Raw Milk ~ Part 3

If you are jumping in this is third post on RAW MILK . . . you might want to start here (talking about the basics of milk) and then catch up on the second one(more specifics and some shots of our kids with "our" cows).

I had a few requests to simplify Dr. Pottenger's study on raw milk versus pasteurized milk with cats which I mentioned in the last post on raw milk, and since this has been one of my personal favorite findings in my research on raw milk, I am happy to oblige.

Dr. Pottenger conducted a study from 1932 to 1942.  He took a very large number of cats (we're talking 900 total by the end of his study!), broke them in groups and fed them five different diets.  One group was fed raw milk and raw meat.  The other was fed pasteurized milk.  *All the milk was from the same source.*  And the other groups were fed evaporate or condensed milk combinations with raw meat as well.  AKA - one group was fed "real" food, and all the others a form of "processed" food.


The raw milk group of cats all lived normal, healthy feline lives through the four generations of the study.


The first generation of cats born to the processed groups developed a variety of typically human diseases toward the end of their lifespan, including thyroid disease, cancers, and heart conditions.  Pottenger noticed these cats were more lethargic and less playful.


The second generation: brittle bone disease, osteoperosis, and the other diseases mentioned already towards the middle parts of their lifespan.


The third generation : the same disease at the beginning of their lifespan and many did not survive past six months.

There was no fourth generation from the processed groups because most of the parents of the third generation which survived to mating ages were born sterile, and were very unsocial and inactive.  If pregnancy did occur, all fourth generation kittens were stillborn.


Does this sound familiar?


WE, as a country, are entering our fourth generation as a pastuerized milk nation.  How many fertility clinics were established 30 years ago?  How often did a pediatrician diagnose a child with cancer?  How common were miscarriages?

As someone who struggles with a thyroid disease, has lost four babies to miscarriage, and now with four little ones to provide for . . . this caught my eye in a major way.


When did our grandparents generation begin getting cancers? (3 of the 3 of our living biological grandparents have had cancer in their later years.)


When did our parent's generation begin getting cancers? (Most of the ones we know, at some time during their middle years.)


How many of our children and their peers are getting cancer as minors?  (I don't even like to think about this statistic . . . but it's there.)


I am not saying processed milk is entirely the culprit for these tragic changes in our society, but I don't think it is wise to ignore studies like this and the information we have available about natural nutrition.


There are several write-ups stating Pottenger's findings are indicative of other deficiencies in the cats' diets due to cooking food and are not aplicable to the human diet.  But isn't that the point!!!  Cooking, processing, modifying our food DOES change the nutrient content, whether we are cats, dogs, mice, or people!  That food is no longer in it's most natural state and changes are going to take place.  How those changes affect our bodies is the question to really consider.

I borrowed this from an article on Louis Pasteur (the father of pasteurization).  It was generated for a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors concerning outbreaks from pasteurized milk.  This is startling and nothing you will find on the FDA's website: (and you can read more details here - it's just crazy!)


1997, 28 persons ill from Salmonella in California, ALL FROM PASTEURIZED MILK.


1996, 46 persons ill from Campylobacter and Salmonella in California.


1994, 105 persons ill from E. coli and Listeria in California


March of 1985 19,660 confirmed cases of Salmonella typhimurium illness FROM CONSUMING PROPERLY PASTEURIZED MILK. Over 200,000 people ill from Salmonella typhimurium in PASTEURIZED MILK


1985, 142 cases and 47 deaths traced to PASTEURIZED Mexican-style cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Listeria monocytogenes SURVIVES PASTEURIZATION!


1985, 1500 persons ill from Salmonella infection


August of 1984 approximately 200 persons became ill with a Salmonella typhimurium from CONSUMING PASTEURIZED MILK


November of 1984, another outbreak of Salmonella typhimurium illness from CONSUMING PASTEURIZED MILK


1983, over 49 persons with Listeria illness have been associated with the consumption of PASTEURIZED MILK in Massachusetts.


1993, 28 persons ill from Salmonella infection


1982, 172 persons ill (100 hospitalized) from a three Southern state area from PASTEURIZED MILK.


