Raw Milk

[naomi24]

A farmer friend tells me that raw milk is very beneficial to people with digestive problems, IBS, etc. Has anyone else heard this - or tried it and found it helpful?

[pastafreak]

I've heard it, but not tried it.
Plain, full fat Greek yogurt is also beneficial ...fermented foods *might be* for IBS.

[ubasses]

The following info from the food agency might be helpful to you.
https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/raw-drinking-milk.

[Vagus]

Not heard that it’s good for digestive problems but have heard it’s supposed to be good for asthma and allergy sufferers. Never tried it myself and don’t intend to.

[lady-janine]

I've not heard that but I always used raw milk when my children were young and they seem to have survived very healthily I glad to say.

[Lie-in King]

I can't answer the Q, but if ubasses doesn't mind, I can redo the link -

https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/raw-drinking-milk

(No full stop at the end)

[Khandro]

I would suggest the opposite; if you have digestive problems try lactose-free milk.

[lady-janine]

L-i-K - interesting. I had never heard any of that when I used to milk our goats and use the milk for whatever I needed it for.

[Peter Pedant]

Someone'll swear by it
used 1900 be very heavily infected with M Bovis - 50% tested positive at age 15 - 1950 - the kids that is, not cattle. You could NOT buy it

Is now lawful to sell, wonders of progress. Virtually no infection

Dont some people 'filter' it and say it is EVEN better ?

try it and see. ( I wont, having had BCG AND TB)

[Peter Pedant]

The mizzy-oz production board doesnt seem to like it
from the link
everything I wrote is still true but sort of less

Interesting to note the Scots wont wear it
Statute of James III ( that is a long time ago reader!) every parish had to have a dominy ( teacher) and parish cow. The end was the best educated society in the world 1750-1800, and they all had TB from the cow

[andres]

Didn't do our family of six or any of our neighbouring farmers any harm in the 50s. I don't remember any of us having any digestive problems.

[theprof]

naomi24, I think the farmer may have based his words on an old theory that by overloading our innards with a range of dodgy bacteria from raw milk, the bugs would simply overwhelm those bugs already in the gut that were thought to cause IBS etc ( Simplistic Answer Day today folks!).

I've drunk a good few pints of raw cow's milk over the years but I can't recall ever having abdominal issues as a result but that's me. I'm also aware that the doom mongers will tell you that all sorts of really harmful bugs are contained in raw milk, but it's far from being the norm except in the handful of very unusual zoonotic circumstances I've come across over many years.

All the same, I can't fault the government recommendations on those groups who should not drink raw milk especially the immunocompromised and I'd underline that raw milk should be avoided by them.

If you're in reasonably good health and you want to give raw milk a try, I'd say go ahead but take it easy with it - I'd say no more than 100ml of cold milk. I've met people who have had raw milk on their "bucket list", have tried it once and never drunk it again. It's no substitute for pasteurised milk.

Drinking raw milk years ago was tremendously risky but improvements in animal husbandry and veterinary medicine has made a difference. Just bear in mind, it's not risk free.

[Vagus]

It’s always good to have your input prof, the voice of an expert :)

[naomi24]

I have tasted raw milk - my husband is making cheese with it as we speak (‘Don’t ask’, said Naomi, rolling her eyes!) - but this was the first I’d heard of it being beneficial to those with stomach problems.

Many thanks for your answers, especially the prof.
As informative and as helpful as ever.

[DTCwordfan]

I have heard this before - unpasteurised. In the form of cheese, Stichelton is absolutely delicious and better, IM...O, than most stiltons.

Growing up out in the Lake District and on an old farm, I had my fair share of 'raw' milk as you put it, 'lait cru' en francais.....and not only coo-juice.

http://stichelton.co.uk/

I get it through Neal's Yard - and an absolute must for the Christmas cheese platter.

[MissTerious]

I really do baulk at the thought of drinking milk or milk in tea, coffee etc. I love cheese and yoghurt, but wouldn't even taste any milk these days. Hated it as a child and ever since. So no to raw milk,

[theprof]

Thank you for your kind comments Vagus and you too naomi24 for Best Answer. I'm very grateful.

[jourdain2]

I don't know about the IBS etc., but I weaned my babies onto raw milk in the 70s & 80s ad they grew up healthy (apart from the one who caught glandular fever aged 16) so i have no qualms about it. I used to be able to buy milk from the cows in the fields next to us and when in France I discovered that you could buy plastic bags of raw milk in the supermarkets - much nicer that the stuff most drank.

I eat 'natural, live' yoghurt every morning and (fingers crossed) don't seem to have had any real digestive problems in my life.
So, I don't know the answer, but it's nicer milk and safe these days.

[Patsy33]

A friend and I drank some unpasteurized milk when we were about 11 years old. Her father helped milk cows at the weekend and used to bring some milk straight from the cows. He made us a small cup each to drink. A few days later, we both were very unwell and had jaundice. I remember reading several years ago now, that unpasteurized milk can sometimes cause this.

[237SJ]

I was brought up on raw milk (green top) Didn't do anyone in our village any harm. I remember the filters looked like a cone shaped draught excluder.

[Peter Pedant]

I thought yogurt ( natural) was good for diarrhoea
There is a 2012 paper BMJ - I read it on the bog you know -

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/5/1/e006474

incredz they look at under 100 ( children).