Raw Milk, is it ok to drink?

trainmean1
trainmean1 Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone!
I'm thinking of exchanging my store milk into raw milk because my asthma goes away when I drink raw milk a few times in a row. ( I am a milk person! ) So I wanted to ask if any of you have any advice on this? Some people told me its very good and others said its gross and unhealthy.


Thanks, =)
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Replies

  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    Welcome to one of the most argued over topics in the world. Some people realize that it was a huge part of the diet of various elite athletes of centuries gone by...and others believe it will do every harmful thing to your body, shy of giving you AIDS. The funny part is that both sides generally run on nothing but assumptions, anecdotal evidence, and poorly conducted studies from decades long gone.

    My thought: it's worth a try at least.
  • Rocknut53
    Rocknut53 Posts: 1,794 Member
    We always had milk cows when I was growing up so I was pretty much raised on raw milk. The cream we skimmed off the top makes excellent ice cream!
  • adry20
    adry20 Posts: 82 Member
    Yes! absolutely! Just make sure it comes from a reputable source, get to know a farmer.
  • lyndabyh
    lyndabyh Posts: 187 Member
    I work in a dairy and I know what raw milk is like. It containes hay, ( from the farms), it contains blood ( from the cows) )Milk is clarified to remove these. It however can also contain coli, coliform, lysteria and other microorganisms. Some of these just cause milk spoilage, some can cause serious illness. I would not recommend drinking raw mlk.
  • laurynwithawhy
    laurynwithawhy Posts: 385 Member
    I think it should be fine. I've had it a few times, but find it a bit too rich for my tastes. I would think that the worst that could happen (absolute worst case scenario) is if it's not properly handled you could get bacteria from it, which would probably just mean an upset stomach. If it helps your asthma then it seems worth it!
  • marinebiologist_girl
    marinebiologist_girl Posts: 300
    From a reputable source, yes. Should be alright.
  • trainmean1
    trainmean1 Posts: 10
    I work in a dairy and I know what raw milk is like. It containes hay, ( from the farms), it contains blood ( from the cows) )Milk is clarified to remove these. It however can also contain coli, coliform, lysteria and other microorganisms. Some of these just cause milk spoilage, some can cause serious illness. I would not recommend drinking raw mlk.

    Do you mean if they clean it, its not raw milk anymore?
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    DO IT.

    I drink raw milk, and it's so so good. Not only is it a living food, you can absorb the calcium from it better.

    Pasteurized and UHT milk are dead foods. They tend to be lower quality milk from sicker cows as well, with higher levels of blood, pus and microbes, as they plan to just cook everything till it's killed. It alters the taste of the milk, breaks up the molecules, and damages the fats and proteins, making them toxic.

    The fresher the better.

    If I have to buy milk from the store, I buy non-homogenized. The homogenization process breaks up the fat molecules and makes them harder to process.
  • trainmean1
    trainmean1 Posts: 10
    DO IT.

    I drink raw milk, and it's so so good. Not only is it a living food, you can absorb the calcium from it better.

    Pasteurized and UHT milk are dead foods. They tend to be lower quality milk from sicker cows as well, with higher levels of blood, pus and microbes, as they plan to just cook everything till it's killed. It alters the taste of the milk, breaks up the molecules, and damages the fats and proteins, making them toxic.

    The fresher the better.

    If I have to buy milk from the store, I buy non-homogenized. The homogenization process breaks up the fat molecules and makes them harder to process.

    Thanks! :-) The only thing Im worrying about is what lynabh said!
  • Fittreelol
    Fittreelol Posts: 2,535 Member
    Yes! absolutely! Just make sure it comes from a reputable source, get to know a farmer.

    This. I drink raw grass fed milk daily, and it's the best milk ever! My cat occasionally enjoys it as well. It can contain pathogens, but so can any food that is handled improperly. Why the reputable source part is important.
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    Indeed, know your farmer. Is the cow healthy? is she grass fed? Ask if you can see the cow/cows your milk will be coming from. Make friends with your farmer.
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    http://www.foodrenegade.com/just-say-no-to-uht-milk/

    This is why I found drinking milk at home (I come from the States and live in Australia) to be so disgusting. The stuff is foul.
  • trainmean1
    trainmean1 Posts: 10
    Decided! Will try raw milk and if any bad symptoms happen, Ill stop. But most likely it will work out! Thanks everybody!!!!
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    Enjoy!
  • treetop57
    treetop57 Posts: 1,578 Member
    Yes, raw milk is fine to drink . . . until you get a bad batch and get sick.
    From 1998 through 2009, 93 outbreaks due to consumption of raw milk or raw milk products were reported to CDC. These resulted in 1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Because not all cases of foodborne illness are recognized and reported, the actual number of illnesses associated with raw milk likely is greater.

    http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-questions-and-answers.html#hurt
  • carrieous
    carrieous Posts: 1,024 Member
    i love milk!! I also have asthma but have never tried raw milk. I also live in a city so idk if there are any cows in my hood...
  • Fittreelol
    Fittreelol Posts: 2,535 Member
    Yes, raw milk is fine to drink . . . until you get a bad batch and get sick.
    From 1998 through 2009, 93 outbreaks due to consumption of raw milk or raw milk products were reported to CDC. These resulted in 1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Because not all cases of foodborne illness are recognized and reported, the actual number of illnesses associated with raw milk likely is greater.

