Good News For Organic Milk: Now it's Redefined

With the world seeking out healthy food sources, it is no surprise the popularity of organic food has grown sufficiently. Yet the problem with this increasing fame is that consumers want to be able to find organic food at their local grocery stores and feel it should be plentiful and readily available when they need it. This is not the case, as it is very difficult for small-scale organic food producers to provide the volume and consistency and have the distribution that large-scale enterprises need.

The real issue concerning organic food, however, is not necessarily obtaining it, but rather what constitutes a food as "organic." While some believe "organic" means small farms, others feel the only way to fill the demand for organic food is by applying industrial farming practices to organic production.

What Makes Organic Milk "Organic"?

The burning question above targeted the production of organic milk: Must the cows be allowed to graze in pastures much of the year, or can they be confined to large feed lots and still be considered organic?

The National Organic Standards Board recommended to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that organic rules be modified to make certain that organic milk can only come from cows that graze in pastures during the growing season. According to the chairman of the standards board, certain dairies allow cows to graze a mere two months out of the year--when they are about to give birth. During the other 10 months the cows are confined and fed out of a trough.

The modified rules come as a result of a formal complaint regarding "insufficient pasture access" at a dairy in Colorado. The marketing director of the dairy believes the real issue is the scale of organic-farming operations, not the cows' access to grass.

USA Today March 9, 2005

Despite the debate over how organic milk is produced, the fact remains: Organic milk is still pasteurized, a destructive process that actually changes the physical structure (denatures) of the fragile proteins in the milk and converts them into foreign proteins that can actually harm your body. Additionally, the pasteurization process virtually eliminates the good bacteria normally present in the milk and radically reduces the micronutrient and vitamin content of this healthy food.

That is why if you or your family currently drink milk it is important for you to find authentic raw milk sources. I have seen so many of my patients recover their health with raw milk that I perceive this as one of the most profoundly healthy foods you can consume. Many feel the difference shortly after they start drinking this healthy form of milk. If you are unable to obtain raw milk I would strongly advise stopping commercial milk, even if it is organic, as commercial pasteurized milk can really harm your health.

However, please recognize that some people are unable to tolerate even raw milk. If you are one of those people than please do not drink it. If your body gives you this clue please listen to it. If you are a carb type you will certainly need to use a low fat raw milk as the extra fat in whole milk can very easily cause a health imbalance as carb types typically require low fat and low protein foods.

The following are a few reasons why more people are now choosing raw milk:

It has more nutrients: Raw milk is an outstanding source of nutrients including healthy beneficial bacteria such as lactobacillus acidolphilus, vitamins and enzymes.

People feel the health benefits: Raw milk is not associated with any of the health problems surrounding pasteurized milk such as rheumatoid arthritis, skin rashes, diarrhea and cramps. Even people who have been allergic to pasteurized milk for many years can typically tolerate and even thrive on raw milk.

It tastes better: As with any food, fresher is always better and this applies to milk as well. Fresh raw milk is creamier and better tasting than pasteurized milk that has a shelf life of several weeks.

Finding Raw Milk

Since raw milk is not commercially available for most of us, you'll need to locate a local dairy farmer who will be willing to sell this to you. Most people are able to find a farmer supplier by contacting a number of health food stores and finding a network of people that can steer you in the right direction.

What if the farmer you locate is reluctant to sell the raw milk due to legal issues? Well, many people are able to work around the issues by purchasing a portion of the farmer's cow. This is called a "cow-share" program. Then it becomes legal for the farmer to sell you the milk, as it is technically your cow and there are no laws that prohibit you from consuming raw dairy, only commercially selling it. Ideally, you would want to find a farmer that is milking grass-fed cows, as that is a higher quality version of raw milk. However, I am convinced that nearly all grass-fed, non-organic raw milk is far superior to grain-fed organic milk. Ideally, of course, one would want grass-fed raw organic milk.

Comment by Dr. Mercola