Until recently I was under the assumption that I was getting the best milk for my family by getting organic milk from the grocery store. One fine day we visited a local dairy to see how dairy products are made and how it gets from the farm to our fridge.
If you moved from another country you would understand what I am saying. Ever wondered why milk back home made all that cream when heated? Why does the shelf life of milk be a couple of days back home and months here in the United States?
What exactly is Homogenization?
A process called Homogenization was introduced in the US in 1932. It breaks apart fat molecules under high pressure, leaving the fat suspended and evenly dispersed throughout the milk. As a result of homogenization the cream/fat portion of milk, which normally floats on top, is emulsified with the non-fat portion.
Any guesses why this process became the industry standard? Yes, to market milk to longer distances and increase the shelf life.
Why you should not be consuming Homogenized milk?
Homogenized milk makes the fat in the milk nearly indigestible. This could likely contribute to heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic disorders, as well as allergies, largely by boosting the absorbability of an enzyme in milk called Xanthine Oxidase XO instead of being excreted. The higher blood levels of XO could contribute to disease-promoting inflammatory processes in our bodies.
If you want to understand and learn more about it physiologically, check this link:
http://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/milk-homogenization-heart-disease/
Where can you find Non-homogenized milk? What should you be looking for in your milk?
Most of the milk in the United States is homogenized, so you will have to read the label closely
which says Non-homogenized like this one. We are so accustomed to homogenized milk that we have forgotten that it is not in its Natural state. Look at the label. The natural state of milk is like oil in water emulsion. If left to sit over time, you will find its fat portion rising to the top of its water portion and forming a cream layer. Non-homogenized milk does not carry bacteria, as it is still pasteurized. Non-homogenized milk doesn’t carry extra fat either. It just doesn’t mess with the fat.
Whether these studies are true or not, I just feel more comfortable ingesting fat in a more natural state, the way it first existed.
Do you avoid all processed food? But Do you consume Cow’s Milk?
Today’s cow’s milk is free from bad pathogens and safe to consume but all the processes chemically alter the milk making it a highly processed food😔
Homogenization is one of the processes contributing to the making of dairy products a far cry from what was used by our ancestors.
