blood pressure, kidney disease, and even heart disease. 26
Today, in the age of pasteurization, old literature on the benefits of raw milk makes interesting reading. In 1916 and 1917,
the American Journal of Diseases of Children reported that raw milk prevents scurvy in babies, probably because heat destroys vitamin C. In 1933, the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin reported that raw milk promotes growth and calcium absorption. In 1937, the Lancet said that children on raw milk had greater resistance to tooth decay and tuberculosis. The Drug and Cosmetic Industry reported
in 1938 that certain pathogens do not grow in raw milk but proliferate in pasteurized milk. The good bacteria in raw milk—
dubbed natural antiseptics by the authors— killed the dangerous ones. Sadly, this science is neglected today.
THE MILK DIET: A MODERN EXPLANATION
Recent studies show that people who consume more milk, yogurt, and cheese lose fat (especially belly fat) and gain lean muscle.
It's not clear why. The CLA and omega-3 fats from the milk of grass-fed cows prevent obesity and build lean muscle, but it's
likely the subjects in these studies ate industrial dairy foods. In The Calcium Key, Professor Michael Zemel, director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, argues that calcium is the secret.
Zemel explains how low calcium elevates the hormone calcitriol, which causes the body to hoard calcium and send it to fat
cells, where it signals cells to store fat. A calcium-rich diet lowers calcitriol and stimulates weight loss. Zemel found
that calcium from dairy foods is strikingly more effective than calcium from fortified foods or supplements. 27 Whole raw milk is the best source of calcium; the body needs the enzyme phosphatase (destroyed by heat) and vitamins D (in
the fat) to absorb calcium.
Is raw milk safe? Like vegetables or meat, milk can be contaminated with pathogens, but raw milk is not inherently more susceptible
than pasteurized milk or any other food. Clean raw milk from a healthy cow, carefully handled by a conscientious farmer, is
safe. Hygiene starts in the dairy. Crowded, poorly fed, and weak herds are more susceptible to disease. As we've seen, the
cow's ideal habitat is outdoors and her best diet is grass. During milking and handling, the careful farmer avoids contamination
from pathogens by using clean buckets, strainers, and other equipment. Milk must be rapidly chilled after milking and kept
cold.
I grew up on raw milk, neglected it for years, and now go to some trouble to get it. If you fancy raw milk, find a sparkling
clean dairy— ideally one you can visit— with healthy, grass-fed cows and a farmer who drinks raw milk. The best choice is
a certified dairy, where the cows are regularly tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis. State law on raw milk sales varies
widely, but in about two thirds of the states it is possible to buy raw milk legally in some fashion. California, Connecticut,
and New Mexico permit certified raw milk in shops. In many states, including New York, raw milk may be sold at certified farms.
Others allow raw milk to be sold as pet food (nod, wink). Some dairy farmers sell a "cow share," which entitles you to a few
gallons of milk each week.
One caution: some traditional foods, like sauerkraut and wine, keep well and improve with age. Raw milk is not one of them.
Fresh milk must be consumed— or made into yogurt or cheese— in a week or so. Aseptic UHT milk and other foods engineered to
last forever have clear commercial advantages, but they come at the price of lost flavor and nutrients. Remember this rule
of thumb: eat foods that spoil — hut eat them before they do.
Fortunately, shepherds long before us spent many hours perfecting a way to preserve perishable raw milk for a rainy day— or more precisely, for a long, cold winter. From fresh spring milk, they made
cheese. Traditional pressed cheeses can mature
Today, in the age of pasteurization, old literature on the benefits of raw milk makes interesting reading. In 1916 and 1917,
the American Journal of Diseases of Children reported that raw milk prevents scurvy in babies, probably because heat destroys vitamin C. In 1933, the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin reported that raw milk promotes growth and calcium absorption. In 1937, the Lancet said that children on raw milk had greater resistance to tooth decay and tuberculosis. The Drug and Cosmetic Industry reported
in 1938 that certain pathogens do not grow in raw milk but proliferate in pasteurized milk. The good bacteria in raw milk—
dubbed natural antiseptics by the authors— killed the dangerous ones. Sadly, this science is neglected today.
THE MILK DIET: A MODERN EXPLANATION
Recent studies show that people who consume more milk, yogurt, and cheese lose fat (especially belly fat) and gain lean muscle.
It's not clear why. The CLA and omega-3 fats from the milk of grass-fed cows prevent obesity and build lean muscle, but it's
likely the subjects in these studies ate industrial dairy foods. In The Calcium Key, Professor Michael Zemel, director of the Nutrition Institute at the University of Tennessee, argues that calcium is the secret.
Zemel explains how low calcium elevates the hormone calcitriol, which causes the body to hoard calcium and send it to fat
cells, where it signals cells to store fat. A calcium-rich diet lowers calcitriol and stimulates weight loss. Zemel found
that calcium from dairy foods is strikingly more effective than calcium from fortified foods or supplements. 27 Whole raw milk is the best source of calcium; the body needs the enzyme phosphatase (destroyed by heat) and vitamins D (in
the fat) to absorb calcium.
Is raw milk safe? Like vegetables or meat, milk can be contaminated with pathogens, but raw milk is not inherently more susceptible
than pasteurized milk or any other food. Clean raw milk from a healthy cow, carefully handled by a conscientious farmer, is
safe. Hygiene starts in the dairy. Crowded, poorly fed, and weak herds are more susceptible to disease. As we've seen, the
cow's ideal habitat is outdoors and her best diet is grass. During milking and handling, the careful farmer avoids contamination
from pathogens by using clean buckets, strainers, and other equipment. Milk must be rapidly chilled after milking and kept
cold.
I grew up on raw milk, neglected it for years, and now go to some trouble to get it. If you fancy raw milk, find a sparkling
clean dairy— ideally one you can visit— with healthy, grass-fed cows and a farmer who drinks raw milk. The best choice is
a certified dairy, where the cows are regularly tested for tuberculosis and brucellosis. State law on raw milk sales varies
widely, but in about two thirds of the states it is possible to buy raw milk legally in some fashion. California, Connecticut,
and New Mexico permit certified raw milk in shops. In many states, including New York, raw milk may be sold at certified farms.
Others allow raw milk to be sold as pet food (nod, wink). Some dairy farmers sell a "cow share," which entitles you to a few
gallons of milk each week.
One caution: some traditional foods, like sauerkraut and wine, keep well and improve with age. Raw milk is not one of them.
Fresh milk must be consumed— or made into yogurt or cheese— in a week or so. Aseptic UHT milk and other foods engineered to
last forever have clear commercial advantages, but they come at the price of lost flavor and nutrients. Remember this rule
of thumb: eat foods that spoil — hut eat them before they do.
Fortunately, shepherds long before us spent many hours perfecting a way to preserve perishable raw milk for a rainy day— or more precisely, for a long, cold winter. From fresh spring milk, they made
cheese. Traditional pressed cheeses can mature
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