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The truth about milk
“Raw” milk proponent and dairyman Mark McAfee sheds light on pasteurization, the benefits of consuming unadulterated food, and the war on bacteria.By Loren Muldowney
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Mark McAfee is owner of Organic Pastures Dairy Co. (www.organicpastures.com) in Fresno, California. His high-energy talk February 6 was entitled “Raw Milk: Mother Nature's Inconvenient Truth.” “Raw milk” is milk in its natural state, McAfee explained, as it comes from the cow, without heat treatment or pasteurization. Pasteurization is used to extend shelf life and to immobilize certain bacteria, he said, and public health authorities generally appear convinced that this process is highly desirable. McAfee's overarching theme can be summarized as the coexistence of people and milk and bacteria. Even when produced under the most sanitary conditions, he said, it is normal for milk to contain some bacteria, and human societies have been coexisting and benefiting from these bacteria in the milk for thousands of years. Fermented milks are and have been important foods in many cultures for their nutrient value, McAfee informed the crowd, for their superior digestibility, and for the preservation that fermentation, a bacterial process, provides. Today products are marketed as containing “probiotics,” as if this is something brand new. Of course, McAfee said, various active bacteria have always been in these foods—only the standardization and taxonomy are new. Some of what he termed “Mother Nature’s truths about bacteria” follow. Bacteria...
It’s no small wonder, then, that McAfee calls the human being "Bacterio sapiens” and suggests that public obsession with killing bacteria misdirects efforts at improving public health because relatively few bacteria are pathogenic. By constantly sterilizing and pasteurizing and disinfecting, he said, we tip the balance in favor of the pathogen. Campylobacter has always been found in the environment but only relatively recently has it been called a “pathogen.” What changed, he asked, and is it possible that reducing the microbial biodiversity of the human body has created more disease than it has prevented?
Raw milk is another of Mother Nature’s truths, McAfee asserted. Raw milk is "new" only in the sense that it used to just be called "milk," without the adjective implying that there is something unusual about it—pasteurization is what’s relatively new. In American cities in the early 1900s, pasteurization permitted the safe use of poor quality milk by destroying pathogens introduced by its production method. That’s a plus if you need to use poor quality milk, McAfee said. But milk has always been the first food of newborn mammals so how could it be intrinsically hazardous? Human societies developed and prospered upon (raw) milk usually milk of ruminant species adapted to living on grass due to the bacteria in their gut. Grasslands, he said—provided that we respect the appropriate stocking density—are a wonderful, low energy, sustainable ecosystem. “When mothers nurse their babies, do we make a point of saying that the babies are drinking ‘raw” milk,’” McAfee asked rhetorically. Raw milk is not a single substance, he said, stressing that it is important to distinguish “raw milk” intended for direct consumption from “raw milk” intended for further processing. The former has been variously called “physicians milk,” “babies milk” and “certified milk." Milk intended for direct consumption should meet higher standards of production, he said, beginning with the genetics, feeding, bedding and housing of the cows. McAfee uses rotational grazing of well-managed pastures and keeps his cows mostly outdoors, on a diverse forage ecosystem. He believes pasture-fed cattle do not have the acidified rumen of the grain-fed industrial dairy cow so they are less susceptible to developing acid-tolerant gut bacteria. Without antibiotic use, McAfee said, there is no problem with evolution of antibiotic resistance. Conjugated linoleic acids are highest in milk from pasture-fed cows, and the vitamins, natural fats and enzymes are all intact. According to McAfee, it is difficult to get at the truth because so much research is little more than advertising—self-interested and commercial. Stories offered by those who have been helped by taking charge of their own health are largely dismissed as "anecdotal." But if you take a big collection of anecdotes and add statistical analysis, you have a study, said McAfee. He believes this kind of research would actually benefit the public so it is appropriate that the National Institute of Health or other public agency should fund such work. Unfortunately, most of this kind of preventative health research remains unstudied for lack of funding.
