I've been doing a lot of thinking about raw milk recently. Anybody have any thoughts on it? I just read an article about the link between pasteurization and colitis/Chron's disease. I've always known that the hormones and antibiotics fed to the cows gets through to the milk, just as a mother would give these things to her breast-feeding child if she took them. However, I never realized all that pasteurization did to the milk. Even homoginization apparently isn't too good either. Please read these sites:
http://www.mountvernonnews.com/local/06/07/08/raw.milk.html
www.realmilk.com
www.rawmilk.org
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/1/1/does-tainted-milk-cause-crohn-s-disease.aspx
http://www.suegregg.com/about/The%20Wonder%20of%20Raw%20Milk.pdf
I'm seriously thinking about buying a share of a cow and getting the raw milk. I'm sure my husband and my kids will truly believe I've gone off the deep end! Maybe I have :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
23 comments:
I'm all for raw milk! It's like the difference between giving your baby breast milk & formula--except that formula at least has some vitamins, and plain old pasturized store milk doesn't. You might also look into goat's milk, as the proteins are different than cow's milk--and it's naturally homogenized, so you're not always shaking the milk. Just think--4H projects for the boys, maybe a free ticket to veterinary school in the future... :)
We've considered goatmilk many times as our neighbors actually have some to give away. However, I just couldn't get over the difference in taste! What did you think about the taste?
It depends on the barn conditions, what the goats are fed, and what type of goat. Some goats are known for their higher butterfat content, which hides off flavors better. Look for nubian or nigerian dwarf goat milk, as they have the highest butterfat. Saanens produce the most milk, so some people like them for quantity, but the quality just isn't as good--unless you're using it to make pungent cheeses. Then you want to make sure the milk is handled properly and cooled quickly. Milking in the barn is a big no-no. Letting the does run with the bucks is a no-no. Letting them eat strange foods (like wild onions) also a no-no. All these things affect the taste of the milk. It does with cow milk, too, but commercial dairies have all those factors figured into their management practices. Properly handled goat milk from healthy, well-fed goats in clean barns should not taste any different from cow's milk. Finding someone to do this for you regularly can be a challenge. But a nigerian dwarf goat is no bigger than a household dog and is really easy to accomodate into any backyard. Milking them can be a chore for adults due to their smaller teats--it's a great job for kids, though. These have the highest butterfat. Okay, dinner calls!
Huh...I don't know much about how they raise their goats other than I see them in the backyard every now and then. Perhaps that's why the taste was not going to pass for "milk" in my book :)
Hi Jen,
I don't know the validity of this, but just talked to a friend of mine who drinks raw milk. Her goats were dried up early this year, and they've been on store milk a while now. All the allergies and ADHD have come back--raw milk had actually helped eradicate those--and they're back to taking meds again. Anyway, the validity thing: She just heard that they're trying to pass a bill (TN? Federal? not sure) making it illegal to give raw milk to your children! Children's services would have to come in for child abuse! I hope this isn't true. If it is, it's disgusting! Anyway, after talking about it, I'm eager to see if the raw milk helps my allergies any...
I had heard this about states trying to make it illegal for raw milk distribution. They make it hard enough as is! Our neighbors have a dairy farm, but won't sell to locals because of the ramifications they could have if someone found out.
That's VERY interesting about the allergies! I think in the spring I'll definitely try to talk to our church neighbors about goat's milk. If nothing else, Caleb and the younger children can use it. Perhaps someday I'll by my own cow or goat!
Someday, I may have a goat or two to sell you! :)
I have been reading about it as well. You have to have grass fed cows to have good milk. Some farmers sell raw milk but they have to say it is for animals. Check this site out it weeds through the fact and fiction for you. http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/index.html
Thanks for the site info! Some states are more lenient than others it seems. I agree that grass-fed equals good milk. It can be VERY hard to find a good milk source!
My sons have both recovered from autism and raw cow milk from healthy grass fed cows is a big part of their diet and we believe was a big part of their healing process. They were on the gfcf diet for over a year & were doing well but after we decided to add the raw dairy, they really made drastic improvement!!! You would not even know that once had the diagnosis! So, I am all for raw milk. We like raw milk from Jersey cows fed an all grass diet (hay in winter when grass is not growing here). Also, we prepare & cook all of our family's foods with traditional methods (soaking/sprouting grains/beans/seeds/nuts) & eat all pastured (grass-fed) meats, poultry, organ meat, egg, cheese, yogurt, kefir, sour cream...and also make and drink many cultured/ lacto-fermented foods such as homemade saurkraut, homemade ketchup, etc...we also soak/sprout all gluten free grains to make muffins, pancakes, etc. if you havent already, check out Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon & www.westonaprice.org. Also check out radiantlifecatalog.com for some very healthful products such as colustrum to add to the raw milk unless you can get raw colustrum certain times of the year which is super healthful...the colustrum helps the beneficial bacteria in the raw milk implant in the gut, heal the gut and help the beneficial bacteria proliferate (multiply) in the gut to build up the good army...
This is a debate my friend and I had just this morning. We only use raw milk. Yes it is illegal to SELL it in the state of NC.
If a child is on a gfcf diet what role does the raw milk play? I thought all milk should be avoided. My friend says NO. She says the pasturized milk is the problem. The unpasturized milk would be eaiser to break down and digest and the enzymes would be helpful.
