A recent study published that raw milk may only have a placebo effect as reported in Food Safety News. Any other health benefits supposedly from raw milk consumption are pure myth, it added.
John A. Lucey, food science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had reviewed more than 50 scientific articles and websites of groups advocating raw milk consumption and had come to the conclusion that there is no evidence suggesting that raw milk provides any health or nutritional benefits including better digestion and eliminating lactose intolerance.
Also sitting as the director of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Research, he further claimed that health benefits of raw milk consumption are "unsubstantial myths". "A number of different claims have been made about the possible health benefits that could hypothetically be derived from the consumption of raw milk," writes Lacey in "Raw Milk Consumption:Risks and Benefits" published in the open source Nutrition Today. "Recent scientific reviews by various international groups have concluded that there was no reliable scientific evidence to support any of these suggested heath benefits."
"During pasteurization, there is no significant change in the nutrition quality of milk." He also writes that theres no significant differences in the protein or mineral quality of the milk during pasteurization and the vitamin losses are "very minor", Lacey said.
According to the report, raw milk has been a frequent source of illness outbreaks. "U.S. statistics for dairy-associated outbreaks of human disease during the period 1993-2006 have been reviewed," Lacey writes. "There were 121 dairy product outbreaks where the pasteurization status was known; among these, 73 (60 percent) involved raw milk products and resulted in 1,571 reported cases, 202 hospitalizations, and two deaths. A total of 55 (75 percent) outbreaks occurred in the 21 states that permitted the sale of raw milk."
He then continues, "States that restricted the sale of raw milk had fewer outbreaks and illnesses. In an updated report covering the 6-year period from 2007-2012, the average number of outbreaks associated with non-pasteurized milk was 4-fold higher during the 6-year period (average 13.5 outbreaks/year) than that reported in the previous review of outbreaks during 1993-2006."
Wisconsin alone had six outbreaks with 261 illnesses and 27 hospitalizations between 2007-2012. With the increase of outbreaks is a possibility of an increase consumption of raw milk even in states where it is illegal to sell non-pasteurized milk.