Many anecdotes about raw milk involve people reporting that chronic diseases such as arthritis, Crohn’s disease, asthma, ulcers, irritable bowel syndrome or chronic ear infections are eliminated by a change to drinking raw milk. These diseases are lumped under the heading "autoimmune problems," McAfee said, and they are generally unexplained and uncured by modern, "Western" medicine. McAfee shared one such anecdote about Kimeli, a Maasai tribesman from east Africa who came to the United States to study at Stanford University. Kimeli grew up drinking milk (known in the U.S. as "raw milk"), but after arriving in the states got sicker and sicker and was diagnosed with severe lactose intolerance and Crohn's disease. Ultimately it was recommended that part of his colon be removed. He resisted this idea and began to drink "raw milk" from Organic Pastures dairy. His lactose intolerance somehow did not apply to this milk. For the better part of a year he drank a daily half gallon of raw whole milk. Kimeli, McAfee said, remains convinced that this food is what allowed his damaged insides to heal. McAfee advised the audience that it is illegal to say that anything other than a recognized pharmaceutical product can cure a disease and reports that he was fined several thousand dollars for putting such customer testimonials (anecdotes) on his business website. (Presumably, private citizens are still allowed to share their own stories provided that the anecdotes do not appear on commercial websites.) McAfee's take-home message is that people can educate themselves directly and make health choices without the intervention of so-called “experts.” An informed consumer, he said, is always his best customer. Loren Muldowney is holds a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a master's degree in soils and water from Rutgers University, where she is continuing studies in sustainable agriculture. Her backyard is home to nine compost units, organic gardens, and is a certified wildlife habitat. May 15, 2008 |
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wants more clearifications
Nepalease people likes to drink buffallos milk than cow milk.would you please make me known the differances in its qualitative value in these tow milks.
bhusalpurna@yahoo.com
Raw milk is sacred
In INDIA the raw milk only should be used in all sacred procedures for GOD. If it is boiled, it is deemed to be unfit for God, then why we humans think so. Now a days pasteurized milk is the standard in urban.
Russian Roulette
Take a few minutes, read the slides and documentation by Dr. John Sheehan and then lets discuss facts.
Don't kill your family.
The largest cause of foodbourne illness is in the home.
Good Luck and may your families be safe.
Richard
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~ear/milksafe/milksa1.htm
we are what we eat
First, we truly are what we eat. Now, lets look at our population. Enough said.
I grew up on raw milk also. I grew up in a small europian country. Once we got the milk home, we quickly brought it to a boiling point and turned it off, cooled it and used it that same day. Common sense goes a long way. Small farmers can and do controll their smaller facility much easier than large facilities - this is not a new knowledge. Bigger is NOT better!!! I would not buy raw milk from a large farmer.
But to live in a country where you cannot go and purchase raw milk because elswhere some farmer got his/her facility contaminated is unfair. And to have a gov. that feels they have the right to regulate what I eat, drink, how much of it, and when, etc., is not the way.
Common sense is much superior to any "protective" measure any gov. can think of and implement. It is up to us, individuals, to educate our young to be safe. Unfortunately, even this most basic activity has been taken away from us by our ever more intrusive gov. - America, Inc.
It is actually quite sad what has happened to our basic right to feed our selves.
Thank you. :-)
raw milk against the law...
Hi! I live in North Carolina and it is illegal to sell raw milk to consumers like myself who are conscious of our health and aware of our rights to eat what we feel fit. Farmers in this state are actually afraid to even talk to you about raw milk, dismiss my questions quickly for fears that I may be trying to trap them. It feels like I live in a totalitarian regime when it comes to feeding my self. it is very uncomfortable for me too. Yet, I don't drink milk for the sole reason that it is not raw. I would be greatful for any help on how to connect with farmers safely and effectively.
good milk-farm milk-unadulterated milk-realmilk-
go here dude;
http://www.realmilk.com/where.html
later
b
Check out the RealMilk website
There are plenty of raw dairy farmers listed in MI; here is the Michigan link on the RealMilk.com website. Or, contact a local Weston A. Price chapter leader to find out sources.
raw milk
Hi
I am from Macomb county in michigan. I would love to get some raw milk but I don't know how to get a hold of some in this area.
good teeth
Guess what? I have FIVE kids, and the first 3 had processed milk; their teeth were crooked. The last 2 drink raw milk, and their teeth are NOT crooked. Raw milk IS the differing factor--both my husband and I have crooked teeth.
Re the "weekly outbreaks"--where do you get your info from? True, raw milk is often BLAMED, but e.g. the outbreak in WI some years ago, was in reality from a certain restaurant. SOME of their customers got sick, who also used raw milk--but what about the ones who didn't drink raw milk? Why were they not counted? It is convenient to blame the raw milk, esp. since there are vested interests to be protected.
I keep my milk sometimes for 10 days, with no problems at all, not even getting sour. Raw milk ferments, (sours), but processed milk ROTS, and can't be kept more than a few days.