1982, over 17,000 persons became ill with Yersinia enterocolitica from PASTEURIZED MILK bottled in Memphis, Tennessee.


Another fun, short read on the milk debate with a few videos included.




I realize there is a lot of information out there and we can find evidence for whatever it is we want to believe - that is the beauty and the tragedy of freedom of speech.


So what are your thoughts?  A few of you have shared testimonies that I plan to post (with permission).  Are there any other stories surrounding raw/processed milk?  Do you have thoughts?  Questions?  Do you think we are nuts?

Raw Milk ~ Part 2

Getting kisses from one of the cow's in our herd.

Because I want everyone to read this, I'm putting it first today!  Please take a minute . . .

Ok - THIS is one of my favorite findings on raw milk evidence!!!!

Raw Milk Study on CATS!

I am NOT condoning this website (I do not agree with nor can find evidence to support all that is written here) but there is a great write-up on an incredible study here!!! And quite alarming. A study on 900 cats over 10 years, comparing raw and pasteurized milk was performed by a doctor in the 1930’s. It is worth the read! Just shocking!!!! Please take a minute to read it.

Now think about this . . . WE are on our 4th generation as a country drinking pasteurized milk!  See any similarities?

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says almost 20% of women ages 15 to 55 suffer from an infertility or an impaired ability to conceive (and this was taken 9 years ago!  I would guess it is worse now).  This is startling!

Here are a few books by Dr. Pottenger who conducted the “cat studies” if you want to know more:

Pottenger’s Cats

Fresh Look at Milk

This is only Part 2 of the 4 posts on raw milk, but I've heard from some of you that are chomping at the bit already . . . so if you are ready to try some for yourself . . .

Saying "thank-you" to the sweet girls who provide us with milk each week.

     How Raw Milk is purchased:

There's two ways Raw Milk is bought, that is, in states where it is legal.
     - Purchase a share of the herd at a local, small dairy farm.  As an owner you pay monthly fees to cover care, food, and shelter for the herd, and receive a portion of the herd's production. *This is what we do.
     - Shop at your local health food stores, where raw milk is often sold, however this is usually more expensive that share holding.
     - Buy your own cow!  :)

Want to try some?

Where to find your raw milk or try www.localharvest.org

     Health Benefits:

Here are a few isolated “benefits” …take your pick!

Milk and Fertility?   

A quick read with some pros for both sides

Raw Milk as a Probiotic: (Internet Scientific Publications)

Health Benefits for Children                    

Osteoperosis:   VIDEO testimonial of a woman who reversed her osteoperosis with whole food vitamins and raw milk!  There are several of these testimonies floating around...something to this stuff!

Meeting the newest member of our herd.

Because I don’t think I can say it any better:

"Besides incredible taste, many people claim that raw milk is nearly a super food. Unlike heat-treated milk, it is full of beneficial gut bacteria that are vital for optimum digestion and immunity. Raw milk contains the full spectrum of amino acids and is a complete protein. It is packed with folic acid, B vitamins, vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that are mostly or completely destroyed in pasteurization. It offers a perfect balance of minerals such as calcium and magnesium. Raw milk also contains live enzymes necessary for digesting food and enjoying good health. It also contains compounds that combat arthritis, cholesterol, and arterial stiffening.
A study published in The Internet Journal of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology found that raw milk reduced children's risk of suffering allergy-related conditions by up to 40 per cent. Statistics show that children growing up on farms are less likely to develop allergies. Children in a study at the University of London were given two glasses of raw milk a week. Their incidence of developing hay fever was cut by 10 per cent and eczema by 38 per cent.
Blood samples were also taken from 4,700 primary-school children in the U.K. The children who lived on farms and drank raw milk had 60 per cent lower levels of immunoglobulin E -- an antibody that the body's immune system pumps out in huge quantities on exposure to an allergen. Levels of histamine, another chemical that is released by cells during an allergic reaction, were halved.
Overall, people have found significant improvements in their health. Many people report clearer skin, better digestion, increased respiratory function, boosted immunity, and fewer allergies.”

