Beginners Guide To Raw Milk

Raw milk is milk as it should be. Grass-fed cows are allowed to graze and act like a cow should act. They have calves, produce milk, and the extra milk is consumed by us. The milk is full of beneficial bacteria that improve gut health and decrease inflammation in the body. In addition to the delicious taste, it also has astounding immunological effects. In this post, I break down raw milk for beginners, including why we switched to raw milk in our home, how to get raw milk, how to drink raw milk safely, and all the wonderful health benefits you’ll enjoy from switching to the raw side!

Disclaimer: The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition.

What is Raw Milk?

Raw milk is milk that has not undergone processing such as pasteurization and homogenization. In these processes, the milk is heated to a high temperature to kill off unwanted bacteria. In the process, all the good bacteria are also killed off, and the proteins that make up milk are denatured- that is the structure is changed. Homogenization is the process of redistributing the cream so that it doesn’t have any separation in the milk. This also changes the chemical structure of milk.

The Raw Milk Debate

There is no topic quite so polarizing as raw milk. Even mentioning that our family consumes raw dairy products, I can feel people get uncomfortable. Many people have been taught for SO long that the ultimate evil is consuming raw dairy products and that it’s a recipe for terrible diseases.

I find it somewhat humorous that parents are more than happy to put their children on Wegovy and other weight loss medications but think I’m a crazy parent for giving my kids raw milk… But that’s a whole other topic.

If I’m really honest though, I was VERY skeptical about raw milk for a long time. Working as a nurse in the healthcare system for so many years has made me somewhat of a germaphobe and I didn’t want to touch anything with potential infectious risk with a 10-foot pole.

However, when I began my own health journey, raw milk became intriguing to me and I started doing a lot of research.

Why I Started Buying Raw Milk

My journey to raw milk started a few years ago when I began to transition our food to an ancestral nutrition model. I was having a lot of troubling GERD symptoms after the birth of my third child and although I had always eaten a fairly healthy diet, I found myself experiencing stomach pain regularly after consuming dairy and grains.

This experience started my purge of processed foods from our home. We realized that even though we had a “whole foods” diet, many of our bread, dairy, and snack products had a lot of preservatives, and were prepared in the typical “fast” methods of western culture.

I felt compelled to “bite the bullet” and switch to all organic, grass-fed meat. This was PAINFUL. Our grocery bill tripled. I felt SO good about our nutrition but I also NEEDED to find cheaper ways to source this good quality meat. I began looking for small farms that followed a regenerative farming methodology that could offer these products at a lower rate.

Looking for Grass-Fed milk was a natural next step in my Ancestral Food journey. I started buying a product called Grassmilk from our local grocery. It pained me that I was still supporting large commercial dairies, but I wasn’t sure what other options I had to find grass-fed dairy. The real cherry on top is that the milk was $16/gallon.

Some of the farms I was sourcing meat through also offered grass-fed raw milk (as “pet treat” since it’s not legal for human consumption in North Carolina). I started doing LOTS of research about raw milk and what I learned was astounding. This research quickly disproved many of the myths about raw milk that I had accepted for so long! Let’s break down the health benefits of raw milk for beginners:

Health Benefits of Raw Milk

There are numerous health benefits of raw milk beyond just wanting to avoid processed foods. Here are some of the biggest benefits of drinking raw milk:

Allergy Protection:

There is a highly publicized study in Europe that studied rural areas where children were raised on farms or around farmland and drank raw milk. The study found that the rates of asthma and allergy in these children were significantly lower than in children in other regions. This study has been replicated in various regions such as Scandinavia and Poland.

Asthma Prevention

The same studies that examined allergy protection from raw milk also studied asthma prevention. (The triad of health conditions that most commonly affect children in the US is asthma, allergies, and eczema). The European study that was conducted on farm children also showed dramatic decreases in asthma and eczema incidence in addition to allergy protection.

Increased Gastric Absorption

Some studies have been conducted to examine if raw milk is better absorbed by lactose-intolerant individuals and so far the results haven’t shown a dramatic difference. That said, many individuals who are lactose-sensitive DO find they can tolerate raw milk better. If you have issues consuming dairy it may benefit you to try raw milk to see if your gastric absorption is better, but always check with your DR first.

