
Why You should drink Raw Milk!
"Symptoms of foodborne illness from raw milk (can include) diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. In "some" cases, more severe outcomes like Guilliain-Barre' syndrome or Hemolytic uremic syndrome can occur, potentially leading to paralysis, kidney failure, stroke, or even death!" The warning jumps off the page of the CDC (Center for disease control) food safety page. "Oh my goodness!" I frantically open the National Library of Medicine Webpage on recent trends in unpasteurized fluid milk outbreaks... " The rate of unpasteurized fluid milk associated outbreaks have been declining by 74% since 2005." As I read a line of study from Dr. Joanne Whitehead, I start to feel confusion cloud my thoughts....which is a relatively common experience for me. How do we get to the calcium rich bones of the matter? Well folks, I may not be too good at grammar, punctuation or spelling but I do love the numbers. The best way that I have found to research a matter is to dig into the real numbers of the studies and to look into the "sponsors" of studies. So lets dig in!
The first problem we run into is that NO study exists that actually records deaths associated with consumption of raw milk. Of course one finds a plethora of studies with scary graphs and statements like we read on the CDC's page and I soon discover that these studies are built upon assumptions and just simple regurgitation of some bureaucrats facts and they could not be bothered to do a thorough study. The FDA's page lists 42 "reported" deaths....Key word being "reported." As I search deeper I discover that there is really no specific verification process concerning reported deaths...No one verifies the cause of death and links it directly to raw milk and dairy consumption, It's up to the medical coder and the physicians/medical providers educated opinion and analysis... and we saw the results of such scientific methods during the "recent pandemic". But lets play nice and indulge the FDA.
Their best guess is that there are 9.4 million drinkers of raw milk in the USA, since they never asked me, I would assume a few more healthy folks exist than reported. Alright lets do some math. We have 9.4 million raw milk addicts and 42 deaths....folks that's .00044% rate of deaths. The CDC reports that a total of 48,000,000 cases of foodborne illnesses (E.coli, salmonella and campylobacter included) are "reported" to the CDC each year. If we accept the U.S. population estimates at 300,000,000 that means that we are 35,000 times more likely to contract a foodborne illness from a FDA/USDA approved food than we are from raw milk.
This is another case of fearmongering concerning something that challenges the rhetoric and lobbying efforts of big pharma and the struggle to keep you sick and pill dependent. Once again we are being left behind. The U.S leads the world in non-infectious disease ( diabetes, heart disease etc.). and , In fact, many European countries promote raw milk sales and some even have public dispensing machines for raw milk. In 2015, The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, compared nearly 1000 European Infants ( ages 8 weeks to 53 weeks) for respiratory tract infections, rhinitis ( runny nose) and otitis ( ear infections). Some participants were consuming raw milk and some were consuming pasteurized milk. As the study progressed they noticed a 30% reduction in fevers and a significant reduction in RT infections, rhinitis and otitis. After a follow up several years later they recorded a sustained anti-inflammatory effect on those who regularly consume raw dairy. And it turns out no one died!
Now many folks' experience with raw milk, is milk that tastes very much like the cow smells. This is usually due to a lack of cleanliness and poor animal husbandry, although some times this may occur from the cows diet. This is a great example of why the milk coming from a "small" conventional dairy DOES most-likely need to be pasteurized. These operations usually milk at least 5000 cows and adequate hygiene is an insurmountable task. Hence why we ultra-pasteurize now. We need small local dairies that feed their local community and we need to stop mixing and shipping all over the country.
Lets address some of the known benefits of raw milk and dairy.
1. Raw milk contains vitamins A,D,K2 and E - ( A,D, and K are essential for the proper absorption of calcium and phosphorus)- mitigates Osteoporosis?
2. It is a great source of Lecithin, Iodine and selenium.
3. The short and medium-chain fatty acids are associated with strong anti-tumor effects.
4. It contains CLA ( conjugated linoleic acid ) - Which has strong cancer fighting properties.
5. Saturated fats are critical to lung function and may eliminate development of Asthma ( Thorax, Jul 2003;58(7):567-72)
6. The Medical Council conducted a survey and found that men who regularly consumed real butter had 50% less risk of heart disease when compared to men consuming margarine.
To sum up, I am not against the consumption of pasteurized dairy, ( Although 72 documented Deaths have actually been directly caused by pasteurized milk) nor am I against American Dairy farmers. The fact is that they are broke and have to work off farm jobs just to make ends meet. These are tough, resilient folks that will recognize the opportunity and realize that they can actually make a living on their farm. Lets vote with our wallets and show them what we want!
The Bureaucrats in Washington and at the FDA have their pensions and major investments tied up in pharmaceuticals, medical providers ( hospital companies), and big box companies. It is a conflict of interest to care about public health. They directly profit from your child's
treatment . I've said it before and I'll say it again....There is no money in the cure only the treatment.
Check our Drea's cheese making video on youtube!
That's great! That takes knowing your farmer to the next level!
I can't even remember the last time I bought milk in the store. Only thing we will drink at home is raw cow or goat milk. I'm now learning how to make yogurt and cheese! Great article!