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Mark McAfee

How Raw Milk Repairs the American Immune System
Presenter: Mark McAfee
Website: www.organicpastures.com
Live Q&A Session: Listen to the Replay on UW Radio

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  • CMTorie

    As always, a great educational talk with Mark.  He has so much passion for what he does and it shows in everything he does.  Take your children to his farm and you will see Mark’s eye’s light up at the idea of touching a child and families heart and health. In my daughters 1st grade year she had terrible anxiety.  Dropping her off at school, or the thought of being left at school would cause a full on melt down.  Broke my heart.  She was an extremely obedient child, loved her teacher, yet was totally fearful of something that she didn’t understand (nor did I).  A holistic chiropractor suggested that her gut was out of whack and that once I got her tummy under control my problem would disappear.  It was very difficult for me to swallow how two totally different things could be related.  Well….enter Mark and his amazing Organic Pastures Raw Milk.  It took about 3 days to start seeing a change.  So quickly in fact, that it took about two weeks for us to realize “Hey….she hasn’t had a break down since we started the Milk”.  Crazy…but true.  My children thrive on it….keeps away colds/flu….my children have never been healthier and that was 2 1/2 years ago.  FOREVER indebted to Mark and the entire OPDC crew!

  • jcblank

    I wish you would continue to post a brief description below the video.  It was helping me decide which I wanted to watch.  We have satellite internet, which limits our downloads, and I have to pick and choose carefully.  

    • Catalin

      This may help you. The mail that is sent at the beginning of every Real Foods Summit day contains a brief description of the presentations from that day.

  • Theresa

    Bought my first litre at a farmers market at the weekend. In just 48 hours after my first glass, I could feel a difference in my gut. Previous to that any hint of (organic) milk in my food would cause serious gas and bloating. Got my bottle cleaned and ready for Saturday!

    • Torie

      I’m sure I’m over simplifying this…but Organic Pasteurized Milk is even worse than traditional Pasteurized Milk because it is ULTRA Pasteurized…which is heated to an even HIGHER temperature (thus the reason for the ultra long expiration date), so that probably did even MORE damage to your gut.  So glad you are feeling the benefits!

  • Catalin

    Pasteurization is definitely bad. But what if I get raw milk and boil it a bit at home? Do I lose the benefits of raw milk? My grandma has been growing cows for 60 years and she always boils the milk. Thoughts?

    • http://twitter.com/AndrewPaleoGuy Andrew Trevors

      I think it is basically the same thing .. heat destroys a lot of the enzymes or so that is what I gather from what I have read.

    • http://www.facebook.com/somethings.cookin Somethings Cookin

      Heat kills the enzymes and beneficial bacteria, but does not always kill the pathogens.  When you kill the beneficial bacteria, they aren’t there to keep the pathogen population under control.  Boiling/pasteurizing is a double bad whammy.  Good stuff is gone and bad stuff can grow unchecked.

    • Me

      I would believe that home boiled raw milk would still beat store bought milk because it isn’t homogenized. It really isn’t necessary but if you feel safer boiling maybe start that way then decide eventually with more research if you still want to do it. When in doubt trust Grandma!

  • Robyndena

    How would you suggest starting to introduce raw milk in a diet when you’ve indicated that the SAD has caused our immune systems to be so damaged. I am concerned about my own safety as well as the safety of my 3 1/2 month old infant, since the breast milk she’s been drinking is obviously a product of my current diet…

    • http://www.facebook.com/somethings.cookin Somethings Cookin

      When I started drinking raw milk that’s all I did, started drinking raw milk.  I wasn’t breast feeding though, so you might want to check this out with a naturopath or other alternative medical professional.

      • Torie

        I know someone that wasn’t able to bf, and she made a home-made formula with Raw Milk.  Her baby did wonderful with it.  If you are concerned just start yourself….the good stuff will get into your milk and go to baby in turn.  Just be sure you know where your Raw Milk is coming from….follow all the steps he suggested to keep you and baby healthy

  • Melody Gough

    What if you need to be casein free to heal leaky gut? How does raw milk play into that diagnosis?

    • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

      I’m wondering this exact same thing. I am really surprised that casein was not brought up at all. 

      • Torie

        Mark is always more than willing to answer questions….but you have to be able to ‘read between the lines’ and research outside of him.  I would say Mark is on the FDA’s top 10 wanted list…they want him shut down!!  So he is very careful not to make any ‘claims’ that the FDA may not approve of (which is ANY claim that states that raw milk is good for you).  Go to his site http://www.organicpastures.com and send them an email with any question you have :)  They are VERY helpful….they all seem to love what they do and what they stand for!

