In Is Raw Milk Dangerous, we examined the risk associated with drinking unpasteurized milk compared to the risk associated with consuming other foods, and with other activities such as driving a car. In Raw Milk Benefits, we covered some of the possible benefits of unpasteurized milk. In this article, I’m going to present a framework for determining whether raw milk is worth the risk for you and your family.
As I said in the first article, I’m not here to convince you to drink raw milk. I don’t work for a raw milk producer. I don’t make money promoting raw milk. I have nothing to gain if you decide to drink raw milk, nor do I have anything to lose if you choose not to.
This is a decision you have to make on your own, by weighing the risks vs. benefits and considering more personal variables such as your health status, risk tolerance, values and worldview. Every day we make choices that involve this kind of evaluation, whether we’re conscious of it or not. Each time we get into a car, for example, we are deciding that the convenience and efficiency driving offers is worth the risk of injury or death. We may not consider the decision in these terms – because we’re so accustomed to driving – but that doesn’t mean the risk isn’t real and we aren’t making a choice.
With that in mind, let’s discuss a few of the factors you might consider in your decision.
Are dairy products even necessary?
In a word: no. Humans have only consumed dairy products for a short period of our evolutionary history, and we thrived without them. No one suffers from “dairy deficiency”.
That said, I do believe dairy products can be beneficial when they’re well-tolerated. Several epidemiological studies have linked dairy consumption (especially full-fat dairy) with positive health outcomes. (1) While this does not prove causality, we also know that dairy contains healthful nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins, calcium, and conjugated linoleic acid (natural trans-fat), some of which can be difficult to obtain elsewhere in the diet.
And we don’t eat only for health. We also eat for pleasure. Dairy is one of the most popular food categories around the world, equally beloved by people of all ages, ethnicities and walks of life. We have sayings like “butter makes everything better” and “crème de la crème” for a reason!
Do you tolerate pasteurized milk?
If you tolerate pasteurized dairy, and you’re concerned about the risk associated with raw milk, you might try to find a small, local dairy with grass-fed cows that uses vat or low temperature pasteurization. In contrast to the ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurization process used by large commercial dairies, vat pasteurization heats the milk to a lower temperature (145 degrees) for a longer period of time (30 minutes) and then cools it as quickly as possible. Proponents of vat pasteurization say that it tastes better than milk pasteurized with high temps, and it seems reasonable to assume that the nutrient loss would be less (although I haven’t seen any data on this).
An additional benefit of these small dairies is that many don’t homogenize their milk. As Cynthia pointed out in a recent comment, homogenization squeezes large casein micelle complexes through small pores to break them up. The micelles are held together by calcium phosphate. When the micelles are broken up in homogenization, the fats are exposed to calcium, which forms calcium soaps (“saponification”). Calcium soaps not only irritate the gut and make it leaky, but also decrease the absorption of protein, vitamins and minerals. (2, 3)
A similar option is purchasing raw milk, and then pasteurizing it at home. You can do this with a home pasteurization machine, or with your stovetop using the low-temperature method I described above. Click here for instructions.
However, even those that “tolerate” pasteurized dairy often find that they feel much better drinking unpasteurized milk. And of course if you’re one of the many people that doesn’t do well with pasteurized milk products, raw milk is your only option if you wish to consume dairy.
Like what you’re reading? Get my free newsletter, recipes, eBooks, product recommendations, and more!
Are you elderly, pregnant, immunocompromised or do you have young children?
In Is Raw Milk Dangerous I presented data indicating that the risk of developing a serious illness (requiring hospitalization) from drinking unpasteurized milk is very low: less than one in a million. I also pointed out that other foods like fish, shellfish, poultry, eggs, and beef are far more likely to cause illness than dairy products, even when adjusted for consumption.
That said, there is a risk of serious illness associated with drinking unpasteurized milk. And it’s important to note that this risk is more heavily weighted toward young children (under 3-4 years old), pregnant women, the elderly and those with less developed or compromised immune systems.
