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
My grandmother (born in 1917) grew up on a farm, and I remember she used to talk about how in the mornings she would go and dip her fingers or a biscuit into the fresh cream from a freshly milked cow. She said is was just delightful….If only this were a more common experience today. Sadly it’s not and likely won’t be again. Now years later I understand how fortunate she was.
I personally have decided not to ‘drink’ milk. I can’t get raw milk without a lot of expense and difficulty (plus, it’s illegal in Michigan), and I wonder about the quality of even the low pasteurized milk.
I do use some grassfed butter and cheese, but I’ve decided to use homemade almond milk to add the creamy substance in warm drinks, smoothies, soups etc.
I also have issues with the production of milk in today’s world, possibly even from “pastured” or grass-fed cows. In traditional societies I don’t think there was this larger mass production of milk (yes, it’s different with grass-fed type farms, but it’s not just like traditional societies where they all had a few cows and got the milk from natural cycles). And there are ethical issues with cows always being pregnant, and the male calves. I know what can happen on conventional or CAFO farms, but not sure this doesn’t occur to some degree with more grass-based farms too. I actually would like to see conventional dairy consumption decrease (for ethical reasons mostly and environmental also). I mean, most of the billions of people today won’t have access to high quality, pastured cows that are discussed here (am I wrong?)
Also I’ve read what another commenter above mentioned about how traditional people used more of the fermented dairy products like cheese, butter etc., because they couldn’t keep milk fresh for long during the times it was available, and cheese could be kept for long periods of time.
I do get annoyed by some people who toss around the China Study and make broad statements about how dairy is a large influence in cancer or other ailments without looking at broader issues.
For me, my body and intuition tell me that some quality grass-fed butter and cheese is what works for me as far as dairy goes (as of now).
Thanks for the info and to be able to discuss this issue.
Hi Jen, I agree with you that most milk produced today is done under deplorable conditions. There may even be some unscrupulous grass fed producers. That’s why it is best to know your source. In answer to your question about if it is even possible to provide grass fed milk to the billions of people today, I have to answer, “Yes.” As pointed out in the article many cultures drink milk from other types of animals, water buffalo, camels, reindeer, etc. Even in our culture goat’s milk is quite popular. If you look just at cow’s milk, it used to be supplied by small family farms with herds of only about 30 to 50 head. I grew up in Wisconsin, the heart of the dairy industry, during the 60s and 70s. Pretty much everyone in my school lived on a farm. We all grew up on raw milk. Now what was sold did go to a dairy that pasteurized it and made cheese out of it or sold it to grocery stores, but the ability to produce the volume needed was there. The mode of distribution would just need to be altered. The cows were on pasture all summer and fed hay (dried grass) through the winter. Cows were named, brushed and interacted with by the whole family. They are herd animals so as long as their needs were met they pretty much preferred to interact with the rest of the herd and not humans. Unfortunately most of these family farms are gone, run out of business by factory farms and taxes (the farmers estates were valuable in land and assets but not cash, so when the farmer passed away and their children inherited it, they didn’t have the cash to pay the death taxes and lost the farm or sold out to factory farms). If the demand of the consumer is there I believe these farms could be reestablished. Many of those in their 40s and older that grew up on these family farms are still around and know how to do it and love the life. It would just need to be worth it to them to go back to farming. It is a hard, uncertain life made even worst by the government being constantly on their backs.
Please explain why animal protein, unlike plant protein, dairy included, takes calcium out of our bones and why that effect is not a concern in considering raw grassfed dairy? Countries wih high milk consumption also have surprisingly high osteoporosis rates. In addition, dairy does contribute to inflammation in the body, so how is this not a concern with raw milk? Finally, what happens to the baby cows that are not getting their mothers milk because humans are taking it, and how do you keep a cows milk coming beyond the natural time frame for nursing her baby?
Can someone please answer the above questions, preferably the author of this article? I want to believe that raw dairy is good, but need ALL the info, not just what’s handpicked to support one side. Thank you.
You can use your common sense here.
Was osteoporosis an issue before milk was pasteurized, homogenized and grain fed? (Grain being inflammatory.)
Veal is delicious.
