Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Politically Correct Health




In School this year, I've read both sides of the "health debate." Most people know – or at least have a general idea- of what politically correct health is. It is the most commonly held view.


Politically correct health argues against most foods that have not been tweaked in some manner or another. Milk is not considered safe if it is not pasteurized, butter and natural oils are considered unhealthy and a hazard to health itself, etc.


I have taken one subject – milk – so that you can see for yourself the difference between "politically correct" health and natural health.


Milk is one of the most argued-over subjects in the whole aspect of healthiness. Politically correct health wants it pasteurized, homogenized, and the fat content reduced. Unsanitary conditions in the milk tanks, milkers, etc. can add germs to the milk. If all the enzymes in the milk are heated to the right temperature, they will die, and thus be unable to do anything to whoever drinks them. This is good right? Not so fast.


Milk is a very big deal to a lot of people in some way or another. For one, a lot of people are allergic to it. It's a big deal because if they should drink it, they'd break out in some sort of an allergic reaction – which I'm told is very unpleasant. To other people, they hardly notice the effect milk has on them – since they're not allergic and are probably focusing more on the cookie they're eating with it – but it has an effect nonetheless. The calcium present in milk is necessary in the body to help build strong bones and to help support other processes. Below, is a list of the vitamins found in pasteurized and unpasteurized or raw milk.


PASTEURIZED



  1. Vitamin A--destroyed

  2. Vitamin D--Not altered

  3. Vitamin E--Not altered

  4. Vitamin K--Not altered

  5. Vitamin B complex--pasteurization of milk destroys about 38% of the vitamin B complex.

  6. Vitamin C is weakened or destroyed by pasteurization. Infants fed pasteurized milk exclusively will develop scurvy.

  7. Antineuritic vitamin: Testing of pasteurized milk indicates destruction of this vitamin

Raw Certified Milk



  1. Vitamin A--fat soluble

  2. Vitamin D--fat soluble

  3. Vitamin E--fat soluble

  4. Vitamin K--fat soluble

  5. Vitamin B--Complex:
    Vitamin Bw--Biotin
    Vitamin B --Choline
    Vitamin Bc --Folic Acid
    Vitamin B1 --Thiamine
    Vitamin B2 --Inositol
    Vitamin B2 --Nicotinic Acid
    Vitamin B2 --Riboflavin
    Vitamin B2 --Pantothenic Acid
    Vitamin B3 --Niacin
    Vitamin B6 --Pyridoxine
    Vitamin B12--Cyanocobalamin

  6. Vitamin C

  7. Antineuritic vitamin

The "politically correct" group does have a point regarding the bacteria present in raw milk, but there is a better way to protect against harmful pathogens than robbing the milk of the many beneficial vitamins our bodies get from the "unabridged" version.


Before there were refrigerators people fermented or soured their milk before consumption. Nope, they didn't set it out in the sun to spoil, they used recipes to make yogurt, cheese, clabber, and curds and whey. Every heard of "cold clabber milk" in a civil-war era story? This is an example of "fermented" milk.


"Without pasteurization or refrigeration, milk sours and separates spontaneously. This is due to the process of lacto-fermentation during which lactic-acid-producing bacteria begin digesting or breaking down both milk sugar (lactose) and milk protein (casein). When these friendly bacteria have produced enough lactic acid to inactivate all putrefying bacteria, the milk is effectively preserved from spoilage for several days or weeks and in the case of cheese, which undergoes further fermentation of a different type, for several years."


"Like the process of sprouting grains, fermentation of milk results in numerous beneficial changes. Fermentation breaks down casein, or milk protein, one of the most difficult proteins to digest. Culturing restores many of the enzymes destroyed during pasteurization including lactase, which helps digest lactose or milk sugar, and numerous enzymes, which help the body absorb calcium and other minerals."1


So even if the daunting task of finding raw milk renders itself impossible, culturing pasteurized milk will restore a lot of the enzymes that pasteurization destroys.


In this one example we can see that politically correct health is not as correct as most people deem it. Through the ages this same issue has come up, people try to "conquer" what has been created instead of finding a way to work with nature, or make the way that God has provided much "better" than it is already. God knows what is best for us, so what he has created has no room for improvement.

9 comments:

Bethany d said...

lol, I'm rather scared to drink milk *looks at the jug nervously*

Anna said...

lol:) That's what "food facts" will do to a person sometimes! - I know. :D

Sarah Grace said...

I love your new background ! It is beautiful ! Sarah

Kara said...

Why, thank you Sarah!

Anonymous said...

(That was Anna - not Kara)

Bailey said...

Girl, you are sharp! I be so proud of you. :o)

On the political side of milk issues...I had to write a report of a recent bill (that I think got shot down) about allowing a raw milk market. Really, if people want to run the risk of getting sick on raw milk, that's their choice...not the government's. No matter the health data either way. Especially if the data is in favor of raw milk.

Sorry for being random. :P

Anonymous said...

This was very interesting,
Anna! Isn't it strange that God provides a newborn baby with the ability to nurse milk from it's mother as soon as it is born. So I take it from that example that the natural way is always the best, and that would have to include milk...wouldn't you think!!

Anonymous said...

I always inspired by you, your opinion and way of thinking, again, thanks for this nice post.

- Thomas

Anna said...

Yes, indeed!!!