August 13, 2025 • 12 mins
Hello and welcome back to ChasingEden, where we explore the paths to true wellness—rooted in nature, nourished by tradition, and guided by wisdom—while still recognizing that sometimes, modern medicine has its place. I’m your host, Caroline Thompson.
Today’s episode asks a question you may never have thought to ask: How did raw milk become the villain?
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chasing-eden-health-longevity-and-spirituality--6612749/support.
Today’s episode asks a question you may never have thought to ask: How did raw milk become the villain?
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/chasing-eden-health-longevity-and-spirituality--6612749/support.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Hello, and welcome to Chasing Eden, where we explore the
paths to true wellness routed in nature, nourished by tradition,
and guided by wisdom, while still recognizing that sometimes modern
medicine has its place. I'm your host, Carolyn Thompson. Today's
(00:28):
episode ask a question you may never have thought to ask.
How did raw milk become the villain? For centuries, raw
milk nourished families across cultures and continents. It was once
celebrated as a wholesome, life giving food, but somewhere along
(00:48):
the way the story changed radically. Now many view raw
milk as dangerous. It's illegal in some states, and something
to be avoided at all costs. We'll explore the history
of raw milk in America and the world, how pasteurization
(01:08):
took over, not purely for public health, but also for profit,
and what new science says about a two milk and
lactose intolerance. This is going to be fascinating, so let's
dive in. For thousands of years, raw milk was a
dietary staple for people all over the world. Ancient Egyptians
(01:31):
prized it, nomadic tribes in Central Asia thrived on it,
medieval Europeans drink it fresh, turned it into butter, cream, cheese,
and kifer. It wasn't just food, it was a source
of life, providing protein, fat, calcium, and probiotic bacteria. Before
(01:54):
refrigeration and vitamin supplements existed. In the American colonies, milk
came from cows grazing on pastures and sometimes sheep and goat.
Families milk their animals daily, drink it raw, and use
the surplus to make cheese or yogurt. It was nutrient dense,
(02:18):
alive with beneficial enzymes like lactase, lipais and phosphofhaetaes, enzymes
that help us digest and assimilate nutrients.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
In traditional societies, raw.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Milk was valued for its ability to strengthen children, nourish pregnant.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Mothers, and restore the sick.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Farmers knew that the health of the milk depended entirely
on the health of the animal. Pasture raised, clean and
well cared for animals produced safe milk. For centuries, nobody
considered it dangerous until in dustrialization changed how milk was
(03:02):
produced and distributed. Pasteurization is named after French chemist Louis Pasteur,
who in the eighteen sixty discovered that heating wine killed
spoilage organisms.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
The method was later.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Applied to milk, heating it to a specific temperature to
kill bacteria. Now here's the turning point. In the late
eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, American cities grew rapidly.
People moved away from farms into crowded industrial areas. Milk
(03:42):
no longer came fresh from the family cow. It came
from urban dairies, often tied to distilleries, where cows were
fed left over grain mash, confined into filthy conditions, and
milked in unsanitary barns. This milk often carried dangerous pathogens
like tuberculosis, typhoid, and brusilosis, and made people sick. Instead
(04:09):
of addressing the root problem poor animal care, overcrowding and contamination,
the solution pushed by industry was pasturization. Pasteurization allowed big
dairies to collect milk from many sources, store it longer,
and ship it farther without spoilage.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
But it came at a cost.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Heating milk destroyed delicate enzymes, reduced vitamin content, especially the
vitamin C and B vitamins, and altered protein structures. From
a health perspective, pasteurization was a band aid for bad farming.
From a business perspective, it was gold. It meant milk
(04:54):
could be centralized, standardized, and sold at scale, and the
a new narrative was born. Raw milk is dangerous, pasteurized
milk is safe. By the nineteen twenties, pasturization was ridden
into law in many US cities. By the nineteen forties,
(05:16):
it became the norm nationwide. And once that happened, small
family dairies who sold clean, raw milk locally were pushed out,
while industrial milk processors consolidated power. It's important to acknowledge
that public health concerns were real in the early days
of pasturization, but so were the financial incentives. Pasteurization allowed
(05:43):
large companies to buy up milk from hundreds of farms,
blend it, process it, and brand it. This centralized control
cut out small producers and made milk just another industrial commodity.
