The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Nerve Pain and Bone Problems
Posted by Lori (Dallas) on 10/07/2021
★★★★★
Raw Milk for nerve pain and bone problems
I've been drinking raw milk since 2005. I had severe arthritis and nerve damage as a result of an accident. I am still having some issues with inflammation but my bone pain and nerve pain are gone. Raw milk has healing enzymes and healthy bacteria and after I started drinking it I didn't get sick. I also know of someone who drank raw milk after getting c-diff many times and the c-diff never came back.
Also, raw milk helps with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Kendra (Nyc, New York) on 03/17/2012
Here we go again! What a coincidence that when the raw milk trend is gaining popularity in leaps and bounds, another "danger" about it is discovered. How on earth can raw milk pass on a virus when it is in itself nature's interferon????? Raw milk murders HSV1... HSV2... CMV... EBV and now just recently proven to ERADICATE HCV! The fact that Raw Milk is so opposed by the allopathic community speaks volumes.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Wendy (Everton, Arkansas) on 01/02/2008
★★★★★
It pains me to read all the negative comments about raw milk. On our family farm we milk a jersey heifer and a few Sonnen milk goats. All the "girls" have 100% access to pasture. They only come in the barn at milking time - never confined. We milk into a stainless steel belly milker, quickly strain the fresh milk and put into sterilized jars. It is then immediately plunged into a bucket of cold water waiting in the 33 degree milk 'fridge. Quick, safe handling, and a very cold cool down leads to a pure, fresh milk product. In doubt?? Please request a farm tour from your milk provider. A GOOD FARMER HAS NOTHING TO HIDE!
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Mel (Los Angeles, CA) on 11/22/2007
★★★★★
Since your website started the inclusion of raw dairy, it seems a few are posting comments about the risks of congesting raw milk, without any citing personal experience or first-hand educated research in the matter. The commercial dairy industry is very aggressive in putting out as much negative information about raw dairy as possible. Check out this website for some good comparisons of the facts:
http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/
Not ALL cows carry the bovine leukemia virus, and there are MUCH fewer documented cases of bacterial infections, and otherwise, due to consumption of raw dairy, than there are documented cases of ailments and illnesses affiliated with pasteurized dairy. Further, Louis Pasteur developed this process for beer and wine to give it longer shelf-life. Commercial industries adapted it and a homogenization process to dairy. The first poster (Marian) is exactly right -- pasteurizing kills all of the good enzymes necessary for proper digestion, as well as any potentially harmful bacteria (not all bacteria is bad). People that are lactose intolerant, can often drink raw milk. Other syndromes that are triggered by dairy (I have one) are not exacerbated by raw dairy (I speak from first-hand experience, as well as corroborated research findings).
Another rather disgusting side-effect of pasteurized dairy: since the extreme heating process does such a good job of killing (pasteurizing is flash-heating to lethal temperatures, for those who don't know) many of these producers keep less than sanitary conditions and use milk that would otherwise be considered diseased. I, for one, do not relish consuming a cupful of dead harmful bacteria, any more than I would the living variety. Raw, organic dairy farms, who grass-feed their free-range cows, rather than grain-feeding (a source of many bovine ailments) confined animals, are also usually highly meticulous about the conditions of their dairy facilities. Here in CA, (as well as in NM, CT and 2 or 3 other states) it's legal to sell through Whole Foods, so it's quite regulated (and expensive!! @ $16/gal.) and many dairy farms permit tours of their facilities.
Other states have more restrictive laws concerning the sale of raw dairy to the consumer, so finding a source is usually a little more creative and independent process. There are websites available to help with the search for a quality provider. Weston Price, a leading health and nutrition expert has a great website with info about the health, legal and economic issues surrounding raw milk: http://www.realmilk.com , as well as an additional wealth of information on nutrition and other raw foods.