    • http://twitter.com/TheFitRx TheFitRx.com

      Melody – great question. If you are working to heal a leaky gut and are starting off casein-free (ideal) then you want to give your gut time to heal as you gradually reintroduce foods. Begin casein-free with dairy such as ghee or clarified butter, and as your gut heals and you rebuild the mucosal barrier of the intestines, try adding in dairy foods (one at a time) that contain higher ratios of casien such as butter, some cheeses and eventually up to kefir, cultured milk and raw milk. Chart you reactions as each food is reintroduced and provide 5-7 days between foods. For leaky gut, be sure to start with some bone broth and smart supplementation with a high quality probiotic in capsule/pill form – this will help reinnoculate the gut with healthy bacteria while avoiding the casein in the initial phase. Good luck! :)

    • Rebekkah Smith

      My youngest is on GAPS to heal his leaky gut, but you only need to be casein free (even if you are allergic to milk) for 6 weeks on GAPS.  After 6 weeks, his milk allergy is healed.  He can now consume butter and cheese with no reaction.  The hope of being on a healing diet for leaky gut is to HEAL and be able to consume dairy again.  So, hopefully, even if you are avoiding casein now, it’s just temporary.

  • Annelie

    Thank you for the information! 

  • http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry

    Great presentation. Mark is a super fast talker! I’ve never tried raw milk before but wish to asap. I do like raw cheese!

  • Enequone

    Do I get the same benefit from consuming cheese made from raw milk than from consuming raw milk itself?    In Canada it’s illegal to purchase raw milk, but legal to buy cheese made from raw milk.

    • NorskSwede

      It’s also illegal to buy raw milk here in the U.S. unless you do so thru a milk-share program.  This necessitates going DIRECTLY to a dairy farmer (cow or goat).  Locate a farmer that follows good practices in your area and see if they offer this option.  It’s well worth it.  The reputable ones will welcome you with open arms, allow you to visit their farm and answer any questions you have.  Good luck!

      • http://www.facebook.com/somethings.cookin Somethings Cookin

        In some states it’s illegal, but that’s not a federal law.

        • Asdf

           really? because it’s the FDA and the feds busting farmers and co-ops.

          • Rebekkah Smith

            Yeah, I live in South Carolina, and I can buy raw milk from stores.

      • farmerjane

         Well, not exactly. Many states allow raw milk sales with a permit. This involves additional testing of your milk and stricter standards for the cleanliness and safety of the milk. However, there are some states that do not allow raw milk sales at all. It is not a federal level mandate. At the federal level only raw milk sales across state lines is not allowed.

  • Grimm

    As far as I know milk is meant by nature for the young cows only! So why not live according to natures laws! Be Vegan!

    • http://www.facebook.com/somethings.cookin Somethings Cookin

      Vegan may work for some people, but it’s very hard to get all the necesarry nutrients without consuming animal products.  I hope you are doing well with it.

  • John wells

    I make raw milk yogurt…Is kefir more important?

    • Torie

      Kefir is yogurt on steroids….it’s just more of the same great beneficial bacteria.  Stick with your yogurt…but if you want to turn it up a notch try kefir….but only if you make it yourself :)

  • Ashley

    I do wonder about the laws of nature on this. All animals and humans wean. Why return to milk after we can get nutrition from the soil and meat and veggies? I love thentaste of milk, but am I fighting the laws of nature? Also, is cow milk meant for baby cows and human for baby humans?

    • http://www.facebook.com/somethings.cookin Somethings Cookin

      Good question, but I go with my faith.  God took the Israelites into a land flowing with milk and honey.  I take that to mean milk and honey are beneficial for me.  For those with a humanistic point of view, I can see how this question is challenging.  I do well with raw milk, I’m going to keep drinking it!

      • Rebekkah Smith

        I am a Christian and feel like there is a strong Biblical basis for drinking raw milk. Milk is referred to many times in the Bible, always in good and nourishing context.  Cain and Able kept livestock, probably for their milk.  

        Aside from that, there is a strong evolutionary argument for dairy.  People have been consuming dairy for as long as we have had written history.  Traditional cultures consume large amounts of raw milk, especially for fertility.  It’s a highly sustainable and versatile food.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=758650636 Zergham Tareen

    How about Canadian milk which doesn’t have any antibiotics or hormones.
    http://www.dairygoodness.ca/good-health/dairy-facts-fallacies/hormones-for-cows-not-in-canada

  • disgruntled!

    Why can I not see/hear Mark McAfee? What’s wