To some it sounds weird, to others it sounds crazy, and to most it just sounds foreign... The idea of eating raw dairy, straight from the cow, goat, or sheep, has become almost taboo in today's culture.
We've come a long way from the stories our grandparents have told us about their morning chores, which usually included milking their backyard cow or goat.
And guess what? They never thought twice before devouring that fresh milk, churning their own butter, and making their own cheese. Straight from the cow. Not processed, not pasteurized, not adulterated. Straight from the cow, just like God and nature intended.
Before we get into why pasteurization is neither logical nor beneficial, let's cover what pasteurization is. Dictionary.com defines pasteurizations as "to expose (a food, as milk, cheese, yogurt, beer, or wine) to an elevated temperature for a period of time sufficient to destroy certain microorganisms."
Sounds like a pretty good idea, right?
Actually, all outbreaks of salmonella in recent decades have occurred in pasteurized milk. Raw milk, however, contains lactic-acid-producing bacteria that protects against pathogens.
Pasteurization has been preached as a beneficial and necessary process to protect ourselves form infectious disease. However, this has been shown to be highly exaggerated. Today's milking machines and supplies, combined with today's packing and distribution processes, makes pasteurization unnecessary for the purposes of sanitation.
Some more implications of pasteurizing milk include:
1. Today's pasteurization process of milk destroys all the enzymes in the milk. The test for successful pasteurization is the absence of enzymes.
2. The heat used in the pasteurization process alters the milk's amino acids lysine and tyrosine, which makes the whole complex of proteins less available.
3. It promotes rancidity of unsaturated fatty acids and destruction of vitamins
4. Vitamin C lost in pasteurization usually exceeds 50%
5. Loss of other water-soluble vitamins can run as high as 80%
6. Reduces the availability of milk's mineral components, such as calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and sulphur, and many trace minerals
7. Pasteurization can also put a strain on the body's digestive system, and can pass through the system not fully-digested (with those who have weak digestive systems/those who don't handle dairy well). This can cause allergies, degenerative disease, and chronic fatigue.
Sources:
Fallon, S., Enig, M. G., Murray, K., & Dearth, M. (2005). Nourishing traditions: The cookbook that challenges politically correct nutrition and the diet dictocrats. Washington, DC: NewTrends Publishing.