In addition to my own personal experience, and a ton of educated research (I am a scientific researcher by trade, and gather my information from qualified sources), my family is Amish. My direct lineage has not been in the community for 3 generations now, but cousins and older family members still are, and I grew up thinking it was quite normal to have the family car parked next to the horses and buggies at the local market. All foods among my family are organic, direct from the farm products. As of yet, since the late 1700s, when we settled here, I've never heard any tales of rampant bacterial infections running through the community. We have very little disease or other illness. My great-grandmother lived to 102 in her own house, unassisted, and likely had the health to live much longer, if she'd had the will. Her husband was 90. Her daughter is now 96 and going strong. Any relative in my family who dies before the age of 90 is considered too young.
So, from first-hand personal experience, plus documented knowledge of hundreds of years throughout generations of my family and their community, as well as extensive educated research on the matter -- I urge anyone with an open mind enough to circumvent the anti-nature propaganda of the commercial food industry to research the facts and seriously consider replacing the over-processed dairy in their diet with the real stuff.
Peace & Health!
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Sordub (Sioux Lookout, On, Ca) on 08/19/2012
Right on... I grew up on raw milk and its products, I. E., cream, butter, buttermilk, cottage cheese, etc. (yes, even yogurt). I'm 71 and feel just fine.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Jen (Bozeman, Mt, Us) on 03/27/2012
I completely agree with you, Had from White River Jct, Vt. In my state it is still illegal to sell raw milk which is very frustrating for people who want to be healthy and eat the way we are meant to eat. It seams ridiculous to me that Louis Pasteur invented pasturization in 1864. Which was way before the refrigerator was even invented. Seriously, why does the Government not realize that alot of the food born illnesses "pre-fridge" days came from the milk not being kept cool. The fridge was invented about 1876 and wasn't even widely sold until the 1940's so why can't we try to go back to unpasturized raw milk now that most of us (except maybe the occasional vagabond, hillbillie, or gypsy) have refrigerators and understand the importance of keeping food cold. Oh well, I guess I will be getting my family our own cow until then:)
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Matt (Millbrook, Ny) on 10/06/2010
★★★★★
I absolutely love raw milk. Right after I started drinking it, I felt a great increase in strength and energy, and it always seems to put me in a better mood. In Millbrook you can buy raw milk from Shunpike Dairy, on the corner of Shunpike Rd and Route 44.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by David (Melbourne, Australia) on 11/23/2011
Please don't believe everything you read without doing proper research first! This book has been marketed very well and has been a big push for veganism / vegetarianism.
However, everything I had learned previously did not make sense when I read the findings of the china study, so I decided to do some research.
I found this:
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/07/07/the-china-study-fact-or-fallac/
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by John (Slana, Alaska) on 01/08/2008
★★★★★
Hey April, Read your post about Raw Milk. What makes a person have a reaction to milk products is the pasteurization process. This process uses high heat, for a few seconds, to kill any bacteria in the product. Unfortunitly, it also destroys the Enzymes that help our bodies process the fats, sugars and protens in the milk. All raw foods contain enzymes; however, when a food is heated above 118F the enzymes are destroyed. Cold processed dairy products (cheese, butter, yoghurt, etc.) still have their enzymes intact and are easy to digest. The trick is to read the labels to see if the product is made from "pasteurized" milk or cream. I highly recommend a cook book called "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. This book is only $16.50US at Amazon.com; it sure opened my wife and my eyes to the problems linked to processed foods. After only a month and a half, we've both lost over 10 lbs of weight, several inches off our waists, and are feeling great. I'm sure it will help you greatly. peace and happiness
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Kirsten (Friendswood, TX) on 03/10/2009
