This is not the conversation where we try to persuade you to drink more milk, nor are we telling you to avoid it at all costs. Enough people out there reduce this ancient food to either a shortcut to intestinal troubles or a jug of beneficial wonder-enzymes. The truth about milk is probably somewhere in between, and the real truth about milk is that it is one of many complicated food choices we face every day.
At the grocery store, there are more choices than ever before — organic, local, rBST-free, pasteurized, ultra-pasteurized, even lactose-free. Each of these comes with pluses and minuses. But there’s another choice out there, one you can’t get at grocery stores (at least not in this state), and the debates surrounding it are growing louder and, quite frankly, more confusing, every year. We’re talking about raw milk.
Next time you reach for a carton, picture this: a big, sterile facility with the constant hum of heated pipes carrying hundreds of gallons of milk from dozens of grain-fed herds to humongous vats. The milk gets superheated, separated and centrifuged. In a world that increasingly cares about the source of its food supply, a world where it’s becoming more and more common to buy meat and vegetables directly from the farmer, milk still resides in the industrialized shadows. Many say this is a necessary evil, since raw milk can carry bacteria that can cause food-borne illnesses, which are especially dangerous for those with compromised immune systems. But a growing contingent of people — millions in the United States alone — would argue the benefits far outweigh the risks. Taya Lindley, a licensed acupuncturist in Portland, is one of them. She researched different types of diets for her family and found herself leaning more toward small-scale, unprocessed foods. The switch to buying raw milk from grass-fed cows was a natural progression, she says, with the added bonus that her family would be getting “good fat, enzymes and proteins that aren’t in pasteurized milk from grain-fed cows.”
To the people who say there is too much risk involved, she insists that if you get milk from the best possible source, the risk is minimal. “At some point we have to base our food choices on instinct,” she says. “Yes. There is a small risk of contamination, but I make informed decisions about a lot of the things my family eats.”
Milk is rich in calcium, protein, vitamins, minerals and beneficial bacteria that produce important enzymes. Proponents of raw milk — like advocates of other raw foods — say the unheated stuff has more of these nutrients because they haven’t been destroyed or diminished in the heating process. They also say raw milk is easier to digest because the enzymes needed to digest lactose and casein haven’t been killed in the pasteurization process.
Also very important, say proponents, is that raw milk usually comes from cows that graze on grass, which gives the milk more omega-3s and three times the amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than that from grain-fed animals. Early but promising evidence shows natural forms of CLA can reduce cancer risks.
There’s also a subjective side as to why raw milk has a growing fan base. First, there’s the taste. Many people seek out raw milk because it’s creamier, sweeter and has a better texture — especially milk from Jersey cows. It adds far more depth to cheese, yogurt and dairy-based desserts than traditional milk.
They also appreciate its tradition as a wholesome, unadulterated food humans have relied on since at least 6000 B.C., and it makes them feel connected to their local farmers.
“There is a lot of trust that goes on between you and the farmer,” says Tressa Yellig, chef and owner of Salt, Fire & Time in Northwest Portland. “Buying this milk puts us back in the food system by participating in the life cycle. You are actually connected to the food itself, where it comes from, how much goes into making it.”
Yellig has long been dedicated to whole, natural foods, opening her self-described “traditional foods general store” three years ago. She says if she were legally permitted, she would sell only raw milk. She has been drinking it for six years and says the benefits far outweigh the risks, which she says are minimal when the milk comes from healthy, well-managed cows.
