Grain-based raw milk can make you sick...
We "real foodies" are passionate promoters of good food in all its pure, natural glory. And no real food seems to come under fire more than raw milk. I have no desire to summarize the debate, nor highlight the issues here; I simply want to remind everyone that the quality of your raw milk matters. To read more about raw milk, please see my article, The Truth about Real Milk.
Only grass-fed raw milk is real milk (specific to cows' milk). It is not a good idea to drink raw milk from cows living on a grain-based diet. All commercial, industrial milk comes from grain-based dairies, and it is all pasteurized, sterilized, deodorized, "supplementized," adulterated, etc. We real foodies know to avoid such sludge...but it is important that we remind ourselves and our curious friends that grain-based raw cows' milk can be harmful and should be avoided.
Cows thrive on their natural diets...any creature does. Because cows were designed to eat grass and grass alone, their guts are not equipped to properly digest a steady diet of grains. Among other deleterious effects, such a diet changes the ph of the cow's gut, promoting the growth of malevolent e. coli...the well-known, oft-publicized cause of food borne illness.
Raw milk is not the enemy...harmful e. coli does not infect cows and their milk arbitrarily. The primary culprit is the grain-based diet. So if you want to consume and enjoy Real Milk, make sure it is raw milk from free-range GRASS-fed cows. To learn more, read:
Cornell News on Cattle Diet and e. coli
Science Daily on Diet and Disease in Cattle
Study on Grain Feeding and e. coli in Cattle