These illnesses can be severe. For example, in a recent outbreak in Oregon, a toddler and two young teens were hospitalized after drinking raw milk contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7, one of the most virulent foodborne pathogens. Two of them had hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS), a form of kidney failure. In another outbreak involving E. coli 0157:H7 this year in Missouri, two were hospitalized, including a two-year old with HUS.
On the other hand, it could be argued that growing children, pregnant women and people with under-functioning immune systems have the most to gain from the benefits of raw milk. This is illustrated by a comment from a reader on the last post in this series. He recently had an intestinal transplant (both small and large) and is taking powerful immunosuppressant medication, which would certainly place him in the “immunocompromised” category. Yet he feels that unpasteurized milk has been a significant factor in his unusually speedy recovery. He is the only recipient of the transplant that he’s aware of that hasn’t returned to the hospital with sepsis and systemic infection. Shortly after the surgery, he attempted to drink pasteurized milk and got severe cramps and diarrhea and lost 10 pounds. Yet in spite of his doctor’s warning that he’d never be able to tolerate dairy (because all intestinal and multivisceral tranplant recipients become lactose intolerant), he has thrived on raw milk.
A story like this doesn’t prove that unpasteurized milk had anything to do with his recovery. But I’ve read about and heard from many people who’ve had similar – albeit less dramatic – experiences, and I also feel that raw milk kefir was a crucial factor in my own healing process. And as we discussed in Raw Milk Benefits, there is substantial epidemiological evidence that children that consume raw milk may be protected against asthma and allergic diseases.
What is your risk tolerance? And what is important to you?
The extremely small risk of developing a serious illness is enough to turn some people off to raw milk. That is a perfectly valid choice.
Others feel so much better when they drink unpasteurized milk that they’re willing to take the risk. Or perhaps they love dairy, but can’t tolerate pasteurized milk. Or maybe they’re a “foodie” and they simply prefer the taste of raw milk to pasteurized milk.
Each day we make choices, and take risks. We’re more aware of some than others. We are hundreds of times more likely to die in a car crash than develop a serious illness from drinking unpasteurized milk, yet that doesn’t stop us from driving (by ourselves or with our children). Some may argue that driving is a necessity, while drinking raw milk is optional. I would argue that both activities are optional, and whether we choose to do one or the other is simply a reflection of our priorities and preferences.
Summary
These may be ideal solutions for those that are concerned about risk, but have no problem digesting pasteurized milk.
If you don’t tolerate pasteurized milk, or choose to drink raw milk for any other reason, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk. That will be the subject of the final article in the series.
Better supplementation. Fewer supplements.
Close the nutrient gap to feel and perform your best.
A daily stack of supplements designed to meet your most critical needs.
I’d like to get some raw milk to make my own cream. Do I have to pasteurize the milk first and then get the cream or do I get the cream off first? Does anyone know?
The cream rises to the top naturally, and can be skimmed off, it does not have to be pasteurized.
To any of you naysayers of raw milk – NEWSFLASH: there is fabulous a new thing we all have now called “Refrigeration”!
The simple fact is, ALL fresh foods (milk, meat, poultry, fish) contain a certain amount of harmful pathogens. The two things that keep these pathogens in check (and from killing us) are proper food handling and refrigeration. Keeping these foods below 40 degrees F (35F optimum) keeps the pathogens from multiplying to the extent that our bodies can not fight them off naturally.
And remember this – Pasteurization was invented long before the advent of refrigeration. So yes, in its time, is was CRITICAL that dairy products be pasteurized! Today, milk is processed cold, shipped cold, stored cold, and served cold. The minute amount pathogens (E coli or otherwise) have no chance to reproduce unless you are being completely careless about your handling/sanitation practices…..in which case your chicken or fish has just as much chance of causing harm as does your milk, pasteurized or not.
My wife and I have been using locally made raw milk for over 3 years now, and I can’t say enough good things about it. We tell everyone we know: if you have access to it, give it a shot. You may never go back!
As far as the dangers, as I and others have pointed out, if handled properly, you basically have a better chance of being stuck by lightening…….twice, than you do drinking raw milk. You actually have a much better chance (million times more) of getting sick from a hamburger or even produce that hasn’t been handled properly.
Cheers!