Silly Oregon person. Do you work for the National Dairy Board? How much have you researched raw dairy? Have you experienced any healing from it at all? Perhaps you should become a bit more educated on the subject before supporting federal mandates to regulate and control what folks put into their bodies.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Celland (Boston, Ma) on 08/19/2012
★★★★★
I have been drinking raw milk from various sources for almost 15 years with no illness. Let me add that I drink at least one gallon per week. If there were any truth to this germ phobic nonsense I would have stumbled across it by now. One of the biggest stories aganist raw milk that came out in papers and magazines in the 1950's turned out to be completely fabricated! Stop believing what the media forces on you and learn to t think and judge with your own brain for God's sake!! Come back to reality.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Meg (Lomé, Togo) on 10/03/2007
★★★★★
Hi. I am a big fan of raw dairy products, completely unheated, unpasteurized, straight from the cow. In all the reading I have done, I have seen that prior to the introduction of widespread pasteurization of dairy products, raw milk was being used to treat many medical conditions, including pelvic inflammatory disease, prostate problems, edema, and others. A rundown on it can be found here: [http://www.karlloren.com/aajonus/p15.htm#_ftn64] It can be a bit difficult to get hold of raw dairy in the US, a bit more easy in France, and I just don't know about other places. Myself I am hoping to find a source this weekend here in Lomé. I hope you might point out raw dairy as a possible healthy addition to people's diets even if no-one wants to try it for those problems. If nothing else, it is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, and because it is raw, all the extra enzymes in it that help our bodies absorb calcium are still present. Thanks!
Broad Benefits
Posted by Gokhals (San Francisco, Ca, Usa) on 07/09/2013 34 posts
★★★★★
There is nothing as miraculous, as magical and as health giving as Raw full cream Jersey or Guernsey milk for Asthma and Rhinitis. Mine was cured in about 60 days. This after several years of agony, pills, nebulizers, plastic pillows, sleep torture and so on.
Raw milk also cured my joint pains, digestive problems, bone spurs and a host of other health issues that I thought were part of life and growing older, and to be stoically borne. Prior to this, I had not drunk milk in 30 years as I was severely allergic to pasteurized milk.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Had (White River Jct, Vt) on 03/24/2012
All Raw Dairy is awesome. Some people just are phobic about Dairy, they are told it is EVIL and that is that discussion over. If any wanted to research, 'dairy' today; http://www.naturalnews.com/035081_pasteurized_milk_cancer_dairy.html
or be truly grossed out here; http://www.naturalnews.com/035039_raw_milk_pasteurized_CDC.html
If you want to fear, that is the 'dairy' to fear, up there with GMO's, hormoned food etc.....
RAW Dairy is healthy and good for you.
Allergies
Posted by Tracey (Indianapolis, In) on 02/04/2010
★★★★★
Raw Milk has pretty much cured my severe allergies. When I was a child, my parents were told I had cystic fibrosis because of the severity of my symptoms. When I was 8 they finally got the true diagnosis of out-of-control allergies. I was put on several medicines and my parents were told to make some pretty drastic lifestyle changes to get them under control.
Then when I was 10 or 11, a couple of things happened: I hit puberty, and we started getting raw milk from a farmer. My parents were still worried about my famine victim appearance, and admire the robust-looking kids of a professor friend who lived on a small farm. The friend told my dad that he had several cows, and all seven of his kids were drinking the milk. He was aware of the track record of raw milk in treating illnesses, and told my dad that a couple of my distant cousins in town were also drinking it. He didn't tell my dad about how it had been used in the past, though.
A couple of years later, everyone was marveling how I'd outgrown my allergies; even my allergist was amazed at my turnaround. I was gradually weaned off most of my medicines.
Then I went away to college, and my allergies returned within about 5 months, just a tad. Just enough to need a rescue inhaler and be on antihistamines that year. But they gradually worsened, until within 10 years I was on all kinds of experimental drugs, and within 12 years I was as bad as I'd ever been. I almost died when my son was 11 months old from a food reaction, only the second I'd ever had. Mine were all molds and pollens and danders.
