What's So Good About Raw Milk, Anyway?

And surely there is a lesson for you in the cattle:
We give you to drink of what is in their bellies-
From betwixt the faeces and the blood-
Pure milk, agreeable to the drinkers.
Holy Qur’an in Chapter 16:66.

Well what exactly is in this pure milk so highly touted throughout the world of men in all ages?

Here is a general outline of the nutrition to be found in raw pure whole milk:

Gross Content:
Percent Calories/liter

Water: 86.7% 0

Butter fat 4.0% (7.5%) 360 (675)

Protein 3.5% 210

Lactose 4.9% 300

Ash** 0.7% 0

Total calories 870 (1185)*

*Figures in parenthesis are for Jersey, Guernsey and other cows that produce a richer quality of milk.
**Ash denotes mineral content

One cup of whole (pasteurized and homogenized) milk contains approximately:

149 calories 119 mg sodium
8 grams protein 368 mg potassium
8 grams saturated fat 0 gram fiber
33mg cholesterol 76 RE vitamin A
290mg calcium 0.09 mg thiamine
227 mg phosphorus 0.40 mg riboflavin
0.1 mg iron 0.2 mg niacin
2.0 mg vitamin C


Butter Fat
Butter Fat refers to the lipids found in raw milk, 98% of which is in the form of triglycerides in the form of spherical globules from 0.1 to 15 microns in diameter. There are 10 major triglycerides listed below:

Butyric acid (4)
Caproic acid (6)
Caprylic acid (8)
Capric acid (10)
Lauric acid (!2)
Myristic acid (14)
Palmitic acid (16)
Stearic acid (18)
Oleic acid (18) one double bond
CLA (18) two double bonds

The number in parenthesis refers to the number of carbon atoms in the fatty acid chain. Cholesterol makes up about 0.3% of the lipid content of raw milk.



Proteins
Proteins are chains of amino acids that coil up into specific three-dimensional shapes that determine biological function. Heating of proteins causes them to become denatured which means they undergo a change in their functional shape. This can occur at temperatures as low as 135 degrees F. Most of the medicinal benefit of raw milk is contained in the whey protein fraction that is most sensitive to heat deformation.

Casein Proteins (80% of milk protein)
Alpha s1 (30%)
Alpha s2 (8.0%)
Beta (28.4%)
Kappa (10.1%)

Whey Proteins (20%)
Alpha lactalbumin (3.7%)
Beta lactalbumin (9.8%)
Bovine serum albumin (1.2%)
Immunoglobulins (2.1%)
Proteose peptone (2.4%)

Lactose (milk sugar)
Lactose is composed of two simple sugar molecules, glucose and galactose, and is therefore a disaccharide. Lactose is the first sugar tasted in mother’s milk by all mammals including humans and imparts the sweetness to sweet milk. The glycemic index is low and is well tolerated by diabetics. Lactose is digested by the enzyme lactase produced by the friendly bacteria found in raw milk, lactobacilli. Lactobacilli are killed off during the pasteurization process causing milk intolerance in people lacking the lactase enzyme in their intestinal tract. Fermented milk products, such as yogurt, kefir and raw cheese, have had the lactose turned to lactic acid by the friendly microbes in milk, thus rendering them tolerable to lactose intolerant individuals.

Minerals (Ash)
The mineral content of raw milk varies according to soil conditions, cow species, and geographic location among other factors. Pasteurization, because it alters or abolishes enzyme function, limits accessibility to raw milks minerals to a significant degree.

Sodium 330-850mg
Potassium 1040-1600mg
Chloride 850-1040mg
Calcium 1040-1225mg
Magnesium 85-130mg
Phosphorus 850-940mg
Iron 280-570ug
Zinc 1880-5660ug
Copper 95-570ug
Manganese 19-47ug
Iodine 245ug
Fluoride 28-207ug
Selenium 4.7-63ug
Cobalt 0.47-1.23ug
Chromium 7.5-12.3ug
Molybdenum 17-113ug
Nickel 0-47ug
Silicon 700-6600ug
Vanadium trace-290ug
Tin 38-470ug
Arsenic 19-57ug


Vitamins
Raw milk contains all the water and fat-soluble vitamins known. The amounts are markedly reduced through pasteurization and exposure to ultra-violet light. Vitamin content is better maintained if milk is shielded from light sources during storage.

Partial vitamin content in one quart (approximately 1liter)

A 375ug
C 19mg
D 38IU
E 940ug
K 47ug
B1 425ug
B2 1650ug
Niacin 850ug
B6 470ug
Pantothenic acid 3300ug
Biotin 33ug
Folic acid 52ug
B12 4.25ug


Enzymes
There are important enzymes in milk that are responsible for much of its healing properties. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical events in living systems, such as helping to break down fats, proteins and carbohydrates in digestion. Enzymes are especially sensitive to heat and are usually destroyed at about 135 degrees F. The ‘test’ for adequate pasteurization is the abolition of phosphatase activity in a sample of milk. Enzyme activity is what imparts the characteristic of ‘life’ to raw whole milk. The following enzymes are present in raw whole milk:

Amylase
Catalase
Lactase (via bacterial synthesis)
Lactoperoxidase
Lipase
Phosphatase

Additional Factors in Raw Milk
There are many other bio-active molecules in raw milk in various amounts whose over-all function is not fully understood. These factors presumably work synergistically with one another to produce the profound well-being and health benefits for its drinkers. No wonder milk has long been considered nature’s perfect food. For about 100 years the miracle of milk has become virtually unknown to the American public due to a misunderstanding by the public health authorities that has lead to a mis-targeted solution called pasteurization.

Some of these other factors are:

Nucleosides (DNA, RNA)
Nucleotides (cyclic AMP, etc)
Polyamines
Oligosaccharides (maltodextrins, 5-6 glucose residues)
Transfer proteins
Bio-active peptides (coagulation, blood pressure, etc)
Immuno-modulatory peptides (cytokines)
Anti-oxidants (lacto-peroxidase)
Lactoferrin
Polysaccharides
Medium-chain Fatty Acids
Antibodies (IgA and IgG)

White blood cells
B-lymphocytes
Macrophages
Neutrophils
T-lymphocytes

Lysosyme

Hormones and Growth Factors
Wulzen Factor (“anti-stiffness factor”)
Mucins (A)

B12 binding factor
Bifidus factor
Fibronectin
Gamma Interferon



On average I consume 1 to 2 quarts of raw whole milk per day. This milk is usually from bio-dynamically raised Jersey cows with a richer than average butterfat content. As you can see from the above, this is more than just adequate nutrition. This is great nutrition. Just as a side note, although stress is laid on the eating of a lot of vegetables, in actuality the benefit of that is covered as well with the milk alone. Milk is in fact the result of all the “vegetables” eaten by the cow and cows are endowed with a better digestive system for vegetable matter than we are.

Thank you for taking the time to read this material. You now have a better idea about my diet and the benefit of it. Your concern that I am adequately nourished should now be diminished. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

References:
British J Nutrition (2000) 84, Supp1, 319-325
Indian J Exp. Biology, Vol. 36, Aug 98, pp 808-810
J Dairy Sci, 74: 783-787
Life Sciences, vol 66, No. 23, pp 2433-2439, 2000
Sci Amer Dec 1995
Lancet, Nov 17, 1984
Realmilk.com (Weston A Price Foundation)
Pottenger’s Cats (video)available from Price-Pottenger Foundation
The Untold Story of Milk, by Ron Schmid MD