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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.
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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.
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.
Milk allergies are very real and
serious threats today- just ask any pediatrician. Barring the small
percentage of folks allergic to all forms of the milk protein
casein, you might be able to tolerate raw milk with
it's self-digesting food enzymes intact. Again, fermented dairy
products may be better tolerated by some individuals.
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