Does culturing the raw milk with kefir grains eliminate some of the risks with e-coli and hus?
A 3 year old recently died in australua from getting hus through drinking raw milk?
To Johanna and anyone worried about E coli infection, taking cranberry products helps prevent and/or treat E coli infections in the intestines, bladder and breast by breaking the bonds that attach E coli to the membranes in these organs.
My friend’s little boy got a virulent form of Ecoli from eating a hamburger and had severe diarrhea. She gave him cranberry juice (contrary to doctor’s orders) and within two hours he started getting better.
Of course, it is best to choose products that are cranberry rich and not just flavored sugar.
Are you actually that irresponsible of a person that you would go so far as to lie and risk a child’s life? Wow! If the child you are talking about actually had E. Coli infection with severe diarrhea, the kid would have been hospitalized. You do realize that this stuff KILLS children, don’t you? Cranberry juice will not kill E. Coli infection. Stop spreading this made up crap because you overheard some quack say something about it Denny’s!
Thank you for allowing me to clarify. I would definitely recommend taking cranberry as a preventative measure, to prevent an E. coli infection, along with good sanitation.
It is important to seek medical help with severe diarrhea or any other illness. Many people have recovered at the hospital from food borne E coli infections.
My friend had taken her boy to the hospital and he was admitted and treated for E coli infection (from tainted hamburger at a restaurant) but after three days was failing fast. She received a strong impression to give him cranberry juice and he recovered very quickly after that. I did not know about this incident until after the fact. Cranberry worked for the strain he had, but definitely wouldn’t work for everyone.
BTW Produce and red meat cause more cases of HUR than dairy.
Hi – I live in Australia and have been reading the same reports regarding the young child’s tragic death upon drinking raw milk. I drink raw milk kerfir on a daily basis. In answer to your question re kefir killing e coli bacteria, please see this research article which suggest that Kefir kills the e coli bacteria. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10716566.
This report states: “Fermented milk obtained with 10 g per 100 ml of inoculum … had inhibitory power demonstrated by spot test…” However, there is a research article from Turkey (a country which drinks a lot of Kefir) which states “According to the findings, E. coli O157:H7, S. typhimurium, and S. aureus can survive in kefir during fermentation.” http://www.agriculturejournals.cz/publicFiles/00307.pdf. It seems there is no conclusive evidence. (PS I’m not a medical expert nor a scientist). Frankie
It is easy to say milk was the reason for the death of the three year old. Raw milk has natural anti-bodies. I spoke with my organic dairy farmer yesterday about this supposed death by milk and he said it’s a bunch of baloney. No one has ever gotten sick from his milk. He told me it used to be the law here in Michigan that it was illegal to pasteurize milk by dairy farmers.
He also said that pasteurization does not kill off all the bacteria in milk and that more people get sick by pasteurized milk than non-pasteurized.
Does culturing the raw milk with kefir grains eliminate some of the risks with e-coli and uhs?
A 3 year old recently died in australua from getting uhs through drinking raw milk?
Pregnant women should not drink alcohol either. But this does not prove alcohol is necessarily bad for you.
I only have one thing to say. If raw milk should not be consumed by children under 4, pregnant women, the elderly as well as those with poor immune systems, well, i think it should not be consumed by any human. Why take the chance? Sounds to me like it is not a safe bet. I should add that my husband grew up on a farm where that is all they drank and I, also, consumed it at times with no harmful effect but I would not drink it today. The warnings alone about who should not drink it, to me acknowledges that there is a possible danger which I am not willing to take.
I am currently being treated for leaky gut by a chiropractor who uses Apex and Metagenic products. I have done GAPS diet for last 5 years, Weston Price for 7 years, drank raw milk from A2 Fermented Kefir for 7 years.
Yet this chiropractor believes that even fermented raw milk must not be in my diet for at least six months. Something to do with not just lactose and casein but something akin to causing a gluten sensitivity.
This pisses me off and I don’t believe that this wonderful A2 Grass fed raw dairy from Jersey cows is causing a gluten problem. I believe it is giving me Vit K2 and a whole lot of other good stuff that my body needs and aids in the healing of leaky gut. I make the raw butter which is awesome.
