Originally published April 23 2008
The Amazing Health Benefits of Raw Milk
by Jo Hartley
(NaturalNews) Most people are unaware that clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows was actually used as a medicine in the early part of the 20th century. Raw milk - straight from the cow - has been called the "stem cell" of foods. It was used as medicine to treat, and many times cure, some serious diseases. From the time of Hippocrates until just after World War II, this miracle liquid nourished and healed millions.
Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a completely balanced food. You could live on it exclusively if you had to.
Raw milk ingredients that make it such a powerful food:
Proteins
Raw cow's milk has all 20 of the standard amino acids, which saves our bodies the work of having to convert any into usable form. About 80% of the proteins in milk are caseins (reasonably heat stable but easy to digest). The other 20% fall into the class of whey proteins. These are also easy to digest, but also very heat sensitive.
The immunoglobulins are an extremely complex class of milk proteins also known as antibodies. These provide resistance to many viruses, bacteria and bacterial toxins and may also help reduce the severity of asthma symptoms. Research has shown a significant loss of these important disease fighters when milk is pasteurized.
Carbohydrates
Lactose is the primary carbohydrate in cow's milk. It is made from one molecule each of the simple sugars glucose and galactose. People with lactose intolerance do not make the enzyme lactase and so cannot digest milk sugar. Raw milk has its lactose-digesting Lactobacilli bacteria intact. This may allow people who traditionally have avoided milk to drink raw milk.
Fats
About two thirds of the fat in milk is saturated. Saturated fats play a number of important roles in our bodies. They construct cell membranes and key hormones, they provide energy storage and padding for delicate organs, and they serve as a vehicle for important fat-soluble vitamins.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) is abundant in milk from pastured cows. This is a heavily studied, polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acid that has promising health benefits. Some of CLA's many possible benefits are (1) it raises metabolic rates; (2) it helps remove abdominal fat; (3) it boosts muscle growth; (4) it reduces resistance to insulin; and (5) it strengthens the immune system and lowers food allergy reactions. Grass-fed raw milk has 3-5 times more CLAs than the milk from feed-lot cows.
Vitamins
Whole raw milk has both water and fat soluble vitamins. No enriching is necessary. It's a complete food. Pasteurized milk must have the destroyed components added back in, especially the fat soluble vitamins A and D.
Minerals
Raw milk contains a broad selection of minerals ranging from calcium and phosphorus to trace elements.
Calcium is abundant in raw milk. Its benefits include a reduction of some cancers, particularly colon; higher bone density in people of all ages; lower risk of osteoporosis in older adults; lowered risk of kidney stones; the formation of strong teeth; as well as a reduction of dental cavities.
An interesting fact about minerals as nutrients is the special balance they require with other minerals to function properly. For example, calcium needs a proper ratio of phosphorus and magnesium to be properly utilized by our bodies. Raw milk is in perfect balance.
Enzymes
The 60 functional enzymes in raw milk have an amazing assortment of jobs to perform. Some of them are native to milk and some come from beneficial bacteria growing in raw milk. When we eat food that contains enzymes devoted to its own digestion, it's less work for our pancreas. Other enzymes, like catalase, lysozyme and lactoperoxidase help to protect milk from unwanted bacterial infection, making it safer for us to drink.
Cholesterol
Milk contains about 3mg of cholesterol per gram. Our bodies make most of the cholesterol we need. This amount fluctuates by what we get from our food. Cholesterol is a repair substance. It is a waxy plant steroid that our body uses as a form of water-proofing and as a building block for key hormones.
Beneficial Bacteria
Raw milk is a living food with amazing self-protective properties. As most food goes bad as it ages, raw milk gets better. From helpful bacterial fermentation, the digestibility of enzymes, vitamins, and minerals all increases.
Today, the demand for raw milk from pasture-fed cattle is growing as word spreads of the tremendous health benefits of drinking raw milk. Those who want information can go to the following websites:
(www.realmilk.com)
(www.westonaprice.org)
Sales of raw milk are currently legal in 28 out of 50 US states. Specific information for each state can be found here: (http://www.realmilk.com/happening.html) .
About the author
Jo Hartley
Wife, Mother of 8, and Grandmother of 2
Jo is a 41 year old home educator who has always gravitated toward a natural approach to life. She enjoys learning as much as possible about just about anything!
http://loftymatters.com - Current Events
http://winemaiden.com - Simply Abundant Living
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