We hear a lot about milk today, and some of it is very accurate, while other parts are not good, concerning milk drinking.
There are a lot of articles on the Internet as well as books written by health experts who are telling us that milk is bad for us to ingest. I also know of people who have watched documentaries and have completely turned to vegan and will no longer drink any milk. There are circles of people in the health field who tout almond or rice milk, and shy away from consuming regular milk. Why?
If you know anything about the way we get our conventional milk, you might understand what the uproar is all about. The process used, from start to finish, is not good, to say the least.
Cattle that is used to produce the milk we buy in the stores (or through vending machines) live on farms owned by larger companies. First of all, the cows are not allowed to roam, and for good reason; there is little roaming room on this farms. These agricultural farms are owned by large corporations and have to produce a lot of milk. The companies own several of these farms and they are all, pretty much operated the same way. The cattle are not kept clean and the milk has to be mass produced in order to make enough money to continue the process.
The next problem, is that the cow is fed products that they were not made to eat. Corn and grains are easy to produce and much of that has been genetically modified in order to be able to produce a lot of corn. Tons of corn is used to feed farm animals because it is cheap. But because the cow cannot digest corn or grains properly, the cow does not stay healthy and has digestive problems. Cows living on these agricultural farms do not live as long as cows which live on smaller, local farms where they can have more tender loving care.
All of this leads to another problem that has to be resolved. Cattle living on agricultural farms owned by corporations do not have as good resistance to sickness and disease, so, in order to keep them from getting sick, they are given antibiotics. So, when we drink milk that comes from these cows, we, in turn, get some antibiotics in us. The other problem is, cattle are also given growth hormones. The growth hormones can get into our bodies when we drink milk. There is a thought that perhaps this is the reason why girls begin to develop into women much earlier than they used to.
Last of all, the milk produced on these farms is pasteurized and homogenized. This is necessary because the milk will travel to many places and it would be easy for bad bacteria to form in it. If someone were to get sick from drinking this milk, they could sue the corporation responsible for producing the milk. This would take a big chunk out of their budget that they cannot afford. Because the living conditions of the cattle on these farms is unsanitary, it would enable bad bacteria to grow easily if the milk is not pasteurized. The farmers have to take every precaution available to protect themselves from losing their businesses.
Some of the health experts seem to think that our bodies cannot handle casein, which is the main protein presented in milk and cheese. There also are different breeds of cattle. Some produce what is known as A-2 Beta Casein, which is the protein that cows originally had but more recently, there had been a mutation in the cows which resulted in A-1 Beta Casein, which is not good for us. Most of the milk we drink comes from A-1 cows.
Now, for the other side of the coin. There are farms throughout our country that allow their cows to roam. They are not penned to one place. Many of these farms do not feed their cows the generic corn products or grain that are served on the large, corporate owned farms. They do not give their cows antibiotics, nor do they inject growth hormones. There is no need for this on small farms, where the cows can be managed and cared for individually.
The cows which live on these farms live on grass. As long as the grass is not treated with pesticides, the milk will be safe to drink. The grass is the correct nourishment for these cows and they thrive well on it. Also, the grass provides nourishment for us that does not come from the milk that the cows on the industrialized farms can give.
Where do you get this milk that is safe and nourishing to drink? There are places here and there that produce this milk and sell it. What makes this situation hard, is that the FDA does not want people to drink raw, grass-fed milk, so, because of their authority and supposed concern for safety, they are cracking down on farms and farmers who sell raw milk. Laws have been produced to prevent or scare people away from buying raw, grass-fed milk. Articles pop up here or there with false or little information on why raw milk would be harmful to drink. Regardless of all this, raw milk can still be obtained in most places. Farmers markets carry this milk, many times. There are groups which manage the orders for obtaining this milk from the farms. Some states still do not allow raw milk to be sold.
I think if raw milk is in demand, laws could change. Grass-fed milk will be more easily obtainable. If we sit back and do nothing, nothing will happen. We will be stuck with having to buy conventionally sold milk from our stores, and the large, corporate owned agricultural farms will continue to bring in the big bucks and their business will continue to thrive, and ultimately, will overshadow the farms the sell raw milk.
Did I mention, that pus has been found in conventionally produced milk?
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http://www.foodrenegade.com/healthy-milk-what-to-buy/
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http://www.snowvillecreamery.com/a1-and-a2-beta-casein-in-cow-milk.html
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Read 'Devil In The Milk'
There is an area in Central Florida where A-2, grass-fed, raw milk can be obtained. If interested, please send me an email at awestruck@bellsouth.net
There are also places around here that sell raw milk (not sure that the cows are A-2). Let me know if you are interested.
If you live in a place where you are not sure, check out the farmer's markets in your area. Join health groups in your social media. Sometimes, they are hard to find, but you can usually find them after looking for a long time.
One more word of caution: Many states do allow the sale of raw milk, but there are laws for some states that prohibit the transferring of the milk from one state to another. It is best to look for the milk in the area in which you live, before trying to obtain it from another state.
Also, if you do find raw milk in your area, make sure the standards for cleanliness are met. If a farm is not kept absolutely clean, animals can carry disease that ends up in the milk and the recipient can also get sick. Most local farmers are smart enough to keep their milking areas sanitized, but it is good to check first to make double sure.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water! You can have your milk and drink it too, that is, if it is raw, grass-fed milk.
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