Raw Milk: Am I willing to go there?

I've been TRYING to follow a "Paleo" or "Primal" or "Cavemanish" type diet. Really, I have. I'll write more about it at a later date, but something keeps coming up in my diet research. Raw Milk is healthy.

What? This startled me the first time I came across this claim? Really? Didn't pasteur make his whole reptation on the fact that pasteurizing liquids made it finally safe for consumption and longer term storage?  Doesn't it taking away the risk for diseases that carried over from the udder to the human? That's what I thought anyway, and Pasteur is basically a demi-god in the health care world. I mean, we pasteurize EVERYTHING from apple juice to butter. It can't be a bad thing can it?

I don't know...maybe it can be. That's what I'm finding cropping up more and more in my reading. But for today's argument, let's stick to milk. So for those of you who don't know, Pasteurization is the process of gently heating up a liquid to kill off the bacteria present. It's done a low heat (below boiling) for a predetermined length of time. This will also slow the spoilage of the food by inhibiting the bacterial growth. Milk is widely pasteurized today.

Raw milk is milk that is unpasteurized, leaving all the glorious and potentially dangerous bacteria in place for consumption. So..why do this?

Supporters of raw milk consumption, including the large Amish population around where I live, claim that milk in it's raw form is far superior for strong bones and teeth, as well as being beneficial for treating ailments such as asthma and allergies by stimulating the immune system with bacteria in the gut. I can see that being possible.

So what are the risks? Well...those same bacteria. E. Coli being one of them, since cows are pretty well known to be carriers. (Especially cows who are NOT grass fed, but fed corn and other feed products) This is a pretty big risk, in my opinion as E.  Coli can be some pretty serious stuff, especially for the young, the aged and those with poor immune systems to start with. It's a big enough risk that most states carry laws against the distribution and selling of raw dairy products.

But it turns out, I don't live in one of those states. In PA, it's legal to buy raw dairy just about anywhere. Thanks to the Amish, I'm sure, since that's pretty much all they'll take.

Now, because of the paleo/primal/caveman inspired diet I'm on, I'm not taking in a whole lot of dairy products to begin with. A little grass fed butter, small amounts of cheese, a little heavy cream and that's about it. So....I've decided to CAUTIOUSLY try taking these in a raw form. I purchased a small container at a local farmers marker from a very nice Mennonite farmer who had brought with him brochures on his farm, his herd and information on his products. I liked that his herd was all grass fed and antibiotic free...so I feel comfortable with starting there. But for myself only, not for the kiddo, not yet at least. I've also bought some raw milk cheeses and I must say...OMG are they GOOD. The flavor is out of this world better than pasteurized cheese..much more complex and sharper. Almost like a "blue" cheese in some ways, in how salty/sharp it is (I've tried both garlic and chive and cheddar at this time). My family doesn't like it as much as I do. That's okay, more for me.

If I die of E.Coli..I'll be sure to let you know that it's not safe. Read more and decide for yourself: http://www.realrawmilkfacts.com/