Got (A2, grass-fed, raw, kefir cow’s) Milk?

Breaking Down The Milk Quandary

Perhaps, one of the most controversial dietary topics amongst whole foodies today, aside from grain, is cow’s milk. On one hand, there are the die-heart supporters, the Weston Price, Sally Fallon, Tom Cowan followers who consider Raw Milk a curative for a host of ailments from allergies to heart disease. On the other, there are those that say milk, regardless of it being raw, is not meant for human consumption. These folks point out that human beings are the only mammals that still consume milk after infancy and the digestive characteristics of a calf are very different than that of a human’s, hence not an appropriate fit.

Those who advocate drinking raw milk are also in contention with supporters of pasteurization. Within pasteurized varieties one finds consumers of both commercial and commercial organic milk. And more recently, a debate is growing amongst the raw milk community over A1 and A2 cows. Then there are those that prefer to drink only kefir milk.

The following article will give a brief overview and dissemination of what these various milk identities are and some of the pros and cons attributed to them:

Commercial Milk:

Cows fed GMO grain, pumped up with antibiotics and hormones and kept in subpar, inhumane conditions produce commercial milk that is by far the easiest variety to consider unhealthful and unbeneficial for consumption. That this milk is devoid of nutrients is one factor, however many whole food activists and nutritionists consider it actually to be harmful to one’s health. What’s more it lacks any of its original, fresh creamy taste that was the stamp of cows milk when it first was discovered as a consumable and some, accustomed to fresh farmed raw milk, say they can even taste the chemicals in commercial milk. Finally, the milk is put through the controversial processes of pasteurization and often, homogenization.

With little taste, nutrient value and imbued with unhealthy additives, one might readily avoid this variety, let alone question the very point of consuming it.

Harming attributes attributed to commercial milk include:
1. Unknown but suspected and far reaching negative effects of ingesting growth hormones and antibiotics given to the cow and transferred to the milk.
1. Pesticide content
1. Changes in composition of the fats, especially the CLA (conjugated linoleic acids) content due to a grain, as opposed to the nature-intended, grass diet
1. Pasteurization * see below
1. Homogenization * see below

Organic Milk:

Organic milk may include cows fed primarily on a grass-fed diet (please see BodyEcology newsletter, “What’s really In Your Eggs” for the importance of Omega 3 found in grass fed animal products), pastured with plenty of space to exercise. However, the stamp “organic” does not insure it’s a product of sustainability or environmentally sound practices. John Robbins (The Food Revolution) was one of the first to voice concern about organic milk producers that weren’t living up to this image. He stated that Horizon Dairy keeps their cows in dry feedlots where there is little if any grass. This was supported in a sense, when a concerned consumer wrote to Horizon questioning the conditions of their farm and Horizon responded by saying that “Although we do not include ‘outside grass’ as a standard part of their diets, the cows certainly may graze on grasses while outside.” According to Robbins, this is misleading, as there is hardly grass on the feedlots from which they can graze. Much like the egg industry, while “organic” may include happy pastured cows it is not the prerequisite to obtaining “organic” status. On large farms like Horizon, the cows are separated from their calves and then milked 3-4 times daily to obtain the milk meant for their babies and thus taken to sale. In this sense, the ethics of large-scale milk production, organic or not, are questionable.

It is important to note that some organic milk producers supplement their cows’ diets with grain, hay, corn, silage and water, particularly in colder months. It is assumed the feed is organic, the hay and grass devoid of pesticides and the water from a clean source. What’s more, organic cows’ milk comes from cows not treated with hormones or antibiotics. While these aspects make commercial organic milk a more attractive option to commercial milk, there is still the issue of pasteurization.

Oh, dear Louis Pasteur, did you ever think…

Pasteurization:

While pasteurization kills harmful bacteria it also renders milk a processed food. Some will go so far as to say a “dead” food. According to one study, “Pasteurization was also found to affect the hematogenic and growth-promoting properties of the special milk (raw milk from specially fed cows, whose milk did not produce nutritional anemia–whereas commercially pasteurized milk did)…” -Krauss, W. E., Erb, J.H. and Washburn, R. G., Studies on the nutritive value of milk II. The effect of pasteurization on some of the nutritive properties of milk,” Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 518, page 11, January, 1933.