Could you comment on this tendency of nutritionists to exclude ALL milk including A2 fermented grass fed dairy from people attempting to heal leaky gut.
It’s ironic that they don’t want me to have this high quality fermented raw A2 dairy, but some of the Apex products have antioxidant supplements in them, they want you to take way too much Vit D (15,000 IU’s with rosemary oil antioxidant ), coQ10 with something like canola oil of all things in it. The thinking here is schizophrenic. I need someone to explain this craziness to me.
I had a TBI and my cranial bones and neck bones have been seriously jammed for years. Just now a fantastic korean acupuncturist is actually getting me back to normal. Everytime I go to the chiropractor for treatment, my body shuts down and it sets me back a week. So now I just go to the acupuncturist and I am finally making progress.
Just maybe the jammed cranial bones have more to do with the liver and gut problems than the raw milk. In fact, raw milk has saved me I think. If the raw milk was so bad for me, how did I heal periodontal disease and have no cavities for the last five years?
Thank you so much.
I did some more research online about milk issues and Chris Kresser does recommend removing milk while trying to heal leaky gut. So I am OK with that now. I do have issues with the level of Vit D supplementation and I won’t take any antioxidant supplements, after what I have read recently.
The problem in the first place is going to a Chiropractor for nutritional advice. Chiropractors have less nutrition training than medical doctors. Just because he probably went to a weekend seminar (like most of them do) does not qualify him as a properly credentialed or knowledgeable nutritionist. Many of them will put a bottle of vitamins on your stomach and then “pull you leg” (literally!) and tell you if you are deficient. Nutrition Response Testing is really big with Chiropractors these days.
My chiropractor messed me up in three months, and over manipulated me and it has set me back more than a week…Two years now. And his “plan” and supplements are not effective and I feel a gimmick. The supplements contain all kinds of junk. I do believe in chiropractic, but not the “wellness” ones that are out there today. I went to one on and off for 11 years and had no problems, but he died. It’s hard to know who to trust. You know your body better than anyone and though you can believe in them, you have to think for yourself. If raw milk is helping, continue. I’m glad you have improved with acupuncture. ..maybe I should try that.
I am trying to find a local farm that sells grass-fed whole milk. It seems that many farms which have their cows grassfed also still feed GMO corn and soy as they believe it is needed for the health of the cow and to produce enough milk for the population without using any hormones or antibiotics. What are your thoughts? My son cannot drink any nut milks so I am looking for vat -pastuerized whole milk in NC. Homeland Creamery sells grassfed milk but 60% of the cows diet is GMO corn and soy, they say it does not make a difference to the quality and infact believe that the quality of their milk is better than organic and even people with lactose intolerance can drink their milk.
Go to http://www.realmilk.com , then go to the real milk finder link, then click on north carolina and look for a source that is near you.
If you want it pasteurized, then you could do it yourself at home.
They will say that because they want to sell their product. I don’t understand why any company will make 30-50% effort, when they could just do it 100%. Homeland creamery also puts carageenan in their ice cream and probably says that’s okay also. Anything with gmo or soy can’t possibly be better than organic. I just quit dairy except occassional kerrygold butter…even though it does contain a small percentage of gmo, because I’m tired of the games and struggle and my gut is happier. You can get raw pet milk in NC, but that’s it.
Hi Jessie,
I have read that goat milk is missing certain key elements needed for humans. It is best to just use cow’s milk. Read more here: http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/is-goat-milk-healthier-than-cow-milk/
If you make home-made kefir, I doubt you’d have any problem with TB or E.coli. The little critters in Kefir are like an army and the bad critters are like the Taliban. Taliban loses.
Kefir will eat of the lactose in the milk so it won’t bother you.
Kefir will put very good active cultures in your babie’s colon helping him to digest things and should help keep infections down by giving him a stronger constitution. You can get Kefir grains on ebay pretty cheap.
