The scientific reasons why all forms of pasteurized milk are toxic and best avoided while pasteurized cream and butter are safe.
When it comes to raw dairy, one nuance that is often confusing to traditional foodies is the fact that ALL pasteurized milk is toxic while pasteurized cream and butter are safe and healthy to consume.
How can this be?
First, let’s delve into the reasons why ALL forms of pasteurized milk are toxic. This includes cream top, “low temp pasteurized” milk that is not homogenized.
ANY Processing Damages Milk Proteins
When people first realize that commercial brands of pasteurized milk are indigestible and toxic, the first move is often to switch to vat pasteurized, aka “cream top” milk that is not homogenized.
They have come to realize that commercial milk where the cows are fed GMO, pesticide, and antibiotic-laced feed with no access to fresh air or green grass is not a healthy food.
Switching to “cream top” milk, often from a local farm, where the cows are on pasture and the processing is on-site at a lower temperature seems like a huge improvement.
Unfortunately, any form of milk processing is incredibly damaging.
Even at “low temp” pasteurization temperatures, the fragile milk proteins are denatured.
When a person drinks this type of milk, the enzymes the body produces to digest these (now damaged) proteins do not work as they no longer “fit together” like puzzle pieces.
Any undigested proteins provide food for pathogens in the gut contributing to microbiome damage.
If the person has “leaky gut” which is epidemic today, these undigested particles and toxins from the pathogens that feed on them can make their way into the bloodstream.
At that point, the body identifies these substances as foreign to the body and mounts an immune response.
This translates into autoimmune symptoms better known as allergies, asthma, eczema, and many other disorders!
Microphotography of Milk
Scientific examination of the molecular structure of low temp pasteurized, nonhomogenized milk versus raw milk provides evidence as to why children and animals will instinctively prefer raw milk.
In research conducted by Beverly Rubik PhD, she demonstrates the striking visual differences between raw milk and nonhomogenized milk that is processed at low temperatures. (1)
Note that frozen raw milk that has been thawed has the same beneficial properties with little loss in nutrition.
Contrary to popular belief, even low-temperature pasteurization of milk with no homogenization is a very denaturing process!
I found this research by Dr. Rubik to be very helpful as I have always recommended to people who have the choice between organic low temp pasteurized, non-homogenized milk and grassfed raw milk that is not certified organic to always choose the raw milk.
BUT…Pasteurized Cream and Butter Are Healthy!
I often get asked why pasteurized butter and cream are ok when no form of pasteurized milk is digestible.
The reason is that cream and butter are almost exclusively butterfat.
Butterfat is heat resistant with little to no lipid oxidation from pasteurization. (2)
Of course, there is a loss of probiotics and enzymes, but the fat molecules are not damaged by either regular or vat pasteurization.
Milk, on the other hand, contains the whey portion of the milk where the protein is.
Whey proteins are extremely fragile and substantially denatured by all forms of pasteurization as described above.
Denatured protein is a toxic food and obviously should be avoided.
ALL brands of whey protein powder including colostrum powder, should be avoided as well.
Even the simple process of powdering at low temperature damages the fragile protein molecules.
I hope that explains why pasteurized cream and butter are acceptable, but processed milk in any form is not.
Of course, always get butter and cream raw if you can, but if availability is limited, then pasteurized versions are acceptable.
What About Ultra-Pasteurized Cream?
One caveat to this that I should mention…
Be sure to avoid ultrapasteurized cream, which is processed at even higher temperatures and can denature even the heat tolerant butterfat.
Lipid oxidation of butterfat accelerates significantly above temperatures of 200 °F/ 93 °C. (3)
Ultra-pasteurization, often referred to as UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) processing, involves heating the cream to a temperature of at least 275 °F/ 135 °C for 2 to 5 seconds.
Thus, ultra-pasteurization is denaturing even for the robust fat molecules in dairy.
Is Pasteurized Cheese Healthy?
When it comes to cheese, the most stolen item in the world, raw milk versions are obviously the best and worth every penny (it’s expensive!) to source.
When unavailable, it is best to consume pasteurized cheeses made primarily from cream and not milk. These types of cheeses include:
- Cream Cheese: Made primarily from cream, cream cheese is soft, spreadable, and doesn’t require aging.
- Mascarpone: This Italian cheese made from cream is thick, velvety, and often used in desserts like tiramisu.
- Crème Fraîche: While more of a cultured cream product than a traditional cheese, this tangy and smooth cheese is made by fermenting heavy cream.
- Triple-Cream Cheeses: This type of cheese includes Brie or Camembert. They can become “triple-cream” when extra cream is added to the milk, boosting the fat content of the cheese to 75% or more. Other examples include Brillat-Savarin and Saint André.
Other forms of pasteurized cheese like cheddar, Gouda, Monterey jack, and mozzarella are made primarily with milk. Thus, the whey proteins in the cheeses are already denatured before the cheesemaking process even starts!
However, cheesemaking adds critical nutrients to the pasteurized cheese such as Vitamin K2.
It also adds probiotics and enzymes that facilitate digestion which helps counteract the negative effects of the denatured whey proteins.
It’s your call on that decision based on your personal health history.
If you have strong digestion, then pasteurized cheese is probably fine.
Sticking with raw milk cheese or pasteurized cheeses made primarily with cream is the best way to go, though not always practical or budget-friendly.
If you decide to consume pasteurized cheese (it’s normally eaten in small quantities compared with drinking milk), be sure to always buy it in blocks. Shredded cheese and slices are processed with aluminum!
(1) Microphotography of Raw and Processed Milk
(2, 3) Dairy Chemistry and Biochemistry
What about sour cream? I’m assuming it would be similar to regular cream? Thanks!
Yes.