Spend some time on a farm and see the real world (not CAFO) life of the growing of your food.
EC, common sense is a matter of opinion and not the info I’m seeking. If it all came down to common sense, then I’d have to believe that cow milk is only for baby cows, and veal is entirely inhumane. And every farm is different so that’s why I can’t just assume they all have the same practices. I see the real world life of the growing of my food every day I go work in my organic garden. Do you slaughter your own baby cows or let someone else take care of that real part of their premature suffering and murder?
I don’t eat veal but I do slaughter our cockerels. If not, when they reach maturity, they fight each other to the death.
I hope you do find farms that are acceptable to you. Remember, in your organic farm and thinking, everything you eat is prevented from continuing it’s natural cycle of making seeds to carry on its existence generation after generation, not for providing you a meal. A carrot is to provide food for making seeds the in the second year of its life, for example.
There is no getting around that food is a living thing and you take a life every time you eat. That is common sense,
It appears you’ve been a victim of causation vs. correlation. Many times observational studies find a correlation between to things. It doesn’t mean that one causes the other. An example I like to use is the correlation between increased ice cream sales that seem to correlate with an increase in muggings in the summer time. We can either decide the ice cream sales causes murder and ban all ice cream shops or we can decide to look into it further. If we look into it further, we’d find that when the temperatures go up outside, people crave more ice cream. We would also find that muggers don’t like cold weather and tend to do more mugging when the weather is nicer.
Same goes for evaluating so called “studies” when it comes to our food. There were some studies that correlated increased animal protein intake with higher levels of calcium in the subjects urine. The ASSUMPTION was that the calcium was leached from the bones. Add in the outdated and debunked theory that animal products makes us more “acidic” and there you have it! Animal products make us more acidic and causes calcium to leach from our bones. They later figured out that the increased calcium in the urine was actually EXCESS calcium from the animal products that the body didn’t need.
If you have leaky gut, then casein in the milk will cause inflammation. My husband and I both have this issue. If you do not have leaky gut, then it won’t. That’s why my family makes sure we have homemade bone broth, salmon, etc on a regular basis rather than milk.
The raw dairy farms in our area let the calf nurse with the mother until the usual weaning age, then they start to separate them for longer periods of time each day. They milk the cow to keep the milk production up. The milking machine stimulates the cow to produce milk even though the calf is not the one eating it. Much like human mothers use a breast pump in between feedings to increase their milk production.
Cathryn, Damage from dairy comes from pasteurized dairy, however even raw dairy can aggravate inflammation in those with a compromised gut. As for the issue of feeding calves, some farmers put them on processed milk replacer but many leave the calf with it’s mother or feed it milk after the mother has been milked. A cow can produce more milk than is needed for one calf. Just like a healthy human mother can feed twins if necessary. Once the calf is old enough and eating on it’s own the cow will continue to be milked. Again, just like a human mother, she will continue to produce milk as long as she continues to nurse/be milked. Cows tend to taper off in volume and quality of milk over time so are bred again to “freshen” their milk supply.
Any comments or advice about those of us with autoimmune conditions that have been told to eliminate dairy? Hate to eliminate raw dairy for me but my kids and H will still be having it.
Hi Claudia,
Funny Story the post above yours is about raw milk Product that has been Proven to Help People with Auto Immune Problems this will help you a lot please read articile #3
In conclusion, these preliminary data indicate that, in patients who maintain an adequate total caloric intake, the addition of “bioactive” whey protein concentrate as a significant portion of total protein intake increases body weight and shows elevation of glutathione (GSH) content of mononuclear cells toward normal levels. This pilot study will serve as a basis for a much larger clinical trial.
Thanks for sharing this great Article, I have know about the benefits of Raw Milk for the last five years.Truth be told I am alive today because I have been taking a Whey Protein Isolate called Immunocal. It is a super concentrated Whole, Raw Milk that is Unpasteurized and Lactose free. It has been flash dehydrated Ten grams of whey started out as 5 litres of Raw Full Fat Milk. Immunocal is Amazing and has a Biological Value of 110%
Michael Gene Pearce
Heart Attack Survivor
This article is totally misguided.
Milk is high in cholesterol and too much milk can cause osteoporosis. Don’t believe me, research the negative effects of dairy.
