I get loads of e-mails about my take on things, some of them skeptical. But it’s not everyday I get an earful from a representative of an entire industry. This one really had me scratching my head . . .

If you’re one of my regular readers, you know I’ve raised some serious concerns about the health hazards of commercial milk. Specifically, I’ve talked about how pasteurizing and homogenizing strips milk of some natural nutritional content—not to mention the addition of artificial chemicals and hormones.

Well, the word got out—way out. One of my readers forwarded my House Call about milk to the Australian Dairy Industry Council (ADIC). The response was not friendly.

They accused me of being a hired gun whose ideas about health and wellness make me a biased commentator. The phrase was “Mr. Rent a Statement for money” and asked if I had anything better to do than write “false and misleading articles.”

First, off this is a strange accusation coming from a paid spokesperson of the dairy industry. Second, even the most skeptical reader would be hard-pressed to show how I profited from my statements about the dangers of commercial dairy products. I’m not in the business of selling milk. I don’t have organic or raw milk myself and I don’t have any connection to the industry. All I did was suggest that organic milk was a better alternative, and cited a new study proving it.

I was also talking about milk in this country, not in Australia. Cattle there enjoy real grasses as well as grains as part of their diet. They don’t get pumped full of antibiotics and hormones like here in the States. In fact, they screen milk down under for these and other dangerous additives and toxins. So if you’re drinking milk in Australia or New Zealand, you’re getting a better product than you would here.

Setting aside those issues, let’s take a look at some of their claims about commercial milk:

“Prior to pasteurization requirements, there were a number of deaths associated with milk-borne bacteria (e.g. Tuberculosis) causing fatal infections.”

The data doesn’t support this claim. There may have been tuberculosis outbreaks in the past. But with today’s modern storage and handling techniques, there’s little evidence that we’re better off with pasteurized milk.

Here’s a graph of some recent outbreaks of food–borne illnesses:

As you can see, milk—whether raw or pasteurized—is among the safest things you can buy when it comes to food–borne illnesses. You ought to be more worried about packaged mixed greens.

“. . . . there is little evidence to suggest that these changes in any way de-value milk as a nutritious food or make it a ‘lot less healthy product.’”

Again, scientific studies reported in Scientific American and The British Journal of Nutrition have shown the opposite to be true. Here are a few nutrients that get lost in commercial milk processing:

Are we to believe that these journals too are “Mr. rent a statement for money”

As for their contention that:

“Milk is a very good medium for bacteria to grow and prior to pasteurization becoming compulsory, milk was implicated in many food poisoning incidents”

I’ll give them half credit here for getting it half right.

Milk is an excellent medium for all kinds of healthy microorganisms and enzymes to flourish, including

• Lactoferrin–an immune booster that kills off deadly bacteria

• Complement & Lyzosome–disrupts bacterial walls, prevents disease outbreaks

• Mucins–acts like a glue trap for bacteria and viruses, coating their surfaces and preventing them from binding to your gut

• Oligosaccharides–prevents your stomach acid from destroying beneficial enzymes and nutrients

Most of these naturally beneficial substances do not survive the pasteurization process, even though we know they’re good for you. So much so that the FDA approved lactoferrin as a spray to reduce E. coli outbreaks!

Meanwhile, it’s not as if pasteurization makes milk completely safe. There have been a number of dangerous outbreaks over the years traced to commercial milk. One involved the bacterium Listeria. Another massive outbreak of salmonella infected over 16,000 people in Illinois in the late eighties.

And the reality is that the antimicrobial properties of raw milk may make it safer. For example, one study found that the most dangerous strain of E. coli multiplied at a significantly lower rate in unpasteurized milk than in its commercial cousin.

Lastly my “takes” on all your health advise are grounded in clinical research. I stand by what I write—and put those principles into practice with my patients.

So let me make sure I’m clear: raw milk is still illegal in 22 states. However, if it is legal where you live, it’s worth looking into.

If you can’t get it legally, try to find organic whole milk as a healthy alternative. There’s plenty of scientific evidence that it’s better for you than the typical commercial milk on the market.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1 FDA News, August 22, 2004.

