MYTH
4- RAW MILK IS HEALTHIER THAN PASTEURIZED
The Origin
It’s difficult to pinpoint when or where this idea started, but the raw milk movement has been gaining momentum. Twelve U.S. states now permit sales of raw milk in stores, and 13 more allow it to be sold on the farm where it was produced. Pasteurization involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, but raw milk proponents claim the heat also kills important nutrients and that consuming pasteurized dairy products causes allergic reactions and symptoms of lactose intolerance.
The Truth
The FDA says no there’s evidence that raw milk is any more beneficial than the pasteurized stuff. In fact, the opposite is true: While unpasteurized dairy products such as milk and cheese are consumed by a little more than 3 percent of the population, they cause 96 percent of the illnesses originating from contaminated dairy products, according to the CDC. That’s 840 times more illness and 45 times more hospitalization than from pasteurized dairy products. Infection from harmful bacteria in raw milk (like salmonella, E. coli, and listeria) can result in organ failure, miscarriage, paralysis, or death.
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