Leaky Gut Syndrome Improvement

I talk about leaky gut a lot here at The Sourdough Artisan. That’s because many of the ancestral foods we make in our home help improve leaky gut and heal the micro-tears in our gut which greatly improves overall health and well-being. This fascinating study published in 2020, found that after changing the diet of individuals over 12 weeks to include raw dairy products, these individuals had a massive increase in microbiome diversity. If you know anything about leaky gut syndrome, one of the best things for healing the disease process is probiotic-rich foods! Raw milk is a wonderful option to increase microbiome diversity and bacterial load.

Avoidance of Highly Processed Foods

I’ve talked extensively on this blog about how our family avoids processed foods as best we can. We make sourdough, and kefir and ferment as many of our foods as we can in addition to buying organic and growing our food. Raw milk is the least processed option for dairy. It doesn’t go through processes where the protein becomes denatured (change in shape) or where all the bacteria is boiled out of the milk. This naturally creates a more wholesome product that improves gut health.

Support Small Farms Vs. Commercial Dairy

In recent years, the horrifying conditions that animals are contained in on large commercial farms has been increasingly brought to public attention. These dairy cows are often over-milked, not allowed to graze, fed a grain diet with very little nutrients, and then loaded with antibiotics to treat the mastitis they have continuously (from being over-milked).

These farms are dirty, not sanitary and the animals are miserable. We would never drink raw milk from such an establishment as I would be very concerned about contamination.

Small dairy farmers often keep their animals in very different atmospheres. Our dairy farmer had us come tour her farm before she sold us the milk. She showed us the fields they graze in, where they milk, the milking machine they use to prevent contamination and the entire process for milking. It’s incredible to be able to support a small business where the cows are treated humanely and even like family pet. These cows live a great life and produce rich, creamy, grass-fed milk that I feel great about! When it comes to raw milk for beginners, I ALWAYS recommend touring the farm you are considering purchasing from to ensure proper practices!

Risks of Raw Milk Consumption

I always try to be honest and present the pros and cons of different food sources. All food has a risk for contamination and illness from contamination and raw milk is no different. This is why the farm you get raw milk from is SO important. You need to make sure the processes used are safe and precautions are taken to avoid contamination.

The current status of food-borne illness shows that more illness is caused by raw milk consumption in comparison to traditional milk sources, but that number is still extremely low. Here is a direct quote from a research article written by Chris Kesser, M.S.

FAQ About Raw Milk:

Is Raw Milk Illegal?

No. (Raise your hand if that answer surprised you!) Raw milk is not illegal in any of our 50 states. However, the SALE of raw milk is the tricky part. Some states are allowed to sell and distribute raw milk for human consumption, others only allow the sale for animals and others prohibit the sale altogether. Check your state laws and regulations for raw milk guidelines.

What is the difference between A1 and A2 Milk?

When you start researching raw milk you might see the terms A1 and A2. Here’s the difference between the two:

1. A1 Milk:
   • A1 milk contains a form of beta-casein called A1 beta-casein.
   • It is derived from cows that produce this particular variant of beta-casein, which is more common in breeds such as Holsteins.
   • When digested, A1 beta-casein can produce a peptide called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7), which some studies have associated with gastrointestinal discomfort in some individuals, including bloating, discomfort, and digestive issues.
2. A2 Milk:
   • A2 milk contains a different form of beta-casein known as A2 beta-casein.
   • It is sourced from cows that naturally produce only this form of beta-casein, such as certain heritage breeds like Guernsey and Jersey.
   • Some proponents claim that A2 milk is easier to digest and may be a better option for individuals who experience discomfort from consuming regular milk.

What is the safest way to milk a cow?

Milking a cow by hand increases the risk of bacterial contamination. The best way to ensure the lowest risk of contamiantion is to use a closed system such as milking machine that immediately dispenses the milk into a sterile container.

Why is raw milk so expensive?

Raw milk is greatly increasing in popualrity in recent years but the sticker shock turns many consumers away. Small farms cost exponentially more to run and the fact that most states make the sale of raw milk difficult if not illegal, leads to higher costs for farmers. Large dairy coporations mass produce milk, over-milk their cows and produce a low-quality product that is cheap and has a longer shelf life. Good food takes time to make and these processes are more costly for farmers.

Will I get salmonella from drinking raw milk?

Probably not. If you puruse google or the CDC website, you might think even considering drinking raw milk will give you salmonella but in reality the actual incidence of severe disease from raw milk or dairy products in general is extremley low.

