health

Drinking raw milk might not be a dangerous thing to do, but there is a caveat in that statement. Raw milk may contain substances that make it dangerous and there is no way of knowing whether these harmful substances exist in the milk. The recommendation by the food department is that industries including restaurants and hotels must use pasteurized milk to guarantee highest safety standards of the milk. Several studies done on raw milk show that its impurities, as well as inherent substances from the cow, can affect humans adversely. The following are the major concerns that should bother you about raw milk.

Raw milk and homogenized milk all have the necessary nutrients

A major reason offered by people who want to consume raw milk is that the homogenized version will not have the necessary nutrients. However, several chemical and nutritional tests on homogenized milk already confirm that the process of heating does not destroy the nutrients. The milk contains essential proteins that do not become denatured at high temperatures. The body may obtain the nutrients only when their composition is in the right manner. Any toxic substances can hinder the absorption of the nutrients.

Raw milk may contain hormones

Raw milk from a cow may include hormonal residues that should pass to the calf. However, since the milk is for human consumption, its hormones become non-wanted substances in the body. They may cause some reaction including the formation of acne on the face. Raw milk from nonconventional cows like Guernseys may contain higher levels of hormones that may cause diseases in humans.

Beware of milk intolerance

Some people can drink milk by the gallon daily and not have any stomach upsets. Others can only consume a cup of milk before they complain. The tolerance of milk intake might be genetic. At the same time, it could depend on a person’s experience with milk in the past. Based on this facts, it is difficult to suggest that a particular type of milk is bad. However, people who have problems with drinking milk in its raw form can find solutions in yogurts, cheese, and butter. These are dairy products that seem not to introduce the harsh realities of milk intolerance to the body.

Handling problems

Raw milk tends to pass through non-certified handling process, and this introduces a lot of risks to the consumers. If the consumer is not the person doing the milk or getting it from the dairy farm, there might be an increased risk of poisoning introduced in the handling of the raw milk. There should be a good measure of scrutiny on the handling of the milk before consuming it. Moreover, it is advisable to boil the milk at least for several minutes then let it cool before drinking it.

Is drinking raw milk dangerous?

This article answered this question. It highlighted the risks involved in taking raw milk as it is, but also noted that in some situations, the raw milk would be okay. Go on and verify the source of the raw milk before drinking it. Otherwise, consider the easier choice which is to purchase the milk from certified sources that you can trust.