And here's the thing. Once pasturization became the law, it
became illegal in many states to sell raw milk, even
(06:06):
from healthy grass fed cows. Why not necessarily because every
batch was dangerous, but because pastorization created a monopoly, only
large licensed facilities could legally sell milk. Fast forward to
today and you'll see the result. Most Americans have never
(06:28):
tasted true raw milk. Marketing campaigns over decades have painted
it as unsafe, even though people around the world from
rural France to Kenya still consume it daily without fear
as they have for centuries now. I don't know if
you've ever heard of the a one versus A two
(06:48):
milk story, So let's shift over to this discussion. Cow's
milk contains beta caseine, a type of Most modern dairy
cows in the US produce a one betak scene, but
many heritage breeds like Jersey, Guernsey and some Asian and
(07:12):
African breeds produce the a two betak sne. This is
really important to know. It may seem trivial, but follow
me here because this is important information. So why does
this matter? A one beta k scene, due to a
genetic mutation that arose thousands of years ago, produces a
(07:36):
peptide during digestion called bc M seven or beta caso
morphine seven. Research suggests that BCM seven may contribute to
digestive comfort, inflammation, and symptoms often labeled as lactose intolerance.
(07:59):
In contrast, a two beta caseine does not release BCM
seven and is digested more slowly and easily. Many people
who believe they are lactose intolerant may actually be sensitive
to a one beta caseine and not lactose itself. Interestingly,
(08:20):
raw milk from A two cows also contains lactase per
dase producing bacteria, which helps digest lactose naturally. This may
explain why some people tolerate raw A two milk even
if they can't drink pasteurized stobot milk. The takeaway well,
(08:43):
the milk intolerance epidemic may be partly a genetic mismatch
between humans and modern industrial dairy breeds, not an inherent
flaw in milk as a food. Raw milk is still
illegal for retail sale in many US states, though her
(09:03):
share programs and direct farm sales are a way some
people legally access it. Advocates say it safer today than
in the past, especially when sourced from grass fed cows,
clean barns, and local farms where freshness is guaranteed. Now.
When my kids, when I was homeschooling them back in
the late nineties early two thousands, I took them to
(09:25):
a farm where the Infresno, the Fresno area in central California,
where the farmer was selling raw milk, and I introduced
my children to the raw milk industry and drinking raw milk.
So that was a little trip we'd make a couple
times a month and we'd go down to the little
farm and buy the milk. And we could buy it
(09:46):
locally as well, but I like to buy it directly
from the farmer and I wanted and they were able
to tour the farm, and he took us on a
whole tour of his farm and it was really neat. Now,
this poor guy, he struggled to sell to keep selling
his milk and keep it stocked. He had some legal
problems because California was giving him a hard time. At
one point, I believe he was selling meat and they
(10:08):
just put so many, so much red tape in his way.
He had to stop selling his meat. So this is
again another way that states and government can get in
the way of our health. Now getting back to raw milk. Nutritionally,
raw milk contains live enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and heat sensitive
(10:30):
vitamins destroyed by pasturization. Some studies even suggest it may
reduce allergies and asthma and children raised on farms. Even so,
it's a personal choice. For those with immune concerns, pasteurized
milk me feel safer for you. For others, raw milk
from a trusted farm offers health benefits they find unmatched,
(10:51):
and today, more than ever, it's becoming more important to
support our local farmers. So if you do think raw
milk is something you would like to try, do an
internet search and see if you can't find a local
farm and see if they won't give you tour around
the farm. You can verify for yourself if they have cleaning,
clean farm practices and if the cows are actually grazing
(11:13):
on green grass. So here on Chasing Eden, we believe
in blending the best of nature with the best of science.
So pasteurization solved the nineteenth century urban problem, but it
also stripped milk of living qualities that nourished humanity for centuries.
So this isn't about rejecting all modern methods. It's about
(11:35):
understanding context, history, and choice. Just as herbal medicine can
co exist with conventional care, raw milk carefully sorts can
co exist with pasteurized milk in the modern food system.
By knowing the story, you can make an informed choice
for yourself and your family. Thank you so much for
joining me on this journey and story of raw milk,
(11:56):
It's history, it's demonization, and the science hind a two milk.
If this sparked curiosity, I encourage you to explore your
local farms, learn about your state's law, and taste the
difference yourself. Thank you so much for joining me here
at Chasing edendt net. If you'd like to go to
our website, that's our website, Chasing Edendt Net
Speaker 2 (12:16):
And subscribe to our podcast if you like what you heard,
Hello, and welcome to Chasing Eden, where we explore the
paths to true wellness routed in nature, nourished by tradition,
and guided by wisdom, while still recognizing that sometimes modern
medicine has its place. I'm your host, Carolyn Thompson. Today's
(00:28):
episode ask a question you may never have thought to ask.
