I used to believe eating dairy products was detrimental to your weight loss efforts. I did an elimination diet and lost 10 pounds in 10 days. And dairy was part of what I eliminated.
This was bad news to me, because I love dairy! Milk, butter, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream–some of the best foods are dairy. But I felt so much better cutting it out.
But I figured out why dairy was detrimental to my health and weight loss efforts. And thankfully there is a solution to eating your favorite dairy products while improving your health.
Let’s dig into why raw milk and raw dairy products are superior to pasteurized dairy and alternative dairy products.
Lactose Intolerant
Why are so many people lactose intolerant?
It’s because when we pasteurize milk, it kills the enzymes needed to digest it.
Pasteurization is when we heat up milk to high temperatures to kill the bacteria in it. The problem with this is that the bacteria it is killing is beneficial–like probiotics.
So we kill the probiotics in our food and then we have to supplement with probiotics. Doesn’t make much logical sense to me.
Enzymes like probiotics and phosphatase are important for mineral and nutrient absorption. So when we pasteurize our dairy, we are depleting it of all the nutrition.
We are also making it harder to digest. Lactase is also destroyed in the pasteurization process, which is needed to break down lactose. Our gut then has to work harder to digest the lactose.
When a person is unable to do this, they are labeled lactose intolerant. Most of these people have no problem when they drink raw milk because it still contains the lactase needed to digest the lactose.
Raw Milk Nutrients
Raw milk contains all the nutrients that are killed in pasteurized milk. These vitamins are also fully intact and bioavailable–meaning our body can absorb the nutrients easily.
A cow’s diet is an important factor in the nutrients found in raw milk. When they are fed their natural diet of grass, their milk is high in omega-3 fats–which is optimal for our diet.
Having more omega-6 to omega-3 fats can cause inflammation in our bodies. Inflammation is the root cause of most diseases.
Pasture raised cows also produce milk much higher in vitamin K2. K2 is essential for healthy bones. Check out this article from the Weston A. Price foundation that explains the importance of this vitamin called Activator X.
The enzymes and proteins needed to absorb folate, B12, B6, and iron are also destroyed in the pasteurization process. So drinking raw milk eliminates this issue.
Raw milk also includes 50% more vitamin C that is killed during the pasteurization process in conventional milk.
E. coli
At this point you might be thinking–OK, but it’s worth it to lose all these nutrients if pasteurization prevents us from harmful bacteria like E. coli.
But it turns out that pasteurization is actually killing off the bifidus factor that supports the growth of Lactobacillus bifidus–a probiotic that suppresses the growth of E. coli and other bad bacteria.
This probiotic also prevents the harmful bacteria from turning nitrates into nitrites. Nitrites have been linked to cancer.
Also, consider that breastfeeding our newborn babies is considered optimal compared to formula feeding, and we don’t pasteurize our human milk before feeding our babies.
We are even advised against microwaving cold breast milk because doing so would kill off the nutrients needed for a growing baby. It would be detrimental to their health to kill off their nutrients. So why would we do this to cow’s milk?
Human milk contains the same bifidus factor needed for bad bacteria.
For a better breakdown of the specific enzymes, vitamins, proteins, and bacteria that are destroyed in the pasteurization process as well as a chart, check out my source for this information from Redmond Farms.
You would only need to worry about pasteurization if your dairy is coming from unhealthy cows who are fed a toxic diet. This is why it is so important to know where your food comes from and the farming practices used.
How Did Pasteurization Begin?
Raw milk was consumed for thousands of years. So why did it get banned all of a sudden?
During this time cows were raised on a pasture and ate their natural diet of grass. But when people started moving to cities, the cows were moved and had no grass to eat.
They were kept in warehouses and fed literal trash. The milk from these cows was toxic, and 8000 babies died in one year in New York from drinking it. This is known as the “Swill Milk Scandal.”
Instead of having better farming practices, they started pasteurizing the milk. The pasteurization killed the bacteria in the milk and allowed them to keep feeding toxins to their cows.
Pasteurization laws seemingly protect consumers, but they really just allow dairies to continue bad practices.
Since refrigeration allows raw milk to be produced on farm lands and shipped into the cities, there is no reason to continue keeping cows in these warehouses and pasteurizing the milk.