About 2 years after that, we moved and I made new friends. One of them told me about someone who was going to have raw milk, and I was excited because it just represented health to me. I couldn't have the extensive garden and orchard my parents had had to plant when I was a child, but I could at least give my kids raw milk.
And within 6 months, I was wondering why there was no ragweed season. Within 12 months I'd let most of my allergy medicines run out without refilling them. And within 14 months, I'd been challenged by spending the night in a room with 5 of my top allergies, only to awaken with clear sinuses and lungs, still alive, even though I had no medicines with me.
I then found out that there had been a particularly severe ragweed season that year, and I hadn't even realized it. I realized the only thing that had changed for me during that time was adding raw milk to my diet. So I did some research and found out about the natural steroids in the cream that are destroyed by heat, and how substances in the milk heal small leaks in the intestines that may contribute to allergies.
At the same time, I noticed my 12-month-old daughter's eczema had vanished. I'd thought it wasn't active during the summer; then realized it hadn't reappeared during the winter. She now has lovely skin at age 10. And no cavities ever, because she's had pasteurized milk only a handful of times in her life.
That's the biggest thing I've noticed from drinking it, and it's such a huge thing in my life. The two times that I've had trouble getting raw milk for several months since then, at the end of that time period I would sometimes react to my strongest allergens again, just a little; and my daughter would sometimes have slight flair-ups of eczema. We do our utmost to make sure we can have raw milk!
Allergies
Posted by Susanb958 (Oviedo, Florida, United States) on 08/07/2012
I too am getting over allergies since drinking raw milk. And I'm noticing that tooth cavities I had are no longer there. BTW, Louis Pasteur was a fraud.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Sage (Melbourne, FL) on 02/11/2008
★★★★★
Reading a book about The Untold Story of Milk has given me a great deal of respect for the role that milk has played in the sustaining of many cultures throughout history. Every time I raise my glass of Raw Milk I am very glad to be partaking in such a time-tested wholesome food. (processed milk is a crime against humanity!!)
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Amber (Puyallup, WA, USA) on 06/19/2009
I was raised on raw milk until I was about 9. Since then I have a problem whenever I drink milk, increased mucus. My husband & I recently began drinking raw milk on a a regular basis. I have noticed a decrease in any mucus after drinking milk. It does take some getting used to, it smells & tastes different. But the benefits far outwiegh the adjustment period. Don't take someone else's word that is it good or bad. Do the research yourself. Some sites that were especially helpful to me are:www.raw-milk.facts.com, www.realmilk.com, www.organicpastures.com. Check out the information before making a decision one way or the other.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Haarp (Brighton, Sussex) on 10/28/2012
The China Study was debunked a long time ago. Raw Milk has sustained civilizations since their creations, cancer wasn't exactly big back then. Raw Milk Kefir would do wonders for your health. Also make sure the raw milk is from 'A1' cows i.e. Jersey cows. A2 has a genetic mutation.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Wendy (Houston, TX) on 12/19/2007
★★★★★
I wanted to say that my nephew age 1/12 is allergic to pasturized milk and products. It makes him cry constantly and it takes 2 weeks to get it out of his system. My sister has obtained raw milk for him and he is doing wonderfully. He is gaining weight and looks terrific. Just a consideration for those who are allergic to milk.
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Marian (Central Lk) on 09/10/2006
★★★★★
Concerning sinus infections and their relationship to ice cream, I would like to comment on the pasteurization of milk and its products there of. The pasteurization of milk kills the enzymes that enables the body to process and assimilates its benefits. When products of pasteurized milk are consumed, it basically sits rotting in the small intestine, which resides in the same meridian as the sinuses, thus, causing inflammation and quite often sinus infection. Raw milk products from cows raised in mineral rich pastures, fed only grasses and no grain, produce a milk highly beneficial and easily assimilated by our human bodies. It is loaded with fat soluble vitamins, A , D, and E, minerals and enzymes. So don't knock out ice cream all together, it can still be enjoyed by making your own with fresh raw milk.
