Raw (unpasteurized) milk could reduce children's risk of suffering from conditions such as eczema and hay fever.
A new study investigating why children raised on farms have fewer allergies than those raised in cities has shown that just two glasses each week reduced a child's chances of developing eczema by almost 40 percent and hay fever by 10 percent.
Blood tests demonstrated that the raw milk more than halved the levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE), a chemical pumped out by cells in response to an allergen. IgE in turn causes the release of histamine, which causes allergy symptoms.
Raw milk is thought to contain bacteria that helps to prime your immune system. However, unpasteurized milk is also thought to be a source of potentially bad bacteria as well, so its sale has been banned in many countries. Some experts believe that the potential benefits of raw milk are still outweighed by the potential for food poisoning.
Cutting down on allergies is one of many reasons that your family should be drinking raw milk. Here are a few more:
The study referred to in the article above examined some 4,700 children in Shropshire, and found those who lived on farms suffered from dramatically fewer allergic symptoms than all the rest. After reviewing many obvious benefits -- breastfeeding and their proximity to nature -- raw milk turned out to be the best advantage out of them all.
Unfortunately, the rest of the article highlighted all the dangers of raw milk, primarily the chances of raw milk being infected with food poisoning bugs E. coli and campylobacter, which is probably why the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health is pushing for a ban on unpasteurized milk in the UK.
Nevertheless, the demand for raw milk (available only from farms or farmers' markets) is growing, accounting for 1 percent of total milk sales in Wales and England.
Pasteurization's great claim to popularity is the widespread belief that it contains fewer germs. For example, pasteurization's supporters allege that tuberculosis in children is caused by the harmful germs found in raw milk.
Dirty milk, of course, is like any other form of impure food -- a definite menace. But Certified Grade A Milk, produced under government supervision and guaranteed absolutely clean, is available practically all over the country and is the dairy farmer's answer to the pasteurization zealots.
Recent figures published regarding the spread of tuberculosis by milk show, among other facts, that over a period of five years, during which time 70 children belonging to a special organization received a pint of raw milk daily, only one case of the disease occurred. During a similar period when pasteurized milk had been given, 14 cases were reported.
If you're unable to find a local source for raw milk, one of the finest sources of calcium available for humans, visit the Real Milk site to find a provider close to you. You can also review this link for raw milk availability and restrictions by state. As Sally Fallon notes, grass-fed cows, rather than those stuck in pens eating corn, are your healthiest, pathogen-free sources for raw milk.
Sally's Weston Price Foundation is an amazing resource to help you locate and secure raw milk. I am on their advisory board and would encourage you to consider joining their organization. You will receive a quarterly journal that I find enormously helpful and always read cover to cover. Their membership page lists other benefits. If you are interested you can print this form and sign up.
They also have their 7th Annual International Conference of the Weston A. Price Foundation in Chantilly, Virginia (near Dulles International Airport), featuring fine speakers, delicious food and CEUs for many health professions on November 11, 2006. For further details you can visit their site.