And milk is cruel to cows, most of them are chained to their stalls all day being constantly molested by unnatural machines.
When they become ‘unproductive’ they are sent to slaughter, which goes for their calves as well, which we throw away and steal the mothers milk.
Raw milk has cholesterol, but the healthy kind .. not the oxidized cholesterol you are referring to in processed foods that is indeed unhealthy linked to heart disease. Not all cholesterol is created equal. Make sure you get the good kind in raw, grassfed dairy!
I am also not referring to abused cows here in CAFO type situations, but rather healthy grassfed dairy from happy cows on grass.
There might be cows that live a happier life than others but it is a fact that you have to Keep a cow constantly pregnant in order to have the cow produce milk. If not the milk amount will decrease. It is not different than with humans.
It is not healthy for any organism to be pregnant constantly.
If a cow cannot serve as a milk cow anymore it is slaughtered. A cow can become 20 years old or even older but not but as a milk cow it has only a life span of 5 years.
Diary might be healthy or might not be, either way – even if we assume it is healthy – a little increase of your health or well-being does not justify to end the life of a nunhuman animal. If you not consuming diary, you will not die. Therefore you can live without it. But the decision of consuming diary causes death to other creatures that are capable of suffering and to which life matters.
Another fact is that the Baby cows that are giving birth to by the milk cow will either be a milk cow themselves or they go straight to the meat industry.
Claudia, you may know this, but I just wanted to point out that male calves born to dairy cows don’t usually (or always) go straight to the meat industry for ‘processing’. In conventional dairy farming, they often are shipped to veal producers who keep male calves confined and chained for several months. (These are baby cows taken from mothers a day or two or shortly after birth). Chained in “veal stalls” so they don’t move in order to keep the flesh/meat pale and tender. They are also fed a nutrient deficient diet to keep the flesh pale. It is completely legal to chain up calves so they can’t move for months. The dairy industry (mainly conventional) can be one of the most cruel which some vegetarians don’t realize. And I’m just addressing the male calf aspect. I am not a vegan (or vegetarian) at this point. When I learned about this and other horrible aspects of conventional farming I wanted to be vegan, and was for less than a year. I have since decided to consume some animal products. Though I make an effort to get quality, grassfed (some butter and cheese as far as dairy goes, though I don’t drink cow milk), and I don’t consume lots of it, but it is still something I struggle with. Watch a video of conventional veal production.
Though sentient beings or animals being consumed by other animals is natural and part of the planet and the food chain, and has always been part of the human diet. The healthiest traditional cultures valued meat, fat and organs and bones of animals for sustenance. Even recently watching a bird eat a worm had some impact on me. And I can’t place an ethical stance on my carnivorous cats who are the most wonderful beings themselves and are designed to (and must) consume other animals. But once I saw some of what really goes on in animal agriculture, I can’t ever forget it and it will affect my choices. And no, dairy products are not essential for adults, but if it’s quality it does provide many beneficial nutrients. Maybe I’m still trying to figure out what works best for me, and the ethical aspect is part of it, but I do feel better (in various ways) having some animal products in my diet.
Hi Claudia, I’m replying to your second post below (no reply button on that one – apparently happens with too many replies due to indentation issues).
I don’t feel that because some animals are carnivores and eat meat that as you say “the argument is “If they can kill and have meat than I can do too!” I just don’t believe that humans are meant to be exculsively herbivores. They can be exclusive herbivores (vegans), but they need to make sure they are getting all essential nutrients which means at least taking a B-12 supplement (even all the vegan respected RDs recommend AT LEAST this) and probably more than that, which modern society is able for provide vegans.
Some species can survive for some period time eating “species inappropriate diets” (this is a term used often with cats and I’m using it because I’m familiar with it in that context). But after some period of time, bodily disfunction and disease can often occur. Happens with cows, happens with cats, can happen with people. Sometimes it takes a long time and it can be subtle, or it can be exteme, and/or it may show up in next generation.
I also don’t think you can compare slavery to eating animal products. Humans have always eaten animals (not necessarily that much) because they have developed natural wisdom that their bodies needed this sustenance. Just like a bird will eat a worm or a bug, along with eating seeds.
