Is there any benefit to raw milk vs pasteurized milk?

[TaraJo]

So, I've stated that I'm going through a lot of biology classes and looking at majoring in biology when I finish up my associates. I'm really liking the science and knowing actual science feels so rare it's like it's a superpower. I like it.

But the problems arise when people say things that just do NOT sound reasonable to me. This time, it's a bunch of nuts telling me how raw milk is so much better than pasteurized milk. This does not line up with anything I've learned in any of my biology classes; not nutrition, not chemistry, not microbiology, nothing. I tell them the facts; I tell them that the entire purpose of pasteurizing is to get rid of the pathogens that could make them sick or kill them. Their claim (and I am not making this up) is that I only believe in pasteurization because I'm buying the line put out there by big dairy companies, trying to make more money.

Is there something to raw milk that I don't realize or are these just nuts who are buying into conspiracy theory pseudo-science instead of real peer reviewed science?

[truthBtold]

Does chocolate milk come from chocolate cows?

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

It supposedly tastes better. I never tried it however.

[Minimalist]

http://www.cdc.gov/features/rawmilk/

It hardly seems worth the risk.

Raw milk can carry harmful bacteria and other germs that can make you very sick or kill you. While it is possible to get foodborne illnesses from many different foods, raw milk is one of the riskiest of all.

Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting. Less commonly, it can mean kidney failure, paralysis, chronic disorders, and even death.

Many people who chose raw milk thinking they would improve their health instead found themselves (or their loved ones) sick in a hospital for several weeks fighting for their lives from infections caused by germs in raw milk. For example, a person can develop severe or even life-threatening diseases, such as Guillain-Barré syndrome, which can cause paralysis, and hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can result in kidney failure and stroke.

[c172]

Having the runs is always good, so there's that. I'll need to go to the sushi restaurant tonight and see if they serve raw milk as a beverage. Sounds like a good pairing.

[Kayenneh]

Is there something to raw milk that I don't realize or are these just nuts who are buying into conspiracy theory pseudo-science instead of real peer reviewed science?

My brother-in-law is a dairy farmer, so I speak with that bias. The only "super" milk I can think of, is the very first milk a cow produces, the colostrum The "normal" untreated milk is definitely worse and a potential risk for ones health, rather than the one that has been treated. That being said, my sister's family use untreated milk from their own cows, since they know exactly where it came from. It's a lot fatter than store milk.

It supposedly tastes better. I never tried it however.

I think so, but only because of the extra fat. Tastes really good in coffee.

[Jacob(smooth)]

Funny how it goes. All these years and advancements to find a way to make milk safe then people have a yen for the good old days.

[Minimalist]

Chlorine in the gene pool, Jake.

[Cato]

It supposedly tastes better. I never tried it however.

Supposedly is right. I consider myself a recreational milk drinker, whole milk only, and I consider raw milk to be the imagined texture and taste of liquid shit.

[Silver]

Soy milk all the way!