Excerpt taken from Teter Farm

More coming next week!  I would LOVE to hear what you all think about this stuff!

Raw Milk ~ Part 1

This has been the topic I have been most asked about since starting this blog . . . it comes with a whole set of very passionate supporters and opposition.  So we are going to unpack it a little in this post, and then more in a few more this week and next.



Just like anything else in your kitchen, YOU have the right to choose (or at least you should) what you provide for your family, and there is no judgement here on those decisions.  I am just sharing what we have discovered and a little about why we do what we do.  So here we go . . .

What is it?

There's Two Kinds of Raw Milk:

Cows that are fed grains, kept in small holding pens, and living in unsanitary conditions (leading to sick or infected cows) do NOT produce the type of raw milk I am talking about here.  This is the milk intended to be processed and sold in mass quantities.  Drinking this milk raw will undoubtedly cause illness.  It is not safe, but after some extreme heat and high pressure, the milk is sterile and shipped out to stores for consumption.

Raw milk produced from cows feeding on fresh, organic grasses, who roam freely, is a safe and healthful food.  The milk is not processed, just extracted, filtered, and cooled quickly.  When cows are healthy and functioning the way their bodies were MADE to, the product is natural and ready to be consumed…AS IS!   With no alterations or chemical processing!

Understanding this is really important if you decide to pursue providing raw milk for your family.    



       Pasteurization

Honestly, I’ve always had happy feelings when hearing this word until our family began moving into the Real food world.  It meant “safe” to me.  And that is still true – some milks, the one two types discussed above, are not safe without being sterilized, which is exactly what pasteurizing is – sterilizing the milk.

The milk is heated to high temperatures and kept there for a bit in order to kill all the bacteria and most of the enzyme activity it contains.  The resulting milk is very different from its natural state.  Raw milk is alive!  (Don’t be scared!)  It’s full of healthy bacteria that benefit your entire body, especially your digestive system.  The enzymes naturally occurring in raw milk assist your body in digesting the milk and breaking down the lactose (more on this later!), which is a foreign substance to our bodies.

After pasteurizing, these healthful qualities are killed and the milk is no longer raw; it’s cooked.

Have you seen the words “ultra-pasteurized” on cream or half and half?  This is super-sterilized and some pasteurization processes use ultra-high temperature (UTH) that allows the milk to stay “good” for a very long time without even being in the refrigerator!  Like months!   If you are one that gets squeamish at the thought of the shelf life of a Twinkie, this might make you quiver!


       Homogenization

Homogenization is the process that breaks down the naturally occurring fat in raw milk so that it will no longer rise to the top (cream), but just settle into the milk.  The milk is forced through a very very fine “sieve” with holes so small that the fat globules are broken apart.  This process also heats the milk…again!

And here’s the crazy part…homogenized milk has been linked to heart disease, increased sensitivity to milk/dairy, and cancer.  The explanations are very scientific and detailed, but it has to do with enzymes, proteins, and fat being broken down into particles so small they surpass digestion and are absorbed straight into the blood stream.  The affects on the body are adverse and thought to be generally harmful, rather than providing nutritious substance.  (Before homogenization, these particles are large enough to be caught up in the natural digestive process and moved appropriately throughout the body.)

There’s lots of reading on this process and these ideas if you want to know more!

Interesting article on homogenization

       Safety

This is a huge area of concern and debate and probably what makes raw milk so contraversial.  Truthfully, you can find the research to support either side of the fence on this issue.  Many of the articles in the upcoming posts will have more on both positions.


The milk from the farm we own shares in is tested monthly, and the results are stellar every time.  So we have the "safety' record in hand every month.

Like I said before, if the cow is healthy, the milk will be safe.  Then the milking process and storage system must also be safe.  Our dairy farmer will share her process to ensure safe and high quality milk in her upcoming interview.

       History

For those of you interested in the history of milk, the flux from raw to patuerized and back again, here is an easy-read short version.  It’s quite interesting, and sad, to say the least. 


Coming . . .
What the FDA has to say
Health Benefits
Testimonials and Studies
and . . .
               Interview with a Local Small Dairy Farmer