Dairy, in general has a lower incidence of food borne illness than other food groups. Seafood, meat and produce all have much higher risks associated with them than raw milk! (Source).

How can I make sure my raw milk is safe?

OK, big whopping disclaimer here. While researching raw milk, I’ve stumbled on sites that are very anti-raw milk. Many of these sites share stories of families who had children who got very sick from raw milk or were even hospitalized. The fear of giving my kids anything that could cause illness turned me away from raw milk for a long time.

Here is what you need to know about drinking raw milk SAFELY:

1. First, ALL foods have contamination risk. INCLUDING pasteurized milk! To say raw milk has no contamination issues is simply not true. Raw milk, just like all milk/foods produced has the risk of harmful bacteria leaching in and causing disease.
2. Second, the sterility of your milk depends on your farm’s processing. Ask lots of questions about this! Cows should never be milked by hand as this is not sterile. A milking machine must be used and the milk needs to go immediately in sterilized bottles and into the refrigerator. Never leave raw milk sitting out.
3. Ensure your farmer periodically tests their milk. The tests that should be done are a coliform count and a standard plate count. Most raw milk dairies test the milk once a month or once every few months.
4. Use sterile glass jars for your milk. I like to run my jars through the sanitization cycle in my dishwasher and then sometimes I also boil water and sanitize the jars one step further to ensure total sanitation. I store the jars with a lid screwed on and our farmer opens them only right before filling the jars and resealing them.
5. I am very careful to never leave raw milk out on the counter. We use it for breakfasts, lunches, etc and then I immediately resecure the lid and place it back in the refrigerator. An exception to this would be when I make fermented milk beverages like kefir.

How Do I Find a Farm To Source Raw Milk?

It took me several months to find a farmer that produced the quality of milk I was looking for a reasonable price. Due to the pressure from our government to monitor and prevent the sale of raw milk, it can be difficult to find a farmer that offers the product you want.

Here are a few ways you can find a raw milk farmer near you:

• Raw Milk Finder
• Get Raw Milk

The way that we found our farmer was actually through word of mouth. It’s important to do research in your area, join holistic Facebook groups and food coops to find the best and most affordable options for healthy food.

What to Do If You Can’t Afford Raw Milk:

I’m going to be totally honest with you… Raw milk is expensive. When my parents bought raw milk back in the early 2000s, they got it for a few bucks a gallon. My mom even said that it was CHEAPER than store-bought milk. (Yes, even reading that gives me sharp pangs of jealousy).

I live in the Raleigh, North Carolina area and have extensively shopped all the farms I could find within a 3 hour radius to find the best price. We currently pay a whopping $12/gallon for our milk. A long time ago, this would have given me a stroke but considering I had already been buying grassmilk from the grocery store for $16/gallon, I had become numb to the sticker shock. So far, this is the cheapest price I could find for raw, grass fed, organic milk.

I completely realize that many (if not most) consumers simply CANNOT afford that price.

Here Are Some Options If You Can’t Afford Raw Milk:

• Keep looking: If you live in a more rural area, the price should automatically be lower. Talk with local dairy farmers… Find out if they discount milk closer to the time it expires. Ask if there is work you could do for the farmer to discount the milk. Try to find some Facebook groups in your area for farmers (or perhaps your local Weston Price Chapter) and ask around. If farmers only have enough milk for a few families, they won’t advertise online.
• Grassmilk: This is an organic, non-GMO grass-fed milk. I was buying this before finding our raw milk supply. I truly hate that it is supporting big dairy corporations and is insanely expensive AND still highly processed, but I can vouch for the grass-fed qualities. This milk is creamier and more of a yellow color than regular milk so it made me feel a bit more comfortable that the cows had at least seen pasture in their lifespan.
• Organic Milk: If nothing else, organic milk has some likelihood that the cow’s food wasn’t as modified or chemical-filled.
• Ferment your milk: Fermenting your milk will add lots of bacteria and can make it more digestible and gut friendly! Try making Kefir with your milk.
• Goats Milk: If you don’t mind the stronger flavor, a lot of people prefer to get goat’s milk raw! Check your local requirements/laws for buying raw goat’s milk.

Is Raw Milk Legal In My State?

Want To Learn More About Ancestral Nutrition?

• Sourdough 101
• Milk Kefir
• Water Kefir