Read more about Kefir here: http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/15/health/he-nutrition15
Hi.. I would like to start my 14 month old on unpasteurized goats milk. I am lactose intolerant so I don’t want to give him cow or pasteurized milk. He was a premature baby and has had 4 (medium not severe) chest infections in the last year. He is otherwise healthy but the doctors informed me that his immune system may be a little behind other babies. I am a bit concerned about the harmful bacteria esp TB and E.coli. Would it be safe to give him unpasteurized goats milk by boiling it for 2 to 3 minutes.?
Boiling anything essentially pastures it anyway.
Also, if you are even a little hesitant to drink raw milk, make your own Kefir by purchasing some Kefir grains for milk on Ebay. I make it every day. Just don’t over-ferment it or it gets too strong tasting. But Kefir is like an army that searches and destroys harmful bacteria and pre-digests the lactose (for you lactose intollerant people) and proteins and you get all the friendly bacteria!
Do you know why all the galaxies are moving away from our galaxy?
They are lactose intolerant! LOL get it? Milky Way galaxy?
My dairy farmer feeds only organically raised hay and lets them free range grass feed as well. When the State and Fed inspectors come and do all their checks, his operation is excellent. They tell him some of the pasteurized milk producers have increddible filthiness and they wouldn’t ever drink from their dairy.
It’s a fact that pasteurization does not kill all the bacteria in the milk and since the milk is dead from over heating what little bacteria is left can rapidly multiply. Way more people get sick from pasteurized milk than raw.
I have been drinking it for years with no issues. I think the risks are way exaggerated. I know tons of people who drink it with no issues. I would be way more concerned about all the other junk we eat than a food that has long been a staple in people’s diets.
France Geek, go here for the answer:
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_survival_temperature_of_Lactobacillus_bacteria
Tony, thanks for the link. I guess I don’t know enough info to be able to interpret it, though. It talks about growth rate over an hour’s time.
Are we wanting to consume bacteria that are growing? Like most of us I consume my cup in well under an hour. So I don’t know what to conclude from the info.
Jill
Hi and thanks for the post! Any idea if putting raw cream in hot coffee kills the beneficial bacteria?
Cheers,
Jill
For anyone worried about getting sick from E. coli from ANY food source (ie beef, produce, or milk), take cranberry tablets or even cranberry juice with meals. Cranberry breaks the pili that connect the E coli bacterium to any membrane in the body ( in the intestine, breast, or bladder), making it impossible for E. coli to cause disease. My friend’s son had a very serious E coli infection after eating a hamburger, and she gave him some cranberry and he started getting better in a couple of hours!
Elisabeth, one thing I was ask the farmer is: Do they clean the udders prior to taking the milk? And do they express a little milk after cleaning the udder to clean out the channel where the milk is expressed?
Also, for those who want to make their own KEFIR I purchased my kefir grains on e-bay. You start off with a little batch of grains. Put this in a little milk (preferable warmed up a little to around 72 degrees since you don’t want to shock the kefir grains). Put a towel over the the glass of milk for a couple days. Strain out the kefir grains and use them again. Drink the kefir milk already made.
Over a couple weeks of doing this you will have more and more kefir grains and can make quart size kefir milk.
Once I left kefir grains in milk in my fridge for about three or four months. I opened it up and it did not have a bad smell. But I still didn’t drink it but just washed the grains off and started making kefir again.
I have a question concerning raw milk. I think it would be ideal if we had raw milk from someone who hand milked their cows. Of course this is not possible with a herd (one would get carpal tunnel syndrome) but what about raw milk that farm that uses the milkers that take the milk into tubes and run the milk into a holding tank? Is that raw milk as safe? I’m sure they have to clean out their hoses and tank each time but that just is one more think that can go wrong if not cleaned properly. What do you think?
By the way, I used to drink raw goat milk and now found a raw cow milk farmer.
I was hoping you’d include some guidelines on what to select for, when choosing a source of raw milk. I’m talking about the practices and environment of the farm, hygiene in particular – hygiene while milking, but also of the cows’ living conditions in general. My friend works in dairy – she used to milk the two cows on a small, raw milk-producing farm (I drank the milk she brought home); now she’s a dairy tester, and visits commercial dairies (small and large) to test milk samples. Having experience in different settings on both sides – raw and commerical – she tells me that while she does love raw milk, she’s also seen raw milk sources she would not touch. If she were to visit a farm in person, she would know right away – she knows what to look for. But for laymen that knowledge isn’t obvious. I’m wondering if you can provide any perspective on this facet of the decision-making process.
