Why is raw milk illegal in some states? What are the risks associated with drinking it? How could a simple, straightforward product—like milk from a cow—have become so controversial? On today’s episode, Mark McAfee, the Chairman of the Raw Milk Institute, and the head of Organic Pastures Dairy, expounds on the topic with first-hand knowledge, experience, and passion. You’ll soon discover that Mark is a proponent of real, unadulterated, unpasteurized, grass-fed and pasture-raised raw milk. Mark explains the history of raw milk and pasteurization; he dives into the proteins and beneficial bacteria in raw milk; he contrasts raw milk with pasteurized milk and even “nut milks” on the market; and he discusses the role raw milk plays in the health of our gut microbiome. He gives us the big picture of the dairy industry world-wide, along with important information as to the benefits of including raw milk in your own diet.
Notes:
Highlights from the conversation include:
- what raw milk is exactly
- how raw milk is babies’ first food
- how raw breast milk contains 700 different kinds of beneficial bacteria (contrast this with four or five types found in yogurt)
- how there are 2,500 different kinds of proteins in raw milk
- what babies drink, traditionally, after weaning
- why drinking raw milk from pastured animals is important
- why there is fear surrounding raw milk (and why it is well-founded)
- how cattle were kept in filthy conditions in the 1880s and 1890s, leading to tainted raw milk and many deaths
- why the Raw Milk Institute was created, including self-regulation for the dairy farmers and safety for the public
- the role of lactose intolerance in the public’s avoidance of dairy
- how raw milk can help treat asthma, allergies, and eczema
- why there are not more studies on raw milk conducted in the U.S.
- why dairy farming is on the decline
- how pasteurized milk is the most allergenic food on the market today
- the problem with imitation milks made of almond, hemp, soy, flax, rice, etc.
Resources:
https://www.organicpastures.com/
https://www.realmilk.com/commentary/15-things-that-milk-pasteurization-kills/
https://www.realmilk.com/health/milk-cure/
http://www.rawmilkinstitute.org/
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