Here are some facts about pasteurized milk:
1. Completely changes the structure of the milk proteins (denaturization) into something far less than healthy
2. Alters milk’s amino acids lysine and tyrosine, making the whole complex of proteins less available
3. Alters milk’s mineral components such as calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur as well as many trace minerals, making them less available
4. Promotes rancidity of unsaturated fatty acids and destruction of vitamins
–Destroys part of the vitamin C found in Raw Milk, often by 50%
–Additional vitamin loss usually up to 80%
5. Alters milk’s mineral components such as calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur as well as many trace minerals, making them less available
6. Some evidence that pasteurization alters lactose, making it more readily absorbable. This, and the fact that pasteurized milk puts an unnecessary strain on the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes, may explain why milk consumption in civilized societies has been linked with diabetes
7. Destroys the Wulzen or anti-stiffness factor which is found to protect against
calcification of the joints–degenerative arthritis–as well as hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland
8. Pasteurization does not guarantee cleanliness, (outbreaks of salmonella from contaminated Pasteurized Milk have been reported in recent decades)
9. Pasteurization leaves milk devoid of any protective mechanism should undesirable bacteria inadvertently contaminate the supply
10. Lacking beneficial bacteria, in time Pasteurized Milk will putrefy while Raw Milk turns sour yet some consider tasteful
11. Encourages growth of harmful bacteria,
12. Turns the sugar of milk, known as lactose, into beta-lactose. This is far more soluble and therefore more rapidly absorbed in the system, rendering the milk drinker hungry sooner
13. Renders the major part of calcium found in raw milk insoluble, frequently leading to rickets, bad teeth, and nervous troubles
(*As Tom Cowan states in his article on Pasteurized Milk versus Raw: Sufficient calcium content is vital to children; and with the loss of phosphorus also associated with calcium, bone and brain formation suffer serious setbacks.)
14. Destroys all the enzymes in milk
15. Produces nutritional anemia
16. Destroys 20% of the iodine found in raw milk
17. Chemicals may be added to suppress odor and restore taste. Synthetic vitamin D2 or D3 is added — the former is toxic and has been linked to heart disease while the latter is difficult to absorb
18. Causes constipation
19. Robs milk of its most vital qualities
20. Robs milk of its natural, rich, creamy taste
21. Robs milk of it’s nutrient dense creamy top
22. Adopts the flavor of it’s cardboard casing

Homogenization:

Both commercial non-organic and organic milk offer a homogenized variety. Homogenization denatures the natural fat in milk. There is no nutritional value in this process and in fact it has been linked to heart disease. You might then ask, “So, why is it done?” The reason is purely for aesthetics. Naturally, fat rises to the top of fresh raw milk. Homogenization forces the milk, by extreme pressure, through tiny holes that breaks up the normally large fat molecules into tiny ones. In this denatured state the fat molecules stay suspended in the milk. Unfortunately, this unnatural fat is easily absorbed into the blood stream, carrying with it the xanthine oxidase. In un-homogenized milk the xanthine oxidase and large fat molecules are normally passed through the digestive track, unabsorbed.

Raw Milk

Perhaps nothing is more food-fashionable today than the topic of raw milk. Whether you’re discussing the many benefits of the drink or are outraged by the recent FBI raids and arrests of raw milk farmers, raw milk is the It Girl of the Foodie World right now.

So what’s the deal? Is it dangerous? Are the benefits worth the risks? What’s the fat on raw milk?

Statistically, there is no known data to support raw milk as being more dangerous to drink than pasteurized milk and in fact, some might say statistics point to raw milk as being safer than pasteurized. The crucial components that assure the safety of your milk are the condition of the animal and that of the farm. The milk should not only be safe but resistant to disease if the cow is healthy and the conditions sanitary. What’s more, those who drink raw milk consistently build up a stronger immunity to pathogens.

A study on natural antiseptics in milk cites: “Human or cow milk added to an equal volume of agar did not support the growth or allowed only slight growth of B. diphtheriae Staph. aureus, B. coli, B. prodigiosus, B. pyocyaneus, B. anthracis, streptococci, and unidentified wild yeast. The factors in human milk inhibiting bacterial growth (‘inhibins’) were inactivated by heating at 56 degrees C. (pasteurization temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees C.) for 30 minutes or by standing 12 to 24 days at 5 degrees C., but not by repeated freezing and thawing. The ‘inhibins’ in cow’s milk were not inactivated by heating at 80 degrees C. for seven minutes but were destroyed by heating at 85 degrees C. for seven minutes. Attempts have not been made to identify the natural antiseptics.”
-Dold, H., Wizaman, E., and Kleiner, C., Z. Hyt. Inf., “Antiseptic in milk,” The Drug and Cosmetic Industry, 43,1:109, July 1938.

For a more in-depth look at this topic, I suggest reading The Untold Story of Milk by Ron Schmidt.

Supposing you conclude it’s a safe bet to drink raw milk, what are the benefits?

