, which is that the means by which milk is obtains (at least in this culture) is inhumane and quite cruel.
Also interesting is the extremely low rate of cancer in places in which NO animal biproducts are consumed. For those interested in learning more, check out the China Project
Madison,
I am not sure how much research you have done about the China Project, so forgive me if you have already read this.
I can across this article and found it interesting.
weedemandreap.com/2013/06/are-plant-based-diets-a-fad.html
The author talks in detail about the science (or lack there of) behind the China Project.
The China Study is bunk. Manipulated, fudged data disguised as “research” to promote a highly profitable corporatocracy of food.
The only raw milk we have been able to find- the cows do go on pasture but they are also supplemented with grain and or alfalfa.
Would this be ok if we can’t find 100% grass fed milk?