Raw milk and lactose intolerance. Why might it help?

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October 22, 2021

I was misinformed. At some point, I read that raw milk contains lactase. As it turns out, this is not true!

It is true that raw milk contains many live enzymes that are inactivated during pasteurization.

It contains the protease enzyme, which aids in the digestion of protein. It contains the lipase enzyme, which aids in the digestion of fat. It contains the phosphatase enzyme, which decreases inflammation and reduces the risk of heart disease and Type-2 diabetes. And, there are numerous other examples.

But, what about lactase? Lactase is a specific enzyme that’s necessary to break down lactose, milk sugar.

When a baby is born, it naturally produces lots and lots of lactase in its intestines, which is used to break down breast milk. But, as that human gets older and older, it naturally produces less and less lactase.

Lactose intolerance is when a person either produces none or not enough lactase. They are unable to fully digest lactose, which typically leads to bloating, diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and other uncomfortable side effects.

The mainstream medical solution to this is supplementing with an artificial lactase enzyme or drinking Lactaid or other lactose-free dairy products, which have added artificial lactase enzymes.

I’ve heard many anecdotal stories from people who are lactose intolerant... but can handle raw milk. If raw milk doesn’t contain lactase, then why is that?

Raw milk contains beneficial bacteria that aid your body in producing lactase and breaking down lactose in the intestinal tract. Amazing!

These Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria bacteria are nonexistent in pasteurized milk, since heating the milk to 145F kills all living microorganisms.

Keep in mind that these effects may take time. If a lactose intolerant person drinks raw milk, they may still have issues at first. This is one big reason that it’s recommended to introduce raw milk slowly.

Going back thousands of years, humans developed lactase persistent genes through natural selection. This allowed them to digest dairy into adulthood and to live in colder climates, consuming dairy in the colder months when forageable foods were unavailable.

So, this makes me wonder, with the popularity of pasteurized and lactose-free dairy in the past 100 years, are we selectively breeding out the lactase persistent genes?

This is why the Miller’s Bio Farm tagline is “Inspiring Healthy Generations”. It’s not just about your health now, but the health of the future generations to come.

Can you handle raw milk but not pasteurized or vice versa? I’d love to hear your story. Contact us or join the conversation below (no account required!).

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Sources

Raw Milk Institute, Letter to Medical Professionals about Raw Milk
Mayo Clinic, Lactose Intolerance
Raw Milk Institute, Raw Milk and Lactose Intolerance
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Lactose digestion in humans: intestinal lactase appears to be constitutive whereas the colonic microbiome is adaptable

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Health and Nutrition

Raw Dairy

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But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. 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Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

Raw milk and lactose intolerance. Why might it help?

I was misinformed. At some point, I read that raw milk contains lactase. As it turns out, this is not true!

But, what about lactase? Lactase is a specific enzyme that’s necessary to break down lactose, milk sugar.

I’ve heard many anecdotal stories from people who are lactose intolerant... but can handle raw milk. If raw milk doesn’t contain lactase, then why is that?

Raw milk contains beneficial bacteria that aid your body in producing lactase and breaking down lactose in the intestinal tract. Amazing!

So, this makes me wonder, with the popularity of pasteurized and lactose-free dairy in the past 100 years, are we selectively breeding out the lactase persistent genes?

Can you handle raw milk but not pasteurized or vice versa? I’d love to hear your story. Contact us or join the conversation below (no account required!).

More from the blog

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

Is yolk color is no longer a great indicator of the egg's nutrition?

How did pork get a bad rep anyway? Why is Miller's pork exceptional?

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Miller's Bio Farm, 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA 17566