personal experiences of health benefits of raw milk?

[ursusarctos]

So I just found a source of raw cow's milk by chance today (thought it didn't exist around here) and I think DP and I may order some to try. I'm just curious, has anybody noticed changes in their health after starting to drink raw milk?
We don't drink milk regularly, especially not me (wasn't brought up drinking it), though we do eat yogurt, cheese, and butter in abundance. When I do drink milk (organic pasteurized but not homogenized) I often notice myself feeling slightly phlegmy, but I wonder if I would get the same effect from raw milk... Anyway I guess I just have to see for myself as far as that's concerned, but I've heard so many rave reviews of raw milk that I was wondering what people's personal experiences with it were!

[Holiztic]

First off, you'll get more responses to this question in the Traditional Foods forum!!!

DH and I have always been in relatively good health, so there are no miracle stories from me, BUT the biggest difference for me is that I CAN drink raw milk. I am moderately lactose intolerant (if that is possible). Before finding raw milk I just felt iffy on pastueurized dairy (sometimes intestinal issues, sometimes not), but of I went a long time without dairy and then had even a little cheese, I was A MESS!!!

I can drink fresh raw milk without problems as long as I don't drink more than 12 ounces or so a day. Fermented raw dairy I can eat drink til the cows some home (sorry for the pun!!)

Also, DS has only had raw milk and is super healthy (though there are many other things we do besides raw milk that have affected that). I feel like every baby/kid I know has some issue with dry skin/eczema some time in their life, but I have never seen so much as a patch of anything remotely "dry" on DS.

Also, if you haven't already looked at it www.realmilk.com is a great resource and has testimonials at http://www.realmilk.com/testimonials.html .

Oh, and finally, there is debate about whether dairy is mucous forming, but I find it definitely is. I read a great discussion in a past Weston A Price Foundation journal about how milk is a very cooling food and that is what makes it mucous-forming. The solution was to warm it up (very gently so as to keep it raw!!!) to body temperature and also adding warming spices helps.

When I am feeling a little mucousy and don't want to make it worse, I LOVE a warm vanillamon shake, as I call it: Warmed raw milk, a (pastured!) raw egg yolk, a tiny touch of maple syrup or honey, a splash of vanilla extract and a little cinnamon (warming spice). Tastes like melted vanilla ice cream with cinnamon.

[ursusarctos]

Thanks for your response, Holiztic! I am actually familiar with realmilk.com and actually that's why I posted on here, because I was looking with some testimonials with "faces" in a way.
I thought of posting in the TF forum but then thought I would post here instead since I know non-TFers often do raw milk too and that many TFers hang out on the general nutrition forum anyway
That makes a lot of sense about milk being cooling, and omg that drink you described sounds incredibly good. I will definitely try it.