Widespread milk pasteurization is a relatively new process, having become federal law in 1947. This law came into effect because “Raw milk can carry dangerous germs, such as Brucella, Campylobacter, Cryptosporidium, E. coli, Listeria, and Salmonella, which can pose serious health risks to you and your family.” [1]
But this is only a half-truth. Raw milk is filled with dangerous pathogens only when cows have been fed grain and live in CAFOs (concentrated area feeding operations).
However, when cows live in fields, eat grass and hay, and are not fed grain or given antibiotics or steroids, the raw milk they produce is loaded with immune cells that actually kill bacteria.
But is grass-fed, organic raw milk healthy for you? The answer is “Yes!” There are a lot of “benefits of raw milk” lists out there. The ones that indicate that your immune system benefits from the immune cells in the milk are not accurate. This is because our stomach acid will denature and kill all immune cells as well as beneficial bacteria found in the raw milk.
That said, here are my top five benefits of drinking raw milk:
- Grass-fed raw milk has an abundance of healthy fat. This is probably my favorite benefit! It is full of healthy butter fat, which is a large reason breastmilk (which is raw milk) is so nutritious to infants.
Grass-fed raw milk also has 147% more omega-3 fatty acids and 52% fewer omega-6 fatty acids than conventional milk. Omega-3 fatty acids are critical because they are responsible for regulating blood pressure, supporting the immune system, helping prevent heart disease, and more. You need both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to live, however, the current American diet has anywhere from a 16:1 to a 30:1 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio. This is compared to a pre-industrial diet that ranged from a 4:1 to a 1:4 omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio.
- Grass-fed raw milk can help fight hypertension and obesity. Raw milk that comes from grass-fed cows is rich in Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA. CLA is very closely related to omega-6 fatty acid. It has been well researched, and there is evidence in peer-reviewed science that it can help a person lose weight and improve their muscle mass, especially in people who are obese.
- Grass-fed raw milk is a superfood in that it is micronutrient dense. It is rich in vitamin A, vitamin D, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, B6, B12, pantothenic acid, folic acid, phosphorus, zinc, calcium potassium, and magnesium.
- Grass-fed raw milk contains all 20 amino acids that your body needs for healthy, normal functioning. This includes the 9 amino acids your body doesn’t make and that you need to obtain through diet.
- Grass-fed raw milk also contains lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein that has anti-cancer, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties. Lactoferrin is an “iron scavenger,” which means it helps your body retain iron where it wouldn’t normally.
*As an aside, if you’re lactose intolerant like I am, you may still want to try grass-fed raw milk. This is because the Weston A Price Foundation conducted a survey of over 700 families and found that over 80% of the polled families no longer experienced the symptoms of lactose intolerance once they switched to drinking raw milk.
So, give raw milk a try! You can find the nearest grass-fed raw milk producer near you on this website: https://www.realmilk.com/.
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