I suggest you read, "The Untold Story of Milk"
Wow, I'm not sure where you
Wow, I'm not sure where you are getting your information, but it is incredibly rare to get any type of illness or infection from certified raw milk dairies. Miscarriages, harmful bacterial infections, etc. are much more prominent from man's tinkering with toxic chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, etc. Also, of course genetics play a role in a child's palate and teeth spacing, but it is the FOODS that child consumes which allow the best traits to reveal themselves. For more information I suggest you read Weston A. Price Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. There are amazingly graphic photos of children's teeth and palate raised on their native whole food diet, including raw milk, compared to those who were exposed to western foods high in sugar & contaminants and low in nutrient density. It's definitely up to each individual whether or not they want to consume raw milk, but that should be a choice made available to those concerned about the health and well being of the planet, the animals providing nourishment, themselves and their loved ones.
raw milk
When I lived in Germany, many years ago, we got our milk straight from milking every morning. At most it had been refrigerated for a short time. If we needed more, we took a bucket down to the dairy barn and got filled up from the refrigerated tank. I never heard of illness related to the milk and when I moved back to the US, the milk tasted horrible and very thin. I'm glad to see some effort to bring back untreated milk here.
Well written article!
We started drinking raw milk (albeit goat milk) 5 years ago. I am a wellness consultant, and in every seminar I conduct I point out the problems with drinking milk in any form other than raw. We have our own little herd of dairy goats, and we share our milk with people who are also concerned about what 'grocery store milk' is doing to our society. Sadly, milk is just one component. I agree with the poster about sustainable organic living. We need to take a hard look at the health issues that our culture is dealing with, and then examine the contents of the foods we eat and beverages we drink.
Consuming raw milk is definitely a step in the right direction! Our families' health is so much improved by making dietary changes and supplementing with the nutrients that are missing.
Dee Dee
codeoflife@bellsouth.net
Raw Milk
I was raised on raw milk, both goat and cow. However, I drank that milk within a day or two of it coming from the cow and had only myself to blame if something went wrong. It seems that almost weekly there is a report of a raw milk dairy that experiences an outbreak of harmful bacterial contamination that results in seriously sick people, abortions and ocassionally death. How can you say that this risk is reasonable? There is no question that some bacteria is helpful, but glossing over the risks of e. coli and other harmful bacteria is not in the public interest.
It seems that everyone is a proponent of raw milk until their child gets sick or their pregancy is lost because they get sick. Then they are the first to sue the farmer for his perceived shortcomings. The fact is that one can do everything possible to avoid contamination but pastuerization is the only sure way to provide clean milk. In 99% of cases we are just processing clean milk. But that 1% of milk that needs to be pastuerized could be saving a life.
Also, in response to the parents of the 4-yr-old with a chiropractor - do you really feel that raw milk contributed to your child's perfect palate and teeth spacing?? Congrats on good genetics, but stop reaching for a miracle food here.
Raw Millk
Mark McAfee is America's leading spokesman for nourishing raw milk (as well as the kind of farming system that it takes to properly support a raw milk dairy)!
Anyone (in the several states) who takes up the task of farming nutrient-dense nourishing foods in an ecologically sustainable manner is an American hero IMO! I am most grateful to do all that I can to support initiatives like this. One of the ways I have for that is through a very educational DVD called: "Raw Milk: The Whole Truth" that features Mark McAfee and Dr. Dale Jacobson, DC. I am very proud to be the executive producer if this broadcast-quality program that is now available as a top quality DVD.
Cheers to Raw Milk!
Chef Jem
Executive Producer:
"The Raw Milk Controversy: Fact & Fiction"
AKA "Raw Milk: The Whole Truth"
See four video clips at:
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=ChefJem33&p=r
In the row of 4 icons the 4th is part 1, the 2nd is prt. 2, the 1st is prt. 3
and the 3rd is prt. 1 of chapter 2.
Place your orders through PayPal and use this e-mail location:
chef@thesetruths.com
Total cost is $20.00 per DVD (includes all S&H and any PalPal fees).
Buy 3 at the "Wholesale" rate of $14.00 ea. (plus just the S&H).
Buy 5 or more at the "distributor" rate of $10.00 ea. (+ S&H).
Contact Chef Jem for additional information.
http://chefjem.stumbleupon.com/
http://rawmilkcontroversy.weebly.com/
http://curezone.com/blogs/f.asp?f=1452
http://yoursovereignhealth.blogspot.com/
Been drinking it raw since 2002
My family has been enjoying raw milk for years. Prior to finding out about raw milk, we simply did not buy milk. My four year old son, has only had raw milk (first his mom's and now a cow's). His dentist has remarked on the nice shape of his palatte and teeth spacing. (Although his chiropractor is concerned that the roots of his teeth might be too strong and make it hard for him when he loses his baby teeth).
If you ever get a chance to see Mark McAfee speak, don't let the opportuniy pass you by!
