WEEKENDS ARE GREAT FOR watching inspiring documentaries and fun day trips. Last weekend I watched a documenary called “Milk?” .
The documentary “Milk?” discusses whether milk is good or bad for human health. It was interesting to watch and especially inspired me to look for the label “raw” on the next organic dairy product I would buy.
I ONLY CONSUME ORGANIC DAIRY PRODUCTS because of the poor way in which animals producing non-organic dairy are treated. Still, the concept of raw milk was new to me. Perhaps I just never thought about how many steps milk goes through from being collected to standing on a store shelf.
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What is raw milk?
RAW MILK IS MILK THAT COME STRAIGHT FROM THE ANIMAL WITHOUT BEING HEATED FIRST. This milk is not readily available, not even at health food stores. By not heating the milk, all the enzymes and healthy bacteria in the milk stay alive.
When milk is pasteurized, it is heated to kill any harmful bacteria and prolong its shelf life, but it is also no longer rich in enzymes and healthy bacteria, since they too become ruined in the heating process.
SO I WENT TO VISIT A LOCAL ORGANIC DAIRY FARM, and to my surprise they did indeed have many raw milk products! Goat milk and cow milk were offered raw only (you can pasteurize the milk at home by bringing it to a boil).
Believe it or not, I felt surrounded by happy, hard-working enzymes.
We bought organic raw goat milk feta cheese, some aged goat cheese and organic tomatoes from the local grounds. It was lovely to support a local farm in this way, especially when they are doing such a good job with offering healthy and sustainable products.
When does drinking raw milk make sense?
IF MILK IS ORGANIC and the animals are healthy, it makes complete sense to drink raw milk. I consume very limited amounts of dairy, but when I do consume it I still want to it be from a happy, free, and well-treated animal.
I have enjoyed myself a pancake made with organic milk served with two scoops of organic raw goat milk ice cream – and it was delicious.
Is raw milk dangerous?
Raw milk, just like any food, can make you sick if not treated properly. Raw milk needs to be refrigerated and consumed within a shorter period of time than pasteurized milk.
This is because raw milk contains enzymes and micro-organisms that could grow to a quantity that could be too much for your digestive system. In pasteurized milk, these enzymes and micro-organisms are ruined, thereby also decreasing the chance of you getting sick.
Can you drink raw milk if you are lactose intolerant?
Some claims have been made that people with a lactose intolerance do not have problems when consuming raw dairy products. This discussion still continues, and the conclusion is yet unclear. If you are lactose intolerant, read the post on Food Allergies versus Food Intolerance.
What can you do?
Realise your milk isn’t only packaged in a factory and shelved in the supermarket. Your milk is produced by live animals, living in sometimes completely unnatural conditions.
Care about buying organic and nudge yourself to visit a dairy farm sometime.
Visiting an organic-dairy farm will make you more aware of where food comes from, and will give you the chance to appreciate it.
Hope you enjoyed the post and see you on the blog next time!