Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Giddy for Raw Milk



I have been trawling the internets looking to get my hands on raw milk delivery. You've seen it on TV, the glass bottles, the milkman in his starched whites, the little icebox truck. Well, now, me too! I found a co-op that delivers in NYC and now I will be the envy of all my eco-foodie-nerd friends.

Nutritional benefits of whole raw milk are many:

Contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) present in pastured (that's grass-fed) cows helps:
  • fight cancer
  • build lean muscles
  • boost immunity.
(It's also present in chicken skin of pastured chickens...no wonder moms always made chicken soup for colds.)

  • The rich butterfat contains vitamins A and D which help you better absorb the calcium and protein in the milk.
  • It's rich in fatty acids which protect against disease and stimulate the immune system.
  • It contains glyco-spingolipids which prevent intestinal distress (many more adults and children are susceptible to diarrhea from pasteurized milk which kills all this good stuff).
  • A and D vitamins re-introduced post-pasteurization are measly substitutes for the real thing.

Why do factories homogenize milk? So you won't have to see all the white blood cells, bacteria, blood and pus settled at the bottom as a result of sickly, overworked cows (gross).

Many health advocates (and cow farmers) have promoted its consumption to treat ailments such as:
  • allergies
  • obesity
  • arthritis,
  • asthma, digestive/gastrointestinal problems
  • PMS
  • depression
  • anxiety
  • psoriasis
  • poor digestion
  • inflammation
  • skin conditions
  • bronchitis
  • high blood pressure
  • kidney disease, etc. (Nina Planck: Real Food)
  • boost immunity
  • build lean muscle
  • cure tuberculosis,


Raw milk is rich in enzymes and contains all 22 of the essential amino acids, the building blocks of life1, including phosphate. Phosphate is essential for the absorption of calcium and is plentifully present in raw milk but is completely destroyed by pasteurization. Prosphatase is an essential agent to the proper development of a strong skeletal structure.

The enzyme lipase is also present in raw milk. Lipase aids in the digestion of fats. It is destroyed by pasteurization as well. Lactase, an enzyme that helps with milk digestion and in the digestion of lactose, is in raw milk.

Dr. Joseph Mercola said on his web site, In my opinion raw milk is the finest source of calcium available. ";
Raw milk is also an excellent source of vitamins particularly vitamin B12, a necessary vitamin that is difficult to find in non-meat sources

1. Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland found that raw milk contains 2 1/2 times more of the enzyme lgG than pasteurized milk. This important enzyme inhibits rotavirus organisms that cause diarrhea in infants. Natural vitamin C is 33% higher in fresh raw milk than in pasteurized milk

2. Many people don't realize that vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, and enzyme inhibitors that kill pathogens are all destroyed by pasteurization. 2 Francis Pottenger, M.D. proved that raw milk reversed scurvy.
Raw milk naturally has enzyme-based pathogen killers. These enzymes include lactoferrin, xanthine, oxidase, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme and nisin. Research has shown that when pathogens were added to raw milk they would not grow. The salmonella could not be found after less than 24 hours. The listeria and the E. Coli would not grow either.

3
Thus, research has shown that raw milk contains enzymes and antibodies that make milk actually less susceptible to bacterial contamination. Dr. Crew used raw milk therapy on people with advanced cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and they improved rapidly. John Fowler M.D., Worcester Massachusetts, reported relief of muscle cramps in pregnancy. He said that raw milk therapy was very effective, and in no instance where used faithfully, were the muscle cramps in pregnant women a cause of discomfort.
(http://mysite.verizon.net/jsschleh/gardenhomefarm/id18.html)

Send me your email, and I'll send you the number of my delivery people

Thursday, November 6, 2008