Would you, or do you, drink raw milk? Over the last few years, interest in drinking unpasteurized milk has grown, with some people claiming a wide range of health benefits. Most of those health benefits, however, are not backed by science and drinking raw milk may do more harm than good.
What is raw milk?
Raw milk is simply milk from any dairy-producing animal, mostly cows, sheep, or goats, that has not been pasteurized. In Rhode Island (PDF), it is currently illegal to sell raw milk—the one exception being raw goat's milk, but only with a doctor's prescription—though there has been some discussion about making it legal. In Massachusetts (PDF), raw milk may be purchased on dairy farms, with strict handling and labeling laws.
Pasteurized milk is readily available in grocery stores and convenience stores, is generally affordable, and is safe to consume for the majority of people. However, some people say that raw milk tastes better than pasteurized milk, or believe that it has health benefits, such as curing lactose intolerance or certain allergies or providing beneficial gut bacteria.
Health risks associated with raw milk
The biggest health risk associated with raw milk comes from microorganisms and enzymes that can enter the milk at many different points from milking to the sale. “Food safety regulations are in place for a good reason,” says Dr. Karen Tashima, director of clinical trials at the Brown University Health Immunology Center. “The idea of heating milk to kill bacteria (and viruses) started in the 1800s and was implanted in the United States over a century ago. Bacteria that commonly cause food-borne illness, such as salmonella, listeria, and E. coli, can be prevented by pasteurizing milk products.”
These bacteria can cause severe infections in the digestive tract, often leading to vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and blood in the stool. Most people who contract an infection from a food-borne pathogen can recover at home within a few days, but severe cases can lead to reactive arthritis, organ damage, blood infections, and even death. One review of 20 years of data on food-borne illnesses related to drinking raw milk found that, in that time frame, 202 outbreaks and 2,645 illnesses were linked to raw milk. Of those reported illnesses, 228 required hospitalizations, and three people died.
A broader review found that, from 2009 to 2014, there were 706 illnesses and 22 hospitalizations each year, on average, associated with raw milk and products made from raw milk, such as cheese. In 2017, it was estimated that only 3.2 percent of the population of the United States drank raw milk, but that 96 percent of the dairy-related food-borne illness were caused by consuming raw milk or related dairy products. These numbers are only based on reported illness, and it's likely that the real numbers of food-borne illnesses related to raw milk are significantly higher.
“Even with good food safety practices in place,” says Dr. Tashima, “we occasionally see an outbreak in cheeses, ice cream and other products due to cross contamination in a factory or other lapse in safety. Unfortunately, people are susceptible to fads such as drinking raw milk, and don’t realize how dangerous these illnesses can be, especially in pregnant women, older people, and immunocompromised people.
“Prevention is much easier than treatment for currently known and emerging infections such as the bird flu H5N1” Dr. Tashima concludes. Yes—the H5N1 bird flu, which has spread to farm animals, could also contaminate raw milk. One report indicated that bird flu was found in more than one-third of the samples of commercial cow milk—but also found that pasteurizing the milk killed the virus. While the risk to humans of contracting bird flu remain low, a recent study from St. Jude's found that the current antivirals available to treat bird flu are less effective when the virus is contracted orally—such as in drinking raw milk.
No, raw milk will not cure allergies or asthma.
Some influencers have stated that raw milk will cure a person's allergies or asthma, but there is no scientific proof to back up these claims. There was a study done in 2007, based on a larger study of allergies among European children living in more rural areas, that stated farm milk may help protect against allergies in children. It is important to note the phrase "farm milk," as the study authors were unable to determine if the milk was raw or if it had been pasteurized—they only knew that it came from a farm. That same study also states "However, raw milk may contain pathogens such as salmonella or EHEC, and its consumption may therefore imply serious health risks."
One thing to also note is that allergies and asthma are also influenced by a person's environment. If one child grows up in a city, with more air pollutants, and another child grows up on a farm, with fewer air pollutants, the child on the farm is less likely to have allergies or asthma, regardless of the milk they drink.
No, raw milk will not cure lactose intolerance.
Lactose intolerance is a condition in which a person's digestive system is lacking an enzyme, known as lactase, that breaks down the lactose found in milk. Lactose is found in all milk—even raw milk. No milk, raw or pasteurized, contains anything that would suddenly introduce lactase into the digestive system.
For individuals with lactose intolerance, they can try over-the-counter medications such as Lactaid, or lactose-free dairy products, which have been pasteurized to remove harmful pathogens and processed to remove lactose. They may also consider using plant-based milks in place of animal milks, in which case they should work with a nutritionist to discuss any concerns for vitamins or minerals that may be lost from not consuming animal dairy products.
No, raw milk does not contain special probiotics.
Probiotics are helpful bacteria found in our digestive tracts. They are, by definition, not harmful, unlike other bacteria that can cause illness. Probiotics do not naturally occur in foods, meaning you can't get them from consuming raw fruits or vegetables or raw milk.
Probiotics are typically found in fermented foods, such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, or miso. These are foods that have been minimally processed with the introduction of beneficial yeast and bacteria strains that produce lactic acid. Heat is not needed for this fermentation process, only time for the microorganisms to break down the sugars to produce the acid. While both raw and pasteurized milk could be used to make fermented dairy products, the fermentation process will not kill the harmful bacteria or viruses that could contaminate raw milk.
Consuming raw milk and raw milk products comes with a lot of risk and not much, if any, reward. The Food and Drug Administration has additional resources on the potential dangers of raw milk consumption, as well as other information for practicing food safety in your kitchen.
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