I think right after what is raw milk, the most common question we get is “Is raw milk safe to drink?”

Very simply put, yes.

But here’s the why behind the yes.

When pasteurization was invented, refrigeration did not exist. People were pretty much unaware of germs and what caused sickness. Hygiene was not really a thing. Neither were hygienic practices on dairy farms. (Google swill milk scandal sometime. YUCK. Poor cows! Imagine the milk that came from that!) It’s no wonder milk wasn’t safe to drink! What Louie Pasteur discovered was, put simply, if you boil the milk, it becomes clean and safe to drink. It kills the germs that can make you sick.

What Pasteur didn’t know what what else pasteurization kills. All milk contains natural enzymes that assist the body in digestion. When you pasteurize milk, you are cooking out those amazing enzymes which makes it very difficult for the body to break down. Especially because cow milk has longer protein chains that goat milk or human breast milk. That being said, cow milk can be easily digested by most of the general population if those enzymes are left intact.

The other “goodie” in raw milk is bacteria. Yep. The kind that helps to keep your immune system active, healthy and strong! Raw milk is a great way to combat a weak immune system and also fight against seasonal allergies! Pasteurization burns out all bacteria, including the beneficial stuff that actually fights against the germs and bad bacteria.

Okay. So what do we have now that makes raw milk safe?

Refrigeration. When milk is cooled rapidly (from 102 to 38 degrees F within 20 min) it prevents germs from growing that could potentially make you sick.
Enzymes. These babies, as discussed, make it so your stomach can easily digest cow milk. (Seriously. I can’t tell you how many of my customers are “lactose intolerant”)
Bacteria. The kind that eats bad bacteria for breakfast and makes your immune system strong! (Literally, the good bacteria actually eats the bad!)
Clean practices for keeping animals and cleaning equipment and animals properly.

This is just a basic run down. If you’re interested and looking for some REALLY good info on this, watch this video: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/01/01/cdc-misrepresents-raw-milk-statistics.aspx

~JoAnna Bleasdale