raw or "real" milk drinkers out there?

[divagirl]

I just bought some raw milk yesterday because I keep hearing good things about drinking it but of course it is high in fat.

Just wondering if anyone else drinks it and if you've noticed any health benefits from it? Does it contain the same calories as regular milk on the market?

dgirl

 

[Fach]

RE: raw or

Sorry can't help as I have never tried it. Just wondering. isnt raw unpasturized? Is illness much more likely with unpasturized? Just a thought.

 

[ashleyann]

RE: raw or

I thought you could only get unpastuerized milk if you had your own cow. I have read that there is significant health benefits from drinking unpasteurized milk. I have started drinking goat's milk because it is much easier to digest. I would be curious to know how the raw milk tastes. You can find some information about unpastuerized milk in the book, The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin.

Ashley

 

[SRP]

RE: raw or

Yes, raw milk is unpasturized. I have a friend who grew up on a farm and drank raw, whole milk her entire life and never had any problem. However, there is a risk you take - which is why pasturization was developed in the first place. I can't remember the name of the bacteria/disease right now - it starts with an L... I do know that one of the effects is that it can cause the death of a fetus. So if you plan to become pregnant, you might want to do a bit more research. If I find the name of this bacteria, I'll post it.

As for health benefits, I haven't heard of any specific to raw milk.

ETA:
I did a search on Medline Plus and quickly came up with several links about raw milk. Here is one that states the risks in a nutshell and also offers several other links at the end. It's from the Food and Drug Administration and was just issued this March:

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01576.html

 

[6Swans4me]

RE: raw or

My family drinks raw milk. We buy it directly from the farmer. My girls can taste the difference between pasturized and unpasturized milk. They prefer the taste raw milk.

As far as calories, I'm not sure. It might be close to whole milk calories. I notice that if we don't shake the milk before pouring, by the time they drink half a gallon, the milk looks thin and watery with less fat. If you are concerned about the fat content, you can skim the fat off the top after it has sit still overnight. We don't since my girls could use the added calories. And, I drink lactose free, fat free milk. My gf skims her milk and uses it for coffee/tea creamer or whipped cream for deserts. Another family makes yogurt and cheese from raw milk.


The health benefits and risks associated with raw milk are controversial. You'll get pros and cons from both sides.

 

[divagirl]

RE: raw or

I'm pretty sure you mean Listeria. The raw milk tastes very good and is similar in taste to whole milk. I know the milk does have to come from a farm that practices sanitary conditions, etc. so of course there are risks. I live in PA so there are a number of farms but most are at least an hour from me. I just happened to find a whole foods market a little closer that carried it. It's not the typically known Whole foods. I won't be able to drink it often anyway as its not that accessible to me but I have heard of many health benefits.

Of course after reading the above article it seems they are all questionable anyway. I don't know...it seems that whenever any article comes out saying anything is healthy there is always another right around the corner with the reasons why it is not. It's been done with milk in general, eggs, bottled water, varios exercises and the list goes on and on.

dgirl

 

[40something]

RE: raw or

Besides an inspection of the dairy for cleanliness, you also need to make sure they are on a vaccination/herd health program with a veterinarian. The dairy should be willing to give you that information; veterinarian reference and show you their dairy inspection sheets.

The world population has been drinking raw, unpasturized milk for centuries and there is little risk of actually contracting a disease from raw milk. Contaminated water sources are far more notorious for causing human disease outbreaks.

The reason raw milk has a better flavor is that it is a full fat product. The fat content of the milk will vary depending on the breed of cows and the types of feed being fed to the cows.

 

[gemgirl]

RE: raw or

I used to drink "real" milk when I was younger. My grandparents lived on a farm and had a milking cow (in addition to other animals). We never had any problems from it. I always thought it was neat that we got to have "real" milk when other kids had to get their milk from a store.

Every morning and every evening, my grandfather would milk the cow. My grandmother would strain the cream from the milk and turn the cream into butter. She had a gallon-size glass jar with a motorized lid that would "churn" the cream.

I'm guessing that we received some kind of health benefits from it, but I don't know what they were.

 

[Fach]

RE: raw or

FYI I Saw an ad for nightly news tonight [w/ Charlie Gibson?] was addressing raw milk.

 

[briane]

RE: raw or

My DH and I are dairy farmers and my DH and 5 kids have always drank raw milk. The only reason I don't drink raw milk is because I am so use to skim milk, raw milk tastes quite fatty to me. On the other hand, whenever we go on vacation and the rest of the family have to have bottled whole milk, they complain about the taste. I am not sure about the health benefits, but my family very rarely get sick - just the occasional cold and I can honestly say I haven't noticed any negative impact on their health from drinking it.