I go to great lengths to purchase dairy products for our family. It all began with much research a few years ago. What has followed ever since is monthly trips into Amish country to fill our freezer with raw milk from grass-fed jersey cows. As I load up the car, all six kids included along with large coolers, and make the trek I sometimes have to remind myself why I do what I do. What was the thought process that led to this conclusion? I don't buy all my dairy products raw, so why some and why not others?
The technical part (which should have a bibliography ☺)...
Well, through reading various books on the subject of milk and dairy products, I have decided that milk is indeed good for you and is best just as it comes from the cow. For the sake of the budget, however, there are some dairy products I buy from the store. I base my decision on a number of key factors to include: what type of cow the milk is coming from, the diet of the cow, whether or not the product was ever pasteurized, whether or not live bacterias were added back into the milk, whether or not the product still contains live bacteria, whether or not the cow was treated with additional hormones, whether or not the milk was homogenized, and the cleanliness of the milking process.
That seems like a whole lot to think about and it often boggles my brain and makes me want to cry "uncle!". I thought I would take a moment and share my thought process by which I decide which dairy products to buy. First of all, here is my take on each of these factors:
Type of cow: I read an article about the different types of dairy cows (http://www.westonaprice.org/thumbs-up-reviews/devil-in-the-milk), A1 and A2 cows. It appears some degree of milk intolerance can be due to the type of protein (casein) that particular breed of cow produces! America has primarily the cows that produce the guilty protein (holsteins, for example).
The Cows Diet: Cows eat many different diets ranging from green grass to old bakery products. Also, whether or not a cow produces milk, is not entirely an indication of its health. Byproducts of beer production, when fed to dairy cows, greatly increase the cows milk production. Great, right? Those same cows may have their highest production the day they fall over dead! Those cows that eat green grass produce noticeably better milk.
Pasteurization: Although pasteurization came to rescue of a sad milk scene and saved the lives of many, it kills both good and bad bacteria leaving milk open to contamination. The need for pasteurization can be greatly reduced by taking proper care of the cows and the milking environment.
Added Live Bacteria: Yogurt is yogurt because live bacteria has been added to milk and encouraged to multiply and culture the milk leaving a yummy, thick food we can eat with a spoon. It also generally has a longer refrigerator life than pasteurized milk. Milk in the form in which God gave it to us is rich in good bacteria which helps our bodies to digest it.
Additional Hormones: I am simply not a fan of adding hormones to my body either directly or through the food I eat. Hormones work in such a careful balance that I don't think they should be tampered with. Additionally, hormones given to cows are meant to result in unusually high growth or production which leads to unhealthy cows.
Homogenization: Homogenization breaks apart the fat globule in milk so that the cream no long rises to the top. The globule is primarily triglycerides bounded by a membrane. There is controversy as to wether the exploded globule is digested well or not. I have read that our body has a hard time recognizing the exploded globule for what it is (or should be). I would rather trust that God had a good plan when he bounded the triglycerides with a membrane.
Cleanliness: As I was saying in regards to pasteurization, cleanliness is absolutely necessary! Pasteurization arrived on the scene of overcrowded cities experiencing massive, rapid population growth and all the cleanliness concerns that would include. Raw milk, when not bombarded with large quantities of unhealthy bacteria can hold its own. The good bacteria in milk is capable of keeping the bad bacteria count down when it is handled in a cleanly manner.
Now for the fun, helpful part!!!
I will go from what I consider to be the most advantageous product down to the least. Here goes!
Best!
Raw, grass-fed dairy from clean, well tended, old-fashioned, A2 cows (I like to call them the "cute cows"... think "Dolly" in Anne of Green Gables)! This would include milk, cream, butter, yogurt, sour cream, cheese, etc. This, along with raw goat milk, is the only thing I would recommend to someone who suffers from milk allergies. This would be the best possible way to get the wonderful goodness of milk and enjoy it too! If you think the milking area or process is not clean then don't buy milk there! Cleanliness is an absolute must!
Runner-Up...
Raw, grass-fed dairy from any cow. This could result in more difficult digestion if your digestive system is at all weak or suffers from milk or casein allergies but still a much better option for most consumers. Again, if you think the milking area or process is not clean then don't buy milk there! Cleanliness is an absolute must!
Second Runner-Up...
Raw, dairy from any cow. You would now be losing the grass-fed factor which produces the most beautiful milk. Additionally, you would be getting milk from modern breeds which may lead to some intolerance but you are still getting milk that is whole and in it's natural state. One last time, if you think the milking area or process is not clean then don't buy milk there! Cleanliness is an absolute must, even more so as the cows are getting less pasture time and poorer nutrition!
Third Runner-Up...
Un-homogenized, pasteurized milk. Your milk is now pasteurized so production cleanliness is not such a big issue nor will you be as likely to know that detail. You can still have your fat globules intact and easier to digest.
Happy Budget Concessions...
There are a few areas where dairy can give a bit and still be decent so your budget can be happy.
- Yogurt - Because yogurt is a cultured product, it is still decent even if it is previously pasteurized. Just look for the brand that contains a statement that the yogurt contains live and active cultures. If it doesn't contain that statement, don't buy that brand!
- Cheese - Cheese, like yogurt, is a cultured product so some good bacteria has been reintroduced to the previously pasteurized milk.
- Whipping Cream - this has not been homogenized and is pretty much skimmed off the top and pasteurized. Not ideal, but yummy and far better for you than cool whip!
- Butter - Butter is the fat portion of the milk and therefore not as affected to issues with milk proteins. I do try to buy organic butter as hormones often hang out with fats! I buy it in the store all the time although I wish I could stretch my budget to afford the golden butter from grass-fed cows!
Don't be Sold by the Organic Label...
A quick word on organic... Just because something is labeled organic does not necessarily mean it is better. They can feed organic dairy cows anything organic (organic donuts). Also, organic is becoming such a buzz word for marketing, that companies are finding ways to cut corners. I recently noticed that the organic yogurt I have been buying at the store now has additives! I don't want additives in my yogurt! I don't like the taste and would much rather buy the non-organic yogurt with just milk and live bacteria!
An Added Note on Additives...
Keep an eye on the politics of the dairy world. The Dairy Industry is petitioning the FDA to allow them to put additives, namely aspartame (which is linked to seizures and other health problems), in a number of dairy products without having to disclose that on the label! If the bill passes, there would be so many dairy products I would not want to buy at the store! The most any good dairy product should need to have on it's ingredients list would be milk and enzymes or live bacteria (cultured).
That said, I think we are going to get a family cow before too long! ☺
Please remember this is my personal opinion on this topic and you should do your own research so you can make your own educated decision about your dairy consumption!