How did raw milk become the villain? For centuries, raw
milk nourished families across cultures and continents. It was once
celebrated as a wholesome, life giving food, but somewhere along
(00:48):
the way the story changed radically. Now many view raw
milk as dangerous. It's illegal in some states, and something
to be avoided at all costs. We'll explore the history
of raw milk in America and the world, how pasteurization
(01:08):
took over, not purely for public health, but also for profit,
and what new science says about a two milk and
lactose intolerance. This is going to be fascinating, so let's
dive in. For thousands of years, raw milk was a
dietary staple for people all over the world. Ancient Egyptians
(01:31):
prized it, nomadic tribes in Central Asia thrived on it,
medieval Europeans drink it fresh, turned it into butter, cream, cheese,
and kifer. It wasn't just food, it was a source
of life, providing protein, fat, calcium, and probiotic bacteria. Before
(01:54):
refrigeration and vitamin supplements existed. In the American colonies, milk
came from cows grazing on pastures and sometimes sheep and goat.
Families milk their animals daily, drink it raw, and use
the surplus to make cheese or yogurt. It was nutrient dense,
(02:18):
alive with beneficial enzymes like lactase, lipais and phosphofhaetaes, enzymes
that help us digest and assimilate nutrients.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
In traditional societies, raw.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Milk was valued for its ability to strengthen children, nourish pregnant.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Mothers, and restore the sick.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
Farmers knew that the health of the milk depended entirely
on the health of the animal. Pasture raised, clean and
well cared for animals produced safe milk. For centuries, nobody
considered it dangerous until in dustrialization changed how milk was
(03:02):
produced and distributed. Pasteurization is named after French chemist Louis Pasteur,
who in the eighteen sixty discovered that heating wine killed
spoilage organisms.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
The method was later.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Applied to milk, heating it to a specific temperature to
kill bacteria. Now here's the turning point. In the late
eighteen hundreds and early nineteen hundreds, American cities grew rapidly.
People moved away from farms into crowded industrial areas. Milk
(03:42):
no longer came fresh from the family cow. It came
from urban dairies, often tied to distilleries, where cows were
fed left over grain mash, confined into filthy conditions, and
milked in unsanitary barns. This milk often carried dangerous pathogens
like tuberculosis, typhoid, and brusilosis, and made people sick. Instead
(04:09):
of addressing the root problem poor animal care, overcrowding and contamination,
the solution pushed by industry was pasturization. Pasteurization allowed big
dairies to collect milk from many sources, store it longer,
and ship it farther without spoilage.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
But it came at a cost.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Heating milk destroyed delicate enzymes, reduced vitamin content, especially the
vitamin C and B vitamins, and altered protein structures. From
a health perspective, pasteurization was a band aid for bad farming.
From a business perspective, it was gold. It meant milk
(04:54):
could be centralized, standardized, and sold at scale, and the
a new narrative was born. Raw milk is dangerous, pasteurized
milk is safe. By the nineteen twenties, pasturization was ridden
into law in many US cities. By the nineteen forties,
(05:16):
it became the norm nationwide. And once that happened, small
family dairies who sold clean, raw milk locally were pushed out,
while industrial milk processors consolidated power. It's important to acknowledge
that public health concerns were real in the early days
of pasturization, but so were the financial incentives. Pasteurization allowed
(05:43):
large companies to buy up milk from hundreds of farms,
blend it, process it, and brand it. This centralized control
cut out small producers and made milk just another industrial commodity.
And here's the thing. Once pasturization became the law, it
became illegal in many states to sell raw milk, even
(06:06):
from healthy grass fed cows. Why not necessarily because every
batch was dangerous, but because pastorization created a monopoly, only
large licensed facilities could legally sell milk. Fast forward to
today and you'll see the result. Most Americans have never
(06:28):
tasted true raw milk. Marketing campaigns over decades have painted
it as unsafe, even though people around the world from
rural France to Kenya still consume it daily without fear
as they have for centuries now. I don't know if
you've ever heard of the a one versus A two
(06:48):
milk story, So let's shift over to this discussion. Cow's
milk contains beta caseine, a type of Most modern dairy
cows in the US produce a one betak scene, but
many heritage breeds like Jersey, Guernsey and some Asian and
(07:12):
African breeds produce the a two betak sne. This is
really important to know. It may seem trivial, but follow
me here because this is important information. So why does
this matter? A one beta k scene, due to a
genetic mutation that arose thousands of years ago, produces a
(07:36):
peptide during digestion called bc M seven or beta caso
morphine seven. Research suggests that BCM seven may contribute to
digestive comfort, inflammation, and symptoms often labeled as lactose intolerance.