Chris,
I am wondering specifically about how long dairy is processed in the body, or how long before it leaves the system? Is raw milk/cheese faster than pasteurized?
I ask because I am wondering if I will be able to have a little when I start breastfeeding. My husband wants me to keep dairy out of my baby’s system and I am looking for a way to have my cheese and eat it too, so to speak. I wonder if “pumping and dumping” is good enough and if so, for how long. I have been off dairy since learning I was pregnant about a month ago and am now in my 10th week. I am trying to get these answers to benefit me and possibly other inquiring minds: http://www.primalandpregnant.com
Thanks!
I took a look at your blog, your food looks yummy, but I think you may be obsessing a bit much over what you eat. The whole ‘pump and dump’ theory you have if you ingest anything you think would harm the baby seems a bit ridiculous. You would have absolutely no way of knowing how long the dairy proteins are in your system, and do you really want to throw away that much breastmilk? Most breastfeeding Moms consider it liquid gold. If you do decide to pump and dump over caffeine or dairy , I hope you would at least consider donating. But I really think you should reconsider your stance on this. Unless your baby turns out to be intolerant of dairy protein, its not going to harm him/her. Just breastfeeding alone is a wonderful thing to provide no matter if you’ve consumed some dairy or coffee or chocolate. There is also no proof that avoiding dairy is going to provide any benefit to the baby during pregnancy.
Janelle,
I do respect your opinion and your take on my “ridiculous” view on pumping and dumping. Pumping and dumping is not my theory. It is something I have heard of and am looking to do more research on. You make some good points and donating my milk is something I have considered. I have my views on dairy consumption and they go way beyond just breast feeding. You said, “no proof that avoiding dairy is going to provide any benefit to the baby during pregnancy.” OK but here is also no proof that consuming dairy will not harm the baby. With that being said, my question was directed at Dr. Chris Kresser, as his opinion and knowledge on the subject is what I was looking for. Thank you.
As a breastfeeding mom who is sensitive to dairy and 3 sons that have reacted to dairy I consumed while breastfeeding, my advice is to just avoid it until babies are weaned. I have never tolerated dairy so I don’t consume much. When I have had occasional ice cream or yogurt, my boys had any of the following: abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, butt rash & blisters, eczema over 2/3 of body, asthma & bronchospasm. I wouldn’t risk guessing the appropriate window to pump. Also, any milk that may remain may be absorbed into your lymph system, the offending proteins start their circuit through your system over again.
Thanks Lp.
I’m probably just going to avoid it, even though I was imagining a piece of Dubliner sharp cheddar in my mouth today… I could almost taste it!
I am still curious however, about raw cheese/milk as opposed to pasteurized and if each is processed differently in the body, etc….
Me too! Is the problem pasteurization? Is it the cow’s diet? Is it cow’s milk altogether. I do know the milk available in Michigan grocery stores is OUT for my family. I don’t want to use my kids as guinea pigs to test all the variables. I am considering raw goat’s milk for yogurt, kefir, & maybe cheese.
Many would say pasteurization is the problem. Some would say the grain fed diet. Some would say it is both. raw, grass fed w/o synthetic pesticides would be ideal.
You may want to google Weston A. Price raw milk, you will find a lot information and other blogs that could answer your questions.
Best wishes.
Thanks for the tip. I do have access to grass-fed milk, and haven’t seen raw yet. I could probably find some if I look hard enough in my area. For the sake of not exposing my fetus now or baby later during breastfeeding…. I will unfortunately have to abstain from beloved dairy products.
I’m not trying to tell you what to do, and yes I hope Chris will answer your question, but I find it hard to believe that he would say any little amount of dairy is going to harm your baby prenatally and during breastfeeding. From my research as a breastfeeding Mom I found that its a problem in the Mom’s gut, where the dairy proteins are passing into the bloodstream not broken down, a ‘leaky’ gut. This would explain why so many babies nowadays have issues because of the epidemic of hypothyroidism and subsequent digestion problems with leakiness of the gut wall. There are also issues on a low carb diet because it lowers thyroid hormone and increases chances of being sensitive to many different foods. Check out Dr. Ray Peat’s research. It is not the dairy thats a problem.