According to raw milk champions, Sally Fallon and Tom Cowan, prior to heating, milk is a living food rich in colloidal minerals and enzymes. “Milk proteins…carry vitamins and minerals through the gut into the blood stream; they enhance the immune system and protect against disease.” Says Fallon. All of these qualities are destroyed during pasteurization. “Once heated, milk becomes rotten, with precipitated minerals that can’t be absorbed (hence osteoporosis), with sugars that can’t be digested (hence allergies), and with fats that are toxic. Feeding cows high protein feed made from soybeans and other inappropriate foodstuffs can also adulterate milk; rarely is anyone truly allergic to grass-fed cow’s milk.”

Here are some of the benefits attributed to raw milk:

–Stronger immune systems in children who drink raw milk with stronger immunity to asthma and eczema compared to those who are fed ordinary milk
–Phosphatase that allows the body to absorb the calcium from the milk
–Lactase that allows for the digestion of lactose
— Lactic-acid-producing bacteria that protect against pathogens
–Raw butterfat (raw milk left to sour) has a cortisone-like factor that is heat sensitive (destroyed by heat) that prevents stiffness in the joints. These enzymes help the body assimilate all bodybuilding factors, including calcium. (That is why those who drink pasteurized milk may suffer, nevertheless, from osteoporosis.)
–Lipase in raw milk helps the body digest and utilize butterfat
–Contains beneficial bacteria as well as lactic acids that allow these beneficial bacteria to implant in the intestines.
–A study found resistance to tuberculosis increased in children fed raw milk instead of pasteurized
–Used as a therapy in folk medicine (and in the Mayo Clinic) for centuries
–Used in the pre-insulin days to treat diabetes, eczema, intestinal worms, allergies, and arthritis (contains cortisone-like factor for allergies and eczema)

Keifer Milk

Some people chose to keifer their milk, and BodyEcology Keifer grains are a good option for this. While the benefits of kiefer milk are many, primarily the grains eat up the milk sugars (lactose) and make it easier to digest. What’s more, the bacteria in the kefir raw milk is very good for rehabbing the gut lining and restoring digestion. For those who fear they are lactose intolerant, kefir should not be a problem as the lactose is consumed. This also lessens the sugar content for those who feel non-keifer milk contributes to weight gain.

A1 versus A2

Okay, so you’re pretty sure you want to drink raw milk, not commercial or commercial organic milk. But wait, there’s more!

Welcome to the A1 versus A2 cow debate. In brief, Dr. Tom Cowan, the “go-to” authority on raw milk and co-founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation backs Sally Fallon’s (Nourishing Traditions) statement that, quite frankly, “American’s are breeding the wrong kind of cow for milk consumption.”

Cowan states: “The black and white cows — Holsteins and Friesians — generally give milk that contains a small but significant amount of beta-casein type A1, which behaves like an opiate and which epidemiological studies have implicated in heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, autism and schizophrenia.” He goes onto explain that there is an amino acid called BCM 7 causing the opiate effect to both cows and humans. BCM7 is released in the GI tract of animals and humans who drink A1 cow milk, and it is found in the blood and urine of these animals. In short, people who drink milk from A1 cows can be exposed to BCM7. Please note, a respondent to Dr. Cowan’s intro, identifying himself as the editor for Woodford’s book added that A1 milk can be procured from any herd though less common in non-Holstein or Friesian herds. Another respondent suggested that while Jerseys produce more A2 than Holsteins, they might also produce A1 milk. Ultimately, the milk would need to be tested to determine its variety. This is a problem not only for raw milk but pasteurized as well. (*Ultra-pasteurization or any heat process increases the release of BCM7 from A1 milk. – Linda DeFever, Know Your Milk)

BCM 7 has been shown in research outlined in Cowan’s intro to Dr. Keith Woodford’s book, The Devil In The Milk, to cause neurological impairment in animals and people exposed to it, especially autistic and schizophrenic changes. BCM 7 interferes with the immune response. As well, Dr. Cowan states, “BCM 7 selectively binds to the epithelial cells in the mucus membranes (i.e. the nose) and stimulates mucus secretion.” He goes on to state; “…basically all American dairy cows have this mutated beta-casein and are predominantly A1 cows.” And that, “When you take A1 cow milk away, and stimulate one’s own endorphins instead of the toxic opiate of BCM 7, some amazing health benefits ensue.”

The good news is that the absorption of BCM 7 is much less in people with a healthy GI tract. Keep in mind, some people obviously tolerate it and feel they benefit from drinking raw milk. What’s more, BCM 7 is not found in goat’s or sheep’s milk.

A2 cows are found in Africa, Asia and Europe, and what is playfully being attributed to culinary snobbery, you should be safe eating raw cheese and dairy in France. Long ago, the French complained that A1 milk “tasted lousy” and have remained exclusively loyal to an A2 cow population!