(07:59):
In contrast, a two beta caseine does not release BCM
seven and is digested more slowly and easily. Many people
who believe they are lactose intolerant may actually be sensitive
to a one beta caseine and not lactose itself. Interestingly,
(08:20):
raw milk from A two cows also contains lactase per
dase producing bacteria, which helps digest lactose naturally. This may
explain why some people tolerate raw A two milk even
if they can't drink pasteurized stobot milk. The takeaway well,
(08:43):
the milk intolerance epidemic may be partly a genetic mismatch
between humans and modern industrial dairy breeds, not an inherent
flaw in milk as a food. Raw milk is still
illegal for retail sale in many US states, though her
(09:03):
share programs and direct farm sales are a way some
people legally access it. Advocates say it safer today than
in the past, especially when sourced from grass fed cows,
clean barns, and local farms where freshness is guaranteed. Now.
When my kids, when I was homeschooling them back in
the late nineties early two thousands, I took them to
(09:25):
a farm where the Infresno, the Fresno area in central California,
where the farmer was selling raw milk, and I introduced
my children to the raw milk industry and drinking raw milk.
So that was a little trip we'd make a couple
times a month and we'd go down to the little
farm and buy the milk. And we could buy it
(09:46):
locally as well, but I like to buy it directly
from the farmer and I wanted and they were able
to tour the farm, and he took us on a
whole tour of his farm and it was really neat. Now,
this poor guy, he struggled to sell to keep selling
his milk and keep it stocked. He had some legal
problems because California was giving him a hard time. At
one point, I believe he was selling meat and they
(10:08):
just put so many, so much red tape in his way.
He had to stop selling his meat. So this is
again another way that states and government can get in
the way of our health. Now getting back to raw milk. Nutritionally,
raw milk contains live enzymes, beneficial bacteria, and heat sensitive
(10:30):
vitamins destroyed by pasturization. Some studies even suggest it may
reduce allergies and asthma and children raised on farms. Even so,
it's a personal choice. For those with immune concerns, pasteurized
milk me feel safer for you. For others, raw milk
from a trusted farm offers health benefits they find unmatched,
(10:51):
and today, more than ever, it's becoming more important to
support our local farmers. So if you do think raw
milk is something you would like to try, do an
internet search and see if you can't find a local
farm and see if they won't give you tour around
the farm. You can verify for yourself if they have cleaning,
clean farm practices and if the cows are actually grazing
(11:13):
on green grass. So here on Chasing Eden, we believe
in blending the best of nature with the best of science.
So pasteurization solved the nineteenth century urban problem, but it
also stripped milk of living qualities that nourished humanity for centuries.
So this isn't about rejecting all modern methods. It's about
(11:35):
understanding context, history, and choice. Just as herbal medicine can
co exist with conventional care, raw milk carefully sorts can
co exist with pasteurized milk in the modern food system.
By knowing the story, you can make an informed choice
for yourself and your family. Thank you so much for
joining me on this journey and story of raw milk,
(11:56):
It's history, it's demonization, and the science hind a two milk.
If this sparked curiosity, I encourage you to explore your
local farms, learn about your state's law, and taste the
difference yourself. Thank you so much for joining me here
at Chasing edendt net. If you'd like to go to
our website, that's our website, Chasing Edendt Net
Speaker 2 (12:16):
And subscribe to our podcast if you like what you heard,
Popular Podcasts
New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce
Football’s funniest family duo — Jason Kelce of the Philadelphia Eagles and Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs — team up to provide next-level access to life in the league as it unfolds. The two brothers and Super Bowl champions drop weekly insights about the weekly slate of games and share their INSIDE perspectives on trending NFL news and sports headlines. They also endlessly rag on each other as brothers do, chat the latest in pop culture and welcome some very popular and well-known friends to chat with them. Check out new episodes every Wednesday. Follow New Heights on the Wondery App, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free, and get exclusive content on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And join our new membership for a unique fan experience by going to the New Heights YouTube channel now!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!