Daniel Corrigan
Body Ecology Coach
blog.corganic.com
thanks
Dear friends,
I am a farmer from Nepal and interested in organic farming and cattle farming,
Dear fariends, Here in nepal its very dificult to develop pasture farming sytem but in our area we can develop grass based organic diary farming.So i request all my friends working in this fiels please suggest me in this area.For your kind help I will always be thank ful to you all. yours
Please I request all dairy farm friends to suggest me fo grasse based organic farming sytem.
Please provide me about the grass based organic farming systb
bhusalpurna@yahoo.com
Please let
Milk allergies/ disease states
I am a family nurse practitioner and at a recent conference was introduced to the problem of milk allergies and potential disease states caused by milk. Specifically very strong evidence links milk to Type one diabetes and mental health problems. Careful epidemiological studies has identified a casine protein called A-1 that is the reported problem. It seems that the holstein breed has a high precentage of cows that produce A-1 milk. All other mammals do not have this protein. African cattle and most of the French breeds are very low in A-1. Cheese and fermented milk products do not seem to have very much A-1 but dried milk and milk formulas for childern do contain the problem casine. Hyvee stores in the midwest are selling a A-1 free milk called A-2 milk. There is a dairy in Nebraska that is made up of all A-1 free cows. This type milk is also available in New Zealand and Australia. The established big milk industry is very interested in keeping this whole problem out of the public eye but research is ongoing. Google A-2 milk it is facinating.
Raw milk
Dear Sirs,
Advocating raw milk here in Norway is hard du to research as copied below. Our health authorities also are concered that tuberculosis may re-emerge. This desease was as good as extinct, but is now again here. likely as a result of increased immigration from 3rd world countries.
Any comments to the staphylococci problem described below?
Yours sincerely
Lars Hektoen
the link is: http://www.matforsk.no/web/publma.nsf/acd4e0df0fc254f4c1256de800389f25/d...
Extract:
Widespread distribution of disinfectant resistance genes among staphylococci of bovine and caprine origin in Norway.
Bjorland, J., Steinum, T., Kvitle, B., Waage, S., Sunde, M., Heir, E. 2005. Widespread distribution of disinfectant resistance genes among staphylococci of bovine and caprine origin in Norway. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, Vol 43, 9, pp 4363-4368.
Abstract
We demonstrated here a widespread distribution of genes mediating efflux-based resistance to quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in staphylococci from unpasteurized milk of 127 dairy cattle herds and 70 dairy goat herds. QAC resistance genes were identified in 21% of the cattle herds (qacA/B, smr, qacG, qacJ) and in 10% of the goat herds (qacA/B, smr). Further examination of 42 QAC-resistant bovine and caprine strains revealed the following genes: qacA/B (12 strains) was present in four different species of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS); smr (27 strains) was detected in eight different CoNS species and in Staphylococcus aureus on a previously reported plasmid (pNVH99); qacG (two strains) was detected on two plasmids (pST94-like) in Staphylococcus cohnii and Staphylococcus warneri, and qacJ (two strains) was found in Staphylococcus hominis and Staphylococcus delphini on a plasmid (pNVH01) previously found in equine staphylococci. Isolation of indistinguishable pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) CoNS types from tank milk and mammary quarter milk samples in a dairy cattle herd suggested that these QAC-resistant staphylococci were of intramammary origin. Indistinguishable or closely related PFGE types of bovine QAC-resistant CoNS were observed in different herds. One particular bovine S. warneri PFGE type was isolated repeatedly from samples collected during a 30-month period in a herd, showing long-term persistence. In conclusion, it seems that the widespread distribution of staphylococci carrying QAC resistance genes in Norwegian dairy cattle and goat herds is the result of both the intra- and interspecies spread of QAC resistance plasmids and the clonal spread of QAC-resistant strains.
Bacterio Sapiens
This is a really interesting article and I am very glad to see the point being made about the millenia-long co-existence of humans and bacteria.
It is interesting that in many traditional societies a certain type of bacteria would be passed down with the family, whether as kim chi in Korea, where each family used to have it's own strain, or as sour-dough bread starters which used to be given by mother to daughter when she married. It is a very interesting topic and very little discussed, perhaps certain family genetics and bacteria formed an optimal relationship over the years in this manner, which has now been lost for most of us.
I felt the full importance of bacteria in the gut when I contracted typhoid in Burma a couple years ago and had to take a serious anti-biotic which wiped out all my intestinal flora. It took me more than a year to rebuild it and during that time I noticed just how much lacking these friendly bacteria affected me physically and emotionally.
Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Raw Milk
This is the second article I have read by the Rodale institute in as many weeks and both were of such value I found it important to include in our curriculum with our children. Thank you for reporting so well on topics so timely and important to our health!
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