Milk-there's so much you don't know!! A1 or A2? UHT vs HTST? Pasteurized? Homogenized?
Did you know Whole milk is actually only 3.25% milk? 2% Milk is the Top seller even though it has only 3g less fat and 30 less calories per cup.
Low fat milks are technically more processed. They go through a centrifuge machine to separate the fat from what’s left. Removing the fat means all the Vitamins are lost too, so synthetic ones are added back in, including Vitamin A and D. The fat that was removed is then added back in for 2% and 1% milk. This centrifuge process causes the cholesterol in the milk to oxidize, and nitrates to form; neither of these are recommendable to consume.
3 more reasons to Ditch Fat Free Milk:
1.Fat Free milk is naturally blueish in color with a watery texture and chalky taste. Powdered milk is added to Fat Free milk to whiten and thicken it. This includes proteins quite unrecognizable to the body.
2.Vitamin A can’t be absorbed without fat(it’s a fat soluble vitamin), so drinking Fat Free milk won’t actually provide your body with Vitamin A unless you eat fat simultaneously.
3. Fat Free milk doesn't have as desirable a balance of fat to sugar to protein.
Follow the Money: Before 1950 most people drank whole milk(heart disease and diabetes were also much lower then). Then came the ‘Low fat’ craze. This happened because Ancel Keys presented some very manipulated research stating that saturated fat and cholesterol cause heart disease(This theory has been debunked over and over again). Cream used to be skimmed from milk to make ice-cream etc; the left over liquid was considered an industrial waste product and commonly used by farmers to rapidly fatten pigs. Post 1950, the left over stuff was considered a "health food"- Pay day for the Dairy Industry! The corporations running the dairy industry have been profiting off of both products ever since. After all my research, I know that the FDA and Food corporations are often in bed with each other, so it wouldn’t surprise me if this is no coincidence.
Fat is not your Enemy
More and more studies are confirming that Fat is not the enemy, sugar is; and that saturated fat dairy does not contribute to diabetes or heart disease, there's actually an inverse relationship between the two! Whole milk is more filling than fat free, so those who drink it may have less of an urge to consume more calories later in the day. Plus, Whole milk fat helps the absorption of Vitamins present in milk, like vitamins A, D, E and K.
4 reasons to ditch Non Organic Milk
1. It often contains Growth hormones(now banned in over 30 countries).
2. Most cows are fed GMO crops sprayed with Round up(Glyphosate-considered a carcinogen in California).
3. Cows fed a corn diet have unhealthy amounts of omega-6 fatty acids.
4. Cows are forced to take antibiotics because their corn diets make them sick. Antibiotics AND Pus(yes Pus!) ends up in the milk because the FDA allows 750,000 somatic cells(pus) per liter
4 Reason to get Organic Milk:
1. No Growth Hormones
2. No GMO's,
3. No Antibiotics.
4. Healthier Omega 3 to 6 ratios in organic milk & antioxidants.
Organic Grass Fed Whole milk contains the highest levels of Omega-3 fatty acids. Grass-fed cows make more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.
Ultra Pasteurized(UHT) Vs Regularly Pasteurized(HTST)
When you buy Organic, Avoid UHT milk. It means it has been 'Ultra Pasteurized'=heated so high that nearly all of the health benefits are lost. It's so dead it doesn't need to be refrigerated and it's shelf life is up to 9 months! The only reason it's sold in the refrigerated section is to give the impression it is fresh. UHT processing kills off enzymes needed to digest the protein, casein, making it indigestible and "chronically over stressing the immune system".
Buy HTST milk if you don't want to drink raw milk. It means it's 'Regularly Pasteurized' which is (heated at much lower temps) so it still contains good probiotic bacteria like the kind in Yogurt. *Yogurt is always HTST, never UHT for this reason.
Organic, Grass-fed, RAW Milk could be the best choice.
Raw milk is Unpasteurized(not heated to kill bacteria)so it's “alive” and still has all it's probiotics, vitamins and enzymes which can reduce allergies and build a stronger immune system. The full-fat content and the Phosphatase in Raw Milk makes the calcium more bio available. Though some still fear it can harbor bacteria such as listeria and E. coli more and more studies are proving Raw milk is actually much less likely to harm you than any other food out there.
Homogenized Vs Non Homogenized Milk
When milk has not been homogenized, the cream separates to the top.
Homogenized Milk is processed so that the fat molecules are forced to become the same size which allows the milk to stay consistently fluid. The issue with this is that a new fat globule membrane is formed that incorporates a much greater portion of casein and whey proteins, potentially leading to milk related allergies. Studies at USC – Berkeley. suggest that “by reducing the size of fat molecules, homogenization makes fat easier to absorb contributing to heart disease, diabetes and increasing disease-promoting inflammatory processes,” Whether or not these studies are true, why risk it? There's no downside to non Homogenized Milk other than having to shake the bottle first.
My Favorite Brand is Saint Benoit because they are Organic, grass fed Jersey Cows(A2 protein type), Non-Homogenized and 'VAT' pasteurized(lowest possible temp by law). The milk comes in glass bottles which you can return for $1.50. Their products are amazing(esp the ice-cream).
A1 Milk vs A2 Milk
(Maybe you're NOT lactose intolerant after all!)
Most modern US Cattle are Holstein cows which produce milk abnormally high in the A1 beta casein Protein. Original breeds of cattle(like Jersey,Guernsey) produce A2 beta casein. Many studies are concluding that A1cows milk may be the cause for a slew of bad reactions to milk, including: Diabetes, Autism, Lactose intolerance, some even say, Cancer. There's even a company called 'A2 milk' that swears by the life changing health benefits of it's product. There's push back on this evidence from milk companies of course, but there's no downside to trying A2 milk, so if any of these health issues affect you or your family, I say, why not?
Where to find the Milk you Want
2.Grass Fed, Organic, HTST, Non Homogenized,A2&A1: St Benoit Brand(85% A2) Straus Brand(A1)
2. Organic, Grass Fed HTST(and UHT), Non Homogenized & Homogenized: Organic Valley,READ THE LABELS
3. Organic HTST, Non Homogenized Brand: Natural by Nature(in Glass Container).
4. Organic, UHT, Homogenized: WholeFoods 365, Horizon