The Benefits Of Consuming Raw Milk

Raw milk contains a wide variety of essential fats, proteins, digestive enzymes, probiotic bacteria, vitamins and minerals. Once the milk is pasteurized many of these nutrients are damaged or destroyed.

Pasteurization is when milk is boiled to supposedly make it safer to drink. The process became popular around the end of the Industrial Revolution when factory food producers favored quantity over quality.

During the Industrial Revolution, cows would become sick after being fed with products that barely qualified as food. This caused the cows to produce milk that intoxicated people.

Instead of enacting laws to ensure better farming sanitation, lawmakers adopted pasteurization. Dairy corporations benefited since pasteurized milk lasts longer, enabling them to reach more customers.

Raw milk in a glass bottle never goes bad. It simply ferments into a sort of kefir that is safe to consume. Contrastingly, pasteurized milk becomes entirely spoiled after some time. 

The advantages of raw milk extend beyond just the milk. Raw cream, raw butter and raw cheese are all very healthy foods and nutritionally superior to their pasteurized equivalents.

Raw milk also has lactase and other active digestive enzymes that make the digestion of lactose and other components of milk more feasible. 

Homogenization is the process of forcing milk through tiny holes under extremely high pressure to break up the fat particles to disperse them evenly through the milk. 

This prevents the cream from naturally separating from the top of the milk, extending shelf life by up to 11 days.

Homogenization has its own issues. Dr. Kurt Oster’s theory argues that homogenization releases an enzyme that contributes to the development of a potentially fatal artery blockage.

It’s no secret that today’s industrial farming is toxic. Factory farms for pasteurized milk expose cows to toxic industrial refuse such as candy waste, genetically modified soybean, canola meals and other harmful byproducts.

Corporations often inject synthetic hormones such as recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) to force cows to produce more milk. Antibiotics are also administered to compensate for how often cows get sick because of poor living conditions.

Raw milk is generally produced in small organic farms where cows roam free on pasture, eat their natural diet of grass and even regenerate the land following regenerative agriculture principles.

Raw milk legality varies by state. In 11 states, such as California and South Carolina, raw milk is sold in stores like pasteurized milk. In Florida, it can only be legally obtained in stores “for pet consumption.”

Joash Farms is one of the largest raw milk producers in Florida. Located in the Florida Panhandle, their raw dairy reaches its way down to Broward County. I’ve been drinking their raw milk regularly for almost a year now in good health.

Their raw dairy products are available for purchase at three locations in Broward County: Marando Farms & Ranch in Davie, Southwest Ranches Farmers Market in Southwest Ranches and the Florida Fresh Meat Company’s booth at Yellow Green Farmers Market in Hollywood.

Whether it’s milk from cows, goats, sheep or camels, I dare you to try some raw milk.