Also some would say boiling the milk breaks the protein down and would help not let the protein pass through undigested. Some take digestive enzymes to further assist in the breakdown. Others give probiotics to the baby because it could be a lack of good bacteria (from c-sections, mom’s bad gut, etc.), lots of people have good success for eczema with probiotics.
I get what you’re saying but I am coming from a standpoint that dairy is good for no one. We are the only mammal that drinks another mammals milk. Doesn’t that seem odd to you? I just eat dairy because I am in love with it. That doesn’t make it at all something I should be doing. The fact that so many people have issues with dairy should also tell us something. It doesn’t really matter what precautionary measures we take to make it more digestible. I am still just hoping to not introduce it to my baby until I plan to intentionally. If there was a way for me to eat/drink it and have it totally blocked from moving into my fetus, I would take it because again, I love my dairy. This is the only time in my child’s life that I will ever have absolute control over what he/she eats.
Hypothyroidism of not always a product of how you breastfeed your baby. It can be a case of metabolic syndrome that gets it going, gluten intolerance, and the modern sugary diet.
Dairy is fine. Even good if its raw milk. If you have leaky gut then the raw milk will help it get better. People with lactose intolerance can drink raw milk.
there was a study where they feed raw milk to prison inmates from a prison dairyfarm. This farm was inspected. the hygiene was appalling. The floors were covered in excrement, and the animals were not clean. They extracted the RAW milk from the cows. They separated out all the excrement and other unwanted things, they did not pasteurize a thing. They fed the milk to the inmates. No one got sick.
Raw milk has the bacteria that are beneficial to us, and they are still alive. Pasteurized milk had had them killed. The milk cant protect itself from invaders. shite huh? Most of the outbreaks of illness have been from…pasteurized milk!! Cause those little awesome bacterias that not only protect us from leaky gut, bowel cancer, and boost our immune systems, are dead.
We are a species that drinks other species milk. But what do they do with orphan baby rhinos who has lost their mother? Well… they introduce it to a mother elephant…. and… it suckles. Naturally no, other species dont tend to drink different species’ milk. It has been on this forum that milk and dairy is a relatively new addition to our diets. That doesnt mean it isnt good. We eat other animals, and other animals eat other animals. You can get a helluva lot more diseases from animal MEAT than you can from milk.
So, instead of dairy milk, what are you drinking instead to get calcium for your baby’s development? I hope its not soy milk. Thats really not good for your baby. Look at your micronutrient (vitamins and minerals-calcium, sodium, zinc, magnesium etc) and macronutrient (fat, protein, carbs) intakes and see if you are getting enough of those. Not to mention vitamin D as that helps calcium absorption. Dont just take a calcium citrate supplement, that is not readily absorbed and you are much better off consuming foods with calcium in them.
Best of luck,
L
I follow a primal diet. I eat meats and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, very little starch and no sugar. I do not consume grains, dairy or legumes (including soy). See my blog to find out what I have been eating for my baby: http://www.primalandpregnant.com
I eat plenty of vegetables that contain calcium. I also take vitamin D every morning as well as fish oil and a prenatal multivitamin that I found to be the best choice. I doubt there are many pregnant women who actually eat wilted greens every morning with their breakfast just for the sake of nutrition. So, you tell me…. does it really seem like I am not getting enough of the right vitamins and minerals? Again, with the dairy, it is an added element that is not necessary. It is just something I wish I could have.
I was dairy’s number 1 fan, and i liked any food with my cheese, if you understand, and I quit all but a little Kerrygold and occassiinal grated parmesan every now and then. I just decided and I did it and that was 4 years ago. I can’t say I have had that kind of success quitting other things, but my gut was happier and I’m glad I did it and didn’t seem to miss all the cheese and ice cream and milk like I thought I would. It’s a mental thing.