The Benefits of Raw Milk

What is raw milk and why is it healthier than pasteurized milk? Raw milk is fresh milk straight from the cow or goat and used for drinking fresh or it is fermented into other products like yogurt, kefir, butter and cheeses. Raw milk is delicious, healthy and easy to digest. It is a complete food!

Here are some of the benefits of raw milk:

• Man has been using raw and fermented milk for about 8-10,000 years. Cultures like the Europeans, those from the Middle East, and from Africa have long enjoyed milk and meat in their diets. So it has a long and proven track history.

• It is the chief source of living enzymes and cultures. Enzymes are needed by the body to recover from disease and for health maintenance.

• It has 20 amino acids necessary to health.

• It is loaded with fat-soluble nutrients, calcium and other minerals.

• It boosts the immune system.

• Eliminates and destroys pathogens.

• It has natural fats the body knows how to assimilate.

• It's a rich source of vitamins A and D.

• If you are lactose intolerant, this should interest you: most people become lactose intolerant because pasteurization kills the living enzymes in the raw milk. So lactose intolerant could mean intolerant to pasteurized milk!

• In the past, children raised on raw milk had perfect teeth and no decay.

• In the early 1900's it was discovered that infants would develop scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) if they were changed from raw milk to pasteurized milk. Pasteurization kills off significant amounts of vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins, folic acid, B12 and almost all the enzymes.

Clearly, the benefits outweigh those of pasteurized milk. Pasteurization kills off vitamins, enzymes and bacterial flora needed by the gut for digestion. Homogenization changes the molecular structure of the fat globules by pressing them into very small particles. Your body can't absorb these particles because they can now go through the intestinal lining.

The best sources are from pasture raised cows and goats. It starts from the soil up: good pasture, clean water, sunlight and fresh air keep animals healthy and that transfers the health promoting enzymes through the milk to us. The best way to find it is to start with your health food store and natural health care providers.

©2009 Shanna Ohmes
Want to know more about how to boost your immune system? Traditional diets and how to prepare them, healthy fats, herbs and debunking health myths are some of the subjects covered in The Natural Living Site Newsletter at http://thenaturallivingsite.com