Best non-raw cow's milk?

[liliaceae]

I know raw is best, but I'm just not ready to make that leap yet. What are the most important factors when choosing non-raw milk? How important is it for it to be organic? Pasteurized vs. ultra-pasteurized? Grass fed? Any other factors?

[Magelet]

For me, the most important is that it is not ultra pasturized, and the cows were not given hormones. After that, it is a toss up between primarily grass fed, and gmo-free feed (even grass fed cows are usually given a little grain at the least at milking.) I'm not sure which. Grass fed milk will contain TONS more nutrients, however if they are fed feed containing GMO's, that is obviously a problem (organic feed thus organic milk, doesn't have GMOs).

While it is last on the list for pasturized milk, I hold non-homogenized milk to be a very important factor. With grass-fed, non-homogenized whole milk from cows not fed any GMOs, you have a pretty traditional, unprocessed milk. Yes, it is pasturized, but said pasturization is not really processing it, its just heating it. You can pasturize milk at home (some cheese and yogurt makers do). Homogenization, (or the dry milk added to skim and reduced fat milks) yield a processed food which I try to stay away from as much as I do oreos, rice krispies, and hamburger helper.

The Ultra-pasturization, however, is undoubtable the worst. It renders milk shelf stable. (while it is often put in a refridgerator case to seem normal, there is no need. It is shelf stable for a very long time at room temp. scary!!). It destroys a GREAT deal of the nutrients, and goodness knows what else. I don't know that much about why it is bad, but the fact that milk would be shelf stable automatically tells me that this is NOT a good food.

I would recomend trying to find a cream-top or non-homogenized low or medium (not high or ultra) temp pasturized whole milk, preferably organic and/or grassfed depending on what matters to you. (I believe trader joes sells a cream top milk.)

[SophieAnn]

Magelet gives some excellent points and I completely agree!

One other thing to add - another reason to buy whole/full-fat milk is for the fat-soluble vitamins. With reduced-fat milk, they skim away fat-soluble vitamins and then add them back in ("fortified") from other sources.

It might take some getting used to if you're accustomed to 1% or 2%.

[CageFreeFamily]

When we cannot get raw milk (like now) we get the low-temp pasteurized, un-homogenized, organic whole milk.

There are many brands of low-temp (or vat) pasteurized milks out there, and we have been able to find the un-homogenized varieties in most cities that we traveled to over the past year and a half.

Organic, whole is an absolute must for us. I wouldn't touch conventional milk with all of it's antibiotics, steroids, etc. Cutting it out years ago made a rapid and noticeable difference in my body chem, and someone has already mentioned the whole milk difference.

Regarding the homogenization, here is a quote that I found on RealMilk.com:

"Homogenization causes a supposedly "noxious" enzyme called xanthine oxidase to be encapsulated in a liposome that can be absorbed intact.

XO is released by enzymatic action and ends up in heart and arterial tissue where it causes the destruction of a specialized protective membrane lipid called plasmalogen, causing lesions in the arteries and resulting in the development of plaque."

HTH!

[liliaceae]

Thanks everyone, those were very helpful replies! So, if you had to choose between organic, and partially grass fed, which would you choose?

[Magelet]

are they the same in all other ways? (and is the grain the grass-fed cows are on gmo free? If you contact the farm, it might be gmo free, and hormone and steriod free cows, if its partially grassfed.)

[Elizabeth2008]

how exactly does homogenizaiton work? And does all reduced milk that is homogenized have nonfat dry milk added to it?? Even Organic Valley?

[staceychev]

We drink whole, non-homogenized, organic grass-fed. I hate to say it, but I crossed state lines once to get raw, and DD and I both hated it! Anyway, I think grass fed is important because it doesn't mess with your cholesterol like grain-fed does. I also support grass-fed for environmental reasons: grain fed animals are the ones that are mostly causing e-coli from what I've read. I like to support what I consider to be a healthier system!

[Chicharronita]

Originally Posted by liliaceae

I know raw is best, but I'm just not ready to make that leap yet. What are the most important factors when choosing non-raw milk? How important is it for it to be organic? Pasteurized vs. ultra-pasteurized? Grass fed? Any other factors?

If you have access to high-quality raw milk, you could just boil it at home although I cringe to write that.

[YummyYarnAddict]

Originally Posted by liliaceae

Thanks everyone, those were very helpful replies! So, if you had to choose between organic, and partially grass fed, which would you choose?

I would personally choose the one that got 100% grass fed even if it wasn't certified organic. Why? Cows aren't meant to eat corn, soy, grains, etc. and eating those things causes them to become ill and need antibiotics. The farther away from grass fed the cow is, the more likely it is that the cow isn't as healthy. The farmer who isn't certified organic but gives the cows grass or hay only, may not be certified for financial reasons.

One of the reasons for pasteurization in the first place is because the milk isn't as good a quality as it would be otherwise and that is compensated for by pasteurization. Milk that is meant to be consumed raw comes from cows that are treated better and live in better conditions. The only rare exceptions you may find to this are the farmers who will sell milk for consumption both as raw milk and to processors for pasteurization.

Of course, I'm biased as I'd only drink milk from a cow that is 100% grass fed and would only eat the flesh of a cow that is 100% grass fed. I'm fortunate enough that our raw milk providers are also certified organic. If I couldn't get milk from them, I would get lightly pasteurized milk that is not homogenized from 100% grass fed cows from a local dairy that is not certified organic. I would personally never drink ultra pasteurized milk because it's dead. All the nutrients have been killed to make it shelf stable.