For some kids with autism, the actual protein in milk is the problem, and even raw milk will likely NOT solve that. It would be like telling a Celiac that if she switched to sprouted wheat it would work. It won't work for those who just can't physically tolerate milk. However, milk was never my son's issue, wheat was what we had to avoid. You'll know whether it's just the pasteurization, or whether it's the actual protein. Your child's behavior, bowels, and possibly other reaction will still be there if it's the casein (or protein) that is the problem. For us, we were looking for getting in that wonderful milk culture that raw milk give, and since my son could handle milk...we've given it a shot! So far so good! Here in Michigan, we can only consume raw milk if we own part of a cow. Otherwise we must say it's for pet consumption....which of course our pets are now consuming :) We have so far been very happy with raw milk!
Hi Jen,
The way I understand it, the heat of pasteurization alters the proteins enough to be an issue for many, including triggering sensitivities in children with ADHD, autism, etc.
The other issue that I have found is that the vitamins A, D and K found in raw milk make a huge behavior/stress tolerance difference for my boy, who has no diagnosis, but major spectrum-type issues. The vitamins in pasteurized milk are totally NOT as usable or present as they are in raw milk. Raw milk also contains the enzymes a body needs to heal the leaky gut which many children suffer from, spectrum disordered or not. I also add cod liver oil to get a sufficient total of A and D into my guy. Our whole family is drinking raw milk, eating lacto-fermented pickles (the old style kind, like Bubbies), and our sugar cravings have really decreased. In SC, we can go to a fully regulated dairy to buy raw dairy, or even just to our local store which carries it.
Good luck! Think about keeping a family cow - local farmers may be willing to teach you how.
Thank you for your comment! We are also now obtaining a source of raw milk....which of course is for our pets here in Michigan ;) I completely agree that the vitamins in pasturized milk really are ineffective. We supplement a fish oil vitamin D3 and also a vitamin A that are filtered for heavy metals. Caleb never really had a leaky gut issue with milk like he did with wheat, so it's hard to say if it would be okay for those with a leaky gut associated with pasturized dairy. However, I'd love it if others posted their health experiences with both types of dairy.
How do you make the lacto-fermented pickles?
"off the deep end" is exactly where we have to go these days for good health, and the health of our children.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/31/us-government-sneakily-subsidizes-milk-industry.aspx?aid=CD945
This is a very good raw milk article from Dr. Mercola.com
I've been reading about Raw Milk for about the last month in my spare time(not much). What I've come across has been so compelling that I looked up where I can buy Raw milk locally. Bought some last night and decided to have my son try about a 1/3 cup today. Even a teaspoon of store milk would have sent my son into fits and stems galore! Checked on him every 20 minutes for a change in behavior. I'm so excited to report there has still been no change 6 hours later!!!
I paid $5 for a pint. The store I found does have gallons for $10. I can't tell you how worth it it was. I'm going to keep a watchful eye on him with fears of did he just heal enough before (he's been GF/CF for 11 years) to handle the small amount I gave him? or is pasteurization and homogenization really alter the milk that much?
I'm just in happy awe :-)
I've been reading about Raw Milk for about the last month in my spare time(not much). What I've come across has been so compelling that I looked up where I can buy Raw milk locally. Bought some last night and decided to have my son try about a 1/3 cup today. Even a teaspoon of store milk would have sent my son into fits and stems galore! Checked on him every 20 minutes for a change in behavior. I'm so excited to report there has still been no change 6 hours later!!!
I paid $5 for a pint. The store I found does have gallons for $10. I can't tell you how worth it it was. I'm going to keep a watchful eye on him with fears of did he just heal enough before (he's been GF/CF for 11 years) to handle the small amount I gave him? or is pasteurization and homogenization really alter the milk that much?
I'm just in happy awe :-)
did you get my point?
Sorry, it doesn't tell you that it's been published... that or I missed it.
I gave my son goat's milk after weaning him off the breast at age one. He did very well with it. He has been diagnosed with autism and I noticed that the symptoms were aparent when I changed him to cow's milk. I don't know if there is a link or not but he is now on lactaid milk and seems to be doing much better than with regular cow's milk but not as good as when he was on goat's milk. He just can't handle the taste anymore.
Pasturization is only half of the story, the other half comes from the protein of the milk. Holstein cows were cross bred for the purpose of massive milk supply, and in so doing the protein became more difficult to digest (known as A1 beta-casein)
Jersey and Guernsey cows however have the A2 beta-casein protein, which is easier to break down and digest. So really, it's not just Pasturization although it is still huge.
There is BRAND new info on the problem with milk and Autism, Jersey & Guernsey Cows like camels yield A2 protein which does not need the DPPIV enzyme to break it down. Cows milk at regular grocery stores including Organic milk is Hollister cows which produce A1 protein. Many children with Autism are missing the DPPIV enzyme so A1 protein becomes an opioid in their system. This would mean that cow's milk that yield A2 like Jersey & Guernsey & Camel also make A2 protein which is usually fine for autism. Please look up A@ milk for a video on youtube
I am thinking of buying local Raw Guernsey milk because of this A@ information. Just a mom trying find answers!!! :-)
Post a Comment