Articles of Interest
Posted by Dee (The Hill Country, Tx, Usa) on 08/06/2012
Here is an article from www.realmilk.com/milkcure by a doctor with real life success running a small sanitarium utilizing raw milk exclusively: The Milk Cure: Real Milk Cures Many Diseases by J. R. Crewe, MD, January 1929, which includes "diseases of the nervous system, cardiovascular and renal conditions, hypertension, and in patients who are underweight, run-down, ... Diseases of the heart and kidneys and high blood pressure... Edema... Obesity... A few cases of diabetics [sic]... Chronic Gastritis.... Bright's disease... Cancer of stomach... Rheumatic fever... Psoriasis..... Anemia, including pernicious anemia... Simple and toxic thyroid... Prostatic diseases and associated conditions... Infections of the urinary tract... Hypertension (blood pressure)... Cystitis... Tuberculosis... [for] a large class of patients who are ill but in whom no definite organic lesion can be found. "
Where to Buy
Posted by Anthony (Philadelphia, Pa) on 06/06/2012
Hi, Im interested in trying raw milk and wanted to know if anyone knew somewhere in philadelphia, pa where I could get some? thanks!
Where to Buy
Posted by Maureen (Tampa Bay, Fl) on 06/26/2012
You might start at your local health food store... I took a peek at CraigsList and found a couple a good distance from Philly... Lancaster and Hamburg. That sell the raw milk. Maybe look up The Oley Valley Turnpike Dairy, hey- make a day of it, they have a petting zoo, at Halloween they had/have an awesome hay maze... Cute town/area... best of luck...
Raw Dairy Feedback
Posted by Deirdre (Atlanta, GA) on 04/22/2010
★★★★★
Well, thanks to someone mentioning it at our dojo or I would have never known that we had a raw dairy co-op within 20 miles of us! I excitedly signed up and have getting a half gallon of raw milk and fresh eggs for the past 4 weeks. Suprisingly, it is only slightly more expensive (about $1) than buying organic milk and free range eggs at the grocery store.
My feedback -- WHOA! What a treat!! We have been using the raw milk to make homemade yogurt each week. Delicious, absolutely delicious. And the color of the egg yolks is a vibrant gold, much richer than the color of eggs bought at the store. They also taste delicious.. yummy yummy.
I recommend that people check out the Local Harvest website to see if there if there is an organic farm in their area. You may be surprised to learn how many there are now.. http://www.localharvest.org/organic-farms/
I was also surprised to learn how easy it is to make yogurt. You can even make it outside on a hot summer day if you don't have a yogurt maker. (I have tested the sun method twice, once in 80+ degree weather and yesterday in 70+ degree weather and both times worked as well as my yogurt maker). Here's a simple recipe for those interested...
You'll need a cooking thermometer to test the temperature.
1 quart milk
2 tablespoons yogurt with live cultures (I used either Greek yogurt or organic whole milk yogurt)
Heat milk until just below boiling (or 180f if you have a digital thermometer).
Remove from heat.
Cool the milk to 120f (takes about 20-30 minutes. Put pot into a bigger pot of cold water if you wish to speed up this process).
Add the existing yogurt with live cultures to a small amount of warmed milk in a bowl. Whisk until smooth and then transfer this to your pot of warm milk.
Pour milk into small glass containers (baby food containers, jam containers, even juice glasses work!)
If you are using the sun method, simply cover your glass containers with saran wrap and put outside in a warm, sunny spot for 7-8 hours. Otherwise, use your yogurt maker, following the manufacturer's instructions.
Finally, let the yogurt set in the fridge for 3 hours before eating. Important!
A friend of mine told me that the best yogurt cultures come from a particular Russian brand of yogurt sold only in Russian grocery stores. Well, I have yet to locate such a store in Atlanta and I need to hit my friend up for the exact name since she told me the secret yogurt recipe 2 years ago. Will update again with more info.
