New Delhi. The practice of drinking raw milk without boiling it is quite old. This continued till almost the 20th century. It was considered safe and healthy as long as the cow ate its natural diet of grass. However, with changing times, both the food of the cows and their milk started getting adulterated, due to which currently drinking boiled milk is also considered safe, but this does not mean that raw milk is harmful for health.

Drinking raw milk has many health benefits. It is very tasty as well as nutritious. Raw milk contains active enzymes, bioavailable vitamins and minerals. Its fatty acid ratio is beneficial. It contains biodiverse and beneficial bacteria, which help in digesting lactose.

Benefits of raw milk

• It helps in curing the side effects of antibiotics.
• Raw milk contains gut healthy probiotics and enzymes.
• It contains healthy fats.
• It is rich in nutrients like vitamin A, magnesium, zinc, thiamine etc.
• Calcium, Vitamin D, Phosphorus and Magnesium are found in it to keep bones strong.
• Raw milk does not promote lactose intolerance but rather helps in the digestion of lactose.
• It contains quality protein, which contains all the 9 essential amino acids.
• Raw milk also protects against asthma and allergies.

Disadvantages of pasteurization process

Milk is sterilized through the pasteurization process, in which the protein is denatured and many minerals are also lost during this process. There is a problem in digesting denatured protein. Overall, it can be said that if the milk of a healthy grass-fed cow is consumed raw, then it is beneficial in many ways.