I got this information from @reallytanman on Instagram. Definitely give him a follow!
Healing Benefits of Raw Milk
Studies have shown that raw milk is healing for things like allergies, asthma, eczema, and other auto-immune issues.
Paul Saladino talks about this in this reel on instagram. He also references studies to back up this claim.
Here are the studies below:
Raw cow’s milk consumption and allergic diseases – The potential role of bioactive whey proteins
The protective effect of farm milk consumption on childhood asthma and atopy: the GABRIELA study
Which aspects of the farming lifestyle explain the inverse association with childhood allergy?
Consumption of unprocessed cow’s milk protects infants from common respiratory infections
Almond Milk vs Raw Milk
When I did Whole30, part of the protocol was cutting out dairy. So I was using almond milk instead if I had a recipe that called for milk. I did not like the taste of it enough to drink a straight glass of it.
I had great results with Whole30 and I was convinced that part of the reason was because of cutting out dairy.
This is probably true since most of the dairy I was consuming prior to Whole30 was pasteurized. But I now believe that almond milk is not a great alternative.
To the credit of Whole30, I believe we should definitely stop consuming conventional, pasteurized dairy.
The problem with almond milk is that nuts are high in oxalates, which are hard on our gut. I’m not a fan of nuts or seeds for this reason. I would at least avoid them while you’re trying to lose weight.
Almond milk also can have seed oils and carrageenan–a thickening agent which is also harmful to your gut.
Almond milk also lacks nutrients. The purpose of consuming anything is to get nutrition from it. I have a post detailing the importance of nutrition called Stop Counting Calories: 1 Change to Lose Weight Fast.
Consuming raw milk from a local farm that has safe farming practices is the best way to get nutrients lacking in almond milk.
If you are still wanting to avoid dairy, a better alternative is coconut milk. You’ll still need to check the ingredient label for additives. I typically buy it canned from the baking aisle and I always opt for organic.
Sourcing Raw Dairy
The solution for dairy is to choose raw options. Raw milk, raw cheese, raw butter, raw kefir, raw cream, etc.
You can find raw dairy products at health food stores, the farmers market, or just finding a local farmer. I used to get mine from the Amish in the area.
This video from Paul Saladino helped me understand how to shop for raw cheese. Some are labeled clearly. Others you need to look at the ingredients list.
It will clearly say pasteurized on the ingredients list if it is, but you can find some that say “fresh” and that means it’s raw.
@reallytanman has created a website called Shire to help you find local raw milk in your area. I was able to find 2 local farms near me!
Unfortunately, not all states allow it to be sold in stores. And ones that do often have to label the milk as “pet milk” and it says “not for human consumption” on the bottle.
Although my state does not have a law in place for raw milk, the raw milk found at local health food stores has both of these labels. I believe this is precautionary so that they don’t get sued. But don’t let that deter you from trying it.
If you can’t get raw dairy, but you still want a healthier option–try low temperature pasteurized options. You can also find these at local health food stores.
Check here to see the laws about raw milk in your state: https://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-legal-map/
Summary
Now that we understand:
- Pasteurization is making people lactose intolerant and killing all the nutrition out of dairy.
- E. coli and other harmful bacteria is a result of bad farming practices, like keeping cows in warehouses and feeding them toxic trash.
- Good farming practices and refrigeration makes raw milk and dairy safe to consume.
- Raw milk has healing benefits for auto-immune issues like eczema, asthma, allergies, digestive issues, etc.
- Almond milk is not the best alternative to pasteurized dairy.
- How to source raw milk and other dairy products.
We can now drink our raw milk and eat our raw cheese as we please!
Know well the condition of your flocks,
and give attention to your herds,
for riches do not last forever;
and does a crown endure to all generations?
When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
the lambs will provide your clothing,
and the goats the price of a field.
There will be enough goats’ milk for your food,
for the food of your household
and maintenance for your girls.Proverbs 27:23-27
Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or any personal health concerns. Reliance on the information presented on this blog is at your own risk. The content is not intended to provide medical guidance or recommendations, and the author is not responsible for any actions or decisions made based on the information provided. It’s important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for individualized medical guidance.
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