2 Fleming et al. “Pasteurized milk as a vehicle of infection in an outbreak of listeriosis.” New England Journal of Medicine. 1985. 312(7):404-7.

3 Ryan et al. “Massive outbreak of antimicrobial-resistant salmonellosis traced to pasteurized milk.” Journal of the American Medical Association. 1987. 258(22):3269-3274.

Going organic is a good idea… Organic foods are higher in nutritional content, from vitamins and minerals to antioxidants.

They’re also free of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, and other toxins that cause hormonal imbalances, many kinds of cancer, birth defects, and other serious illnesses.

But organic food isn’t always easy to find and the labels can be confusing.

To make it easier for you, I have a few suggestions…

#1: Know What the Labels Mean

Trying to figure out which foods are really “organic” can be difficult because there are so many different labels. Anything carrying a seal 100% Organic means the food contains only organically produced ingredients. It must carry contact information for a USDA certifying agent; it usually bears the “USDA Organic” seal.

If the label says Organic, it means 95% of the ingredients that went into making the food are organic. The remaining 5% must be on a national list of accepted ingredients. These products also have to contain contact information for the independent, USDA-regulated certifying agent.

Made with organic ingredients means the food contains at least 70 percent organic ingredients. They also have to provide the certifying agent’s contact information. But the remainder of the ingredients aren’t necessarily organic. And they can’t carry the “USDA Organic” seal.

Foods with less than 70 percent organic ingredients may include any organic ingredients on the ingredients list only. They also aren’t allowed to carry the “USDA Organic” seal.

#2: Buy Local

Farmers’ markets are popping up in a lot of communities these days. Look for one near you. Locally grown produce is often more nutritious than store-bought, simply because you’re getting fruits and vegetables that are in season, and they don’t need to be transported over long distances. That means they’ve ripened closer to harvest, which makes a big difference in nutritional content.

#3: Avoid These Hazardous Foods

• Milk: Commercial cattle are pumped full of hormones and antibiotics. They eat grains laced with pesticides. And they’re simply diseased animals. All of that stuff gets concentrated in their milk. The USDA performed analyses of commercial milk in 2004 and found pesticide residues in all samples tested.1 Organic milk is readily available in most supermarkets. Make this a priority purchase.

• Peaches/Apples: These two fruits contained the highest concentration of pesticides of 45 kinds of produce the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit consumer health organization. They used the USDA’s own analysis to rank food safety. Avoid commercial versions of these fruits. Even washing won’t offer you (or your children) enough protection.2

• Peanut Butter: Kids love it. Unfortunately, more than 99 percent of peanut farmers use conventional farming techniques in this country, including fungicides and other toxins.3 So skip the Skippy – it’s bad for you and your children.

• Imported Produce: Many fruits and vegetables out of season in our hemisphere are in season in South America. Blueberries, tomatoes, grapes and other produce often come from Chile, Argentina, or Peru during the winter months. Steer clear of them. Many have far more pesticides and other dangerous chemicals than domestic varieties.

#4: Explore Your Options

Here are a few web sites to find out where you can get healthy, nutritious foods. If you’re interested in finding grass-fed beef (which I strongly recommend over commercial beef), check out www.localharvest.org and search for healthy ranches according to your zip code. My personal favorite is US Wellness Meats: www.grasslandbeef.com.

The Environmental Working Group also offers sound advice and information on food safety: www.foodnews.org. They offer a great list of fruits and vegetables and the amount of pesticides they contain, along with free guides and news updates.

You can also look for a farmer’s market near you. Use this web site hosted by the Community Alliance with Family Farmers: www.caff.org.

To Your Good Health,

Al Sears, MD

1 Benbrook CM. “FAQS on Pesticides in Milk.” Organic Center. December 2006. Calculated from USDA’s Pesticide Data Program, 2005.

2 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce. Environmental Working Group.

3 Tara Parker-Pope, “Five Easy Ways to Go Organic,” New York Times, October 22. 2007.