Hello all,



Very commonly at the clinic ill get asked whether I think milk is healthy or not. The answer is yes and no. Historically cows milk was a very nutritious food that provided a lot of vital nutrients in the Irish diet. Today however due to the processing milk goes through before it gets in to the carton largely destroys a lot of the nutrient content of the food, rendering it a relatively poor food to consume. The process in question here is Pasteurization. It is pasteurization (the heating of the milk to a high temperature for a period of time) that in my opinion renders milk a poor food that could cause more harm than good.

As to why we started pasteurizing in the first palace is a whole other article, but mainly it was a time when the medical paradigm considered a healthy body to be a sterile, and microbes attack it, making us sick. With our better understanding of the human body today the paradigm has changed. The current paradigm is that the healthy human body lives in symbiotic relationships with microorganisms. Arguments for pasteurization are based on a discredited medical paradigm.

Is unpasteurized milk safe?

Unpasteurized milk form healthy cows is very safe. It has built-in safety mechanisms that safe guard us from pathogenic infection. The following is a list of some of the built-in safety mechanisms in unpasteurized milk, that are destroyed or reduced by pasteurization.

• • Lactoperoxidase: Lactoperoxidase uses small amounts of H2O2 and free radicals to seek out and destroy bad bacteria
• • Lactoferrin: kills a wide range of pathogens, however it does not kill beneficial bacteria. It has many other health benefits and is sold as a supplemental form in many countries
• • Polysaccharides: encourage the growth of good bacteria in the gut and also have a protective effect on the gut wall
• • Medium-Chain Fatty Acids: disrupt the cell walls of bad bacteria
• • Antibodies: Antibodies initiate an immune response.
• • Leukocytes: are the basis of immunity. They will eat all foreign bacteria, yeast and molds
• • White Blood Cells: Produce antibodies against specific bacteria
• • Hormones & Growth Factors: Stimulate maturation of gut cells; prevent “leaky” gut
• • Bifidus Factor: Promotes growth of Lactobacillus bifidus, a helpful bacteria in baby’s gut, which helps crowd out dangerous germs
• • Fibronectin: Increases anti-microbial activity of macrophages and helps to repair damaged tissues
• • Glycomacropeptide: Inhibits bacterial/viral adhesion, suppresses gastric secretion, and promotes bifido-bacterial growth

Is unpasteurized milk more nutritious?

Defiantly. Since ancient times, an exclusive unpasteurized milk diet has been used to cure many diseases. In the early 1900s, the “Milk Cure” was used at the Mayo clinic to successfully treat cancer, weight loss, kidney disease, allergies, skin problems, urinary tract problems, prostate problems, chronic fatigue and many other chronic conditions. The Milk Cure only works with unpasteurized milk; pasteurized milk does not have these curative powers.

More and more people are unable to tolerate pasteurized milk, which is one of the top eight allergies. Some have violent reactions to it. The following conditions have been linked to milk allergy: allergies, asthma, frequent ear infections, gastro-intestinal problems, diabetes, auto-immune disease, attention deficit disorder and constipation.

Asthma crises

One example of the beneficial effects of unpasteurized milk is the disease Asthma. The condition affects as many as four hundred thousand people in this country alone, and Ireland has one of the highest rates of childhood asthma in the world. Would it be possible to prevent most of these cases through something as simple as offering unpasteurized milk in childhood?

Research published in medical journal the Lancet in 2001 looked at exposure to farming in early life and development of asthma and allergy. Researchers concluded that long-term and early-life exposure to stables and [unpasteurized] farm milk induces a strong protective effect against development of asthma, hay fever, and atopic sensitization [rashes, eczema etc]. In another study researchers in London concluded that children who even infrequently drank unpasteurized milk had significantly less current eczema symptoms and a greater reduction in atopy (allergic hypersensitivity comprising of the most problematic childhood diseases). In another study of 14,893 children aged 5-13, consumption of unpasteurized milk was the strongest factor in reducing the risk of asthma and allergy, whether the children lived on a farm or not. The benefits were greatest when consumption of unpasturised milk began during the first year of life. Some people find it hard to digest pasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk can actually digest itself and is a lot easier for people to assimilate. The enzymes in unpasteurized milk, when activated by the appropriate pH of the digestive tract, become activated and digest all the components in the milk. The body’s digestive apparatus does not need to do any work to digest unpasteurized milk. This is a major reason unpasteurized milk has such extraordinary healing and energizing powers. Pasteurized milk puts a huge burden on the digestive apparatus and for many is impossible to digest.

Lactose Intolerance

A difficulty digesting milk sugar. Results from a survey by Opinion Research Corporation indicate that about 29 million Americans are diagnosed lactose intolerant. Results from a private survey carried out in Michigan indicate that 85 percent of those diagnosed as lactose intolerant can drink unpasteurized milk without problem. Thus, almost 25 million Americans diagnosed as lactose intolerant could benefit from unpasteurized milk. How many in Ireland could benefit?

Casein Intolerance

A difficulty digesting milk protein. Milk allergy is usually attributed to casein intolerance. Pasteurization destroys L. lactis and other lactic-acid bacteria indigenous to milk. These bacteria produce enzymes that break down the casein molecule. These findings suggest that unpasteurized milk could be consumed by those with milk allergy, including autistic children. There currently exists some anecdotal evidence indicating that unpasteurized milk can be used to treat and even completely reverse symptoms of autism.

So back to the initial question – is milk healthy? Unpasteurized milk is. For some people who can digest pasteurized milk without ill effects, this may be a relatively health beverage, and is defiantly better than soft drinks, coffee and alcohol.

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food is purposing to ban unpasteurized milk for sale in Ireland, and has asked for submissions before 20th June 2008 should you wish to object or submit your opinion. Submissions should be addresses to Mairead Broderick, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Milk Policy Division, Grattan House, Grattan business park, portlaoise, Co. Laoise. This date has obviously passed now but you can write to him anyway if you wish For a more detailed summery of the safety and benifits of raw milk view here





In health

Gabriel