    http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-questions-and-answers.html#hurt

    So in 11 years there were 195 outbreaks requiring hospitalization, or 18/year. The CDC reported spinach and spring mix blends causing 13 hospitalizations last year from e coli. Also last year was an e coli outbreak from clover sprouts at Jimmy Johns causing 7 hospitalizations. I think these reinforce my point that any incorrectly handled food can contain pathogens.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Please DO NOT if you are pregnant, under the age of 2, elderly, or immunocompromised.
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    On the contrary, I think if you have good quality raw milk coming from healthy cows, milked and bottled in a clean environment, raw milk is perfectly fine for pregnant women. In fact, some think it helps a long way towards a pain free labor:

    http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/easing-the-pain-of-childbirth-with-a-key-traditional-food/

    Now, if you're feeding anything but breast milk to your baby while you still have the capacity to breast feed, then you are probably setting your child up for a world of problems.
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    Not tried it myself but having read this I'm not sure I would:

    http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/consumers/ucm079516.htm
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    I honestly think my Grandmother fed me raw milk when I was a child and thinking back now it was the best milk that I have ever tasted in my life. I have not had raw milk since but the stuff I drink now doesn't taste like what I had at her house. There was a dairy around where I live that used to "advertise" raw milk but they don't any more. I'd love to try it again just to see if it was the stuff I had as a kid.

    It was THAT good.
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    Yeah, see, here's how I view it: Every drug that has been recalled was once approved by the FDA. They are also in bed with big companies like Monsanto, who have it out for us with their GMOs and pesticides, and who knows what other shenanigans they've been up to. Since I don't follow blindly anymore with what "authorities" say, I tend to take a lot of their "wisdom" with a HUGE grain of salt.

    I prefer, instead, to look at what my ancestors did, as they usually had it right, and in a far safer manner too.
  • m00glem0g
    m00glem0g Posts: 21 Member
    Where I'm from, the sale of raw milk is actually illegal! It's due to the risk of illness... So I guess it depends where you live.
  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    It's probably mostly due to the big dairy industry fearing the loss of customers should they allow the sale of raw milk.
  • lauracort
    lauracort Posts: 3
    I just switched to raw milk. I've done a lot of research on this topic as well as eating foods that come closest to their natural forms in general. If you think about it... The past 50-70 years our food has changed a thousand fold compared to the thousands of years before this time period AND we have the most health problems (including obesity/heart disease) than our ancestors did. As long as you get the milk from a reputable farmer (make sure you tour the farm) you should be fine. Watch the documentry 'Farmageddon.' But if i've learned anything in this world, I've realized that everyone has very strong views and not a lot of people are open minded to things. Forget what society told you and what the government tells you and trust your instinct. "To each their own' =)

    Here's a link to raw milk as well: http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/raw_milk_health_benefits.html
  • pink_ribbon_1
    pink_ribbon_1 Posts: 46 Member
    I work in a dairy and I know what raw milk is like. It containes hay, ( from the farms), it contains blood ( from the cows) )Milk is clarified to remove these. It however can also contain coli, coliform, lysteria and other microorganisms. Some of these just cause milk spoilage, some can cause serious illness. I would not recommend drinking raw mlk.

    OMG....enough said.
  • MinMin97
    MinMin97 Posts: 2,674 Member
    I GREW UP drinking raw milk. It's amazing nutrition. So sad how it is mass produced now...
    I get Organic Pastures products (you can look them up online).
    LOVE their raw butter too.
  • milkmaid1980
    milkmaid1980 Posts: 11 Member
    I work in a dairy and I know what raw milk is like. It containes hay, ( from the farms), it contains blood ( from the cows) )Milk is clarified to remove these. It however can also contain coli, coliform, lysteria and other microorganisms. Some of these just cause milk spoilage, some can cause serious illness. I would not recommend drinking raw mlk.

    I agree--raw milk from a regular, conventional dairy would be dirty and I personally would not drink it. However raw milk from a small farm where they are careful and clean, is a wonderful product. I was raised on raw milk and I am raising my kids on it. I have always kept cows and milked my own milk, so I know it is clean. It is one of the best foods on the planet!
  • SuffolkSally
    SuffolkSally Posts: 964 Member
    I work in a dairy and I know what raw milk is like. It containes hay, ( from the farms), it contains blood ( from the cows) )Milk is clarified to remove these. It however can also contain coli, coliform, lysteria and other microorganisms. Some of these just cause milk spoilage, some can cause serious illness. I would not recommend drinking raw mlk.

    Unpasteurised milk is absolutely fine, much better for you, and over here (UK) there's a thriving market for it amongst those interested in nutrition and people with allergies, including those with lactose intolerance.

    Just don't buy it from a dirty dairy, lol.

    My local farm specialises in it, and if it ever contained anything like the above I think they'd shut themselves down in sheer mortification, before Health and Safety even got the chance.
  • 714rah714
    714rah714 Posts: 759 Member
    Pasteurized and UHT milk are dead foods.
    Including the bacteria that makes you sick

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