And realistically, seriously, the whole world is not going to become vegan…at least anytime soon. Not every single one of the billions of humans is going to eschew traditional food practices (I’m not talking about the SAD diet) and become herbivore; it’s just not going to happen. But the ethical issue IS important. SO, what we DO need to do is focus on creating better farming practices and do away with factory farming as much as possible – for the animals, the environment and for health. And we should be eating less meat, but that doesn’t mean no animal foods at all.
I don’t think eating has anything to do with a “God given right”. That’s certainly not any part of my dietary decisions.
There are big ethical issues with large scale industrial animal agriculture. We need to change and/or abolish the current factory farming model. I will never, ever forget some of the images I’ve seen of what happens in some of these horrific places.
Best wishes, and please know that I understand the ethical issues. I have struggled with them and am aware of them. I just have come a conclusion to eat some (not that much) animal products sourced from better farms.
Claudia, cows in CAFOs only live about 3.5 years as dairy cows, but cows that produce raw milk that are grass fed live MUCH longer, more than 12 years. Most of these cows are even allowed to go dry which helps keep them healthy. For a cow that produces raw milk, their cows are not usually kept away at all, and feed after the cow is milked, so that the baby cow makes the mother cow produce more milk.
By consuming dairy, I am NOT killing other animals as it does NOT cause death to the animals linked to this…. You are comparing CAFO milk cows to happy grass-fed raw milk cows, and they canNOT be compared…
The diary industry is an industry and it always will be. Even if you have found a great farmer who has the most of respect towards his animals and does not put all baby male cows straight to the meat industry as soon as they are born (I doubt that, but anyway). Of course these cows (old and young) are in the end going to be slaughtered. Small farmers have to look on their expenses as well and they have to look on how to survive with all the competition around.
These people represent only a minority. Getting milk in this way can only work because the majority is having milk from the ordinary cruel milk industry.
And you all referring to cows as happy is really sarcastic. They might be happy because they don’t know their fate.
It is true that there are carnivore animals around is. The argument is “If they can kill and have meat than I can do too!” We humans tent to see ourselves as the most advanced creatures on earth. And we always distinguish ourselves from the “stupid animals”. But when it comes in handy we use them to justify our behaviour. For example animal experimentation in medicine: We say that we can have experiments on them because their body functions are similar to us. But when it comes to giving these very same animals some sort of rights, we say “Oh, no. We cannot do that because they are so not alike us!”
We turn around our argumentation as we like. And THAT is wrong.
How different is the argumentation of slavery? We need slaves otherwise the whole economy will break down!
We cannot all go vegan because then we will have an overpopulation of cattle and a whole industry will break down. People will become unemployed. And furthermore meat and diary are delicious!
I mean, seriously, just become animals products are yummy does not justify to end the lives of innocent creatures. Yes, a lion is killing animals too. But a lion does not have the mental capacity to understand who his action morally means. A mentally disables person does not understand his actions, as well. And if he hurts a person I will not judge him the same way as a “normal” person who is very aware about his actions.
Since the beginning of human life humans have always killed other humans. But in modern times we made an agreement to killing other humans is wrong. This applies to all civilizations. So, although something has always been this way and could be tagged as “God given right”, we thought about it and said it is morally wrong. Why can’t we do that with sentient non-human animals as well? Is inconvenience such a good argumentation when it comes to the life of a creature? I don’t think so.
Hi Sarah,
I follow all of your articles and info on a regular basis and love all of your information! Although, I am not sure I agree with this. My homeopath gave me information on what has happened to our cows and can be found in a book called “Devil in the milk” by Keith Woodford. Here are some foot notes…..Please give me your feedback.
“There is a protein called beta-casein in the milk-solid part of cow’s milk — but not in the fat (butter) and not in the whey. …A1 Beta-casein, common in American and European cows, releases an opiate-like chemical upon digestion called BCM-7, which is the exact culprit in the myriad of symptoms I have seen all these years. The symptoms include muscle pains, fatigue, digestive disturbances, and headaches. A1 Beta-casein refers to the type of beta-casein that has histidine instead of proline at position 67 of the protein chain. As a result of this mutation from proline to histidine, the peptide that emerges from this amino acid is able to be liberated in the digestive tract of the animal or person consuming the milk. To simplify this, the cows themselves are either called A1 or A2 cows, depending on which beta-casein variant they have. Preface to North American Edition
…The issue of A1 beta-casein and its health effects is a matter of huge importance throughout much of the world, particularly those countries that have ‘black and white’ cows of European origin. The USA, Canada, Britain, and much of Scandinavia come into this category.
