Today there was an article in the Baltimore Sun about legislature looking to allow Maryland Dairy Farmers to sell Raw, Fresh, or Real Milk and Milk Products to Marylanders. I’m personally quite excited by this prospect. Recently we have decided to try Raw milk ourselves. Just like the article says, I’m picking up milk at a local drop spot. It feels very clandestine and I keep joking with my husband that we are going to be busted in the Great Raw Milk Controversy. But I guess if Michael Phelps can get off so can we, right?
So why am I taking chances and buying raw milk? I first heard about raw milk while attending the DAN! conference in San Diego this past October. Julie Matthews, a nutritionist that works with DAN! families, mentioned it in one of her nutritional presentations. At the time I just sort of let the information in one ear and out the other. I figured there was no way we could use any kind of milk, raw or pasteurized, with Matthew because he reacted so drastically to casein in his diet. He stimmed horribly on milk. We certainly weren’t going to chance that again. A few months later I started going to a local biomedical support group and I met a woman who was talking about the wonders of raw milk. She was using it with her children, specifically her son who used to stim horribly on pasteurized milk. Sounded familiar. Still I put it off. It seemed like too much trouble and I really didn’t think it would work for Matthew. I mean he really did seem to have such issues with milk.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago. I decided to try ordering some milk, yogurt, ice cream (chocolate) and some kombucha. You know I had to try the kombucha! Anyway, we picked up the milk and I was very eager to taste it. It tasted great. Pretty much like just really fresh milk. So far so good. So this week we decided to try a milk challenge with Matthew. Of course the little stinker doesn’t actually want to drink the milk because he has been so programmed into thinking that all cows milk will make him sick. My poor baby. So I decided to try the cheese first. He had a grilled cheese sandwich today. So far, so good.
Why do people think raw dairy may be OK for kids on a GFCF diet? I’m going to Quote Julie Matthew’s from her book Cooking to Heal, Support for Nourishing Hope page 76 “A1 and A2 Dairy- We often think of casein – all casein – as the enemy with milk. There are actually many forms of casein including alpha, beta and kappa casein. Scientists and farmers in New Zealand have been studying the effects of two types of beta casein – A1 vs. A2 beta-casein – and have found that A1 beta-casein is the protein in most (Holstein) dairy cows. Goat, sheep and buffalo, as well as certain dairy cows (Jersey and Guernsey) produce primarily A2 beta casein.
“The variance between A1 and A2 beta casein is a different amino acid at position 67 – Histidine for A1 milk vs Proline for A2. This small change causes A1 milk to be broken down during digestion into an opiate compound, BMC-7 (beta casomorhin 7); whereas, A2 does not.
“There are a few studies suggesting that the A1 beta-casein molecule and the resulting BMC-7 opiate may be responsible for many, if not all problems, with the casein in milk – increased risk of heart disease, type 1 diabetes, autism, and schizophrenia.
“One of the reasons raw milk may not cause negative casein reactions may be because raw milk dairy farms often have higher numbers of cows such as Guernsey and Jersey cows that produce much lower levels of A1 milk. It is also postulated that pasteurization or processing (cheese making) may also have an effect on the level of opiates in the milk.
“Goat, sheep, buffalo produce primarily A2 milk. Some people may choose to try different types of milk and see if any work better for them.”
So there you have it. We decided to try it and see. If Matthew can handle the raw milk we may actually be able to allow him to live a more normal and enjoyable life. In addition raw milk is said to have many wonderful properties. For more information on the healthful properties of raw milk check out the Weston A. Price Foundation.