…Unlike Australia and New Zealand, A2 milk is not available in North American supermarkets.
…New Zealand is quietly converting its herds to A2 without telling the rest of the world. What North Americans should be concerned about is that North American milk is very high in A1 beta-casein, and almost no-one is doing anything about it.
Prologue
This book is about the effects on human health of a tiny protein fragment called beta-casomorphin-7, or BCM7 for short. BCM7 is unquestionably a powerful opioid and hence a narcotic. It is also an oxidant.
…The BCM7 that is released from A1 beta-casein has been implicated in many illnesses, including heart disease, Type 1 diabetes and autism. More recently it has been linked to delayed development in genetically susceptible babies that are fed infant formula. And there is increasing evidence that it is associated with milk intolerance and an additional range of auto-immune diseases. Metaphorically, it is ‘the devil in the milk’.
…The ‘milk devil’ story is built upon more than a hundred scientific papers published in international journals, and also upon documents from milk-marketing companies. It is a story that has never been brought together before.
…Asian and African breeds of cows are free of it (unless they have some hidden European ancestry). So are goats.
…Genetic testing is possible [of the cows], and it is also possible to test the milk. Farmers can breed cows that are free of the problematic protein by using appropriately tested bulls and semen.
…Milk that is free of A1 beta-casein is known as A2 milk. All milk used to A2 milk until a natural mutation affected some European cows a long time ago.
I read this book when it first came out. Many of my state’s raw dairies have A2 tested herds and the milk is available in grocery stores. There has been time since the book came out for dairy farmers to test and breed for A2s.
If there is concern over the A1/A2 issue, ask you farmer! 🙂
wondering if that book talks about what happens to A1 Beta-casein when the milk is fermented? i know the process breaks down the casein – so does that make this “devil” less harmful to the body? thanks
I answered this question before … see quote by Mark McAfee.
I heard that if you have gluten sensitivity, you could likely have a cross reaction to a similar protein found in milk and dairy products. I think milk can be healthy if you have a healthy gut and no autoimmune issues. My family and I do enjoy raw milk though!
Coffee has a protein that crossreacts with gluten, not milk. I have a post on this if you want to learn more.
If you’re interested, a video by Dr. David Clark that I got the information about milk cross reactions. He also has 2 videos about coffee cross reactions, and updated it saying it was only instant coffee. I’ll take a look at your article on this subject as well, thanks!
Hi Sarah,
Love your blog and what you are doing to set the record straight on raw milk!
My dad and I drive an hour and forty five min one way to purchase milk from a licensed dairy bi-monthly…he is 86 yrs young, my mom is 84 and they are still very active…he is the one driving!
Recently, I went to a wellness center here to get bio-identical hormones; the dr put me on a yeast free diet for three months, and that includes no dairy, including raw milk. Why can’t I have Raw milk on this diet? Do you agree?
I would think they say no raw milk because they don’t understand it. I do not believe that raw milk feeds yeast, but I am not sure…
Hi
Thanks for the post, I can vouch for the fact that raw milk makes a huge difference. When people ask me about the effect of milk on me I would ask them if they have seen the scene in the movie Bridesmaids where the bride sinks down in the middle of the road in relief/resignation – yep pretty much sums it up. But not raw milk. No problems at all. It is illegal to sell raw milk for human consumption here in Australia but they sell if for “bathing”which means I bathe my throat in it. Not very scientific I know but it’s got my vote.
Interesting too that this was also part of the study:
“But it looks like these early pastoralists didn’t drink the milk directly, instead relying on products, such as butter and yoghurt they could make with it. This may be because their guts hadn’t yet evolved the enzyme necessary to digest a specific type of sugar found in milk called lactose,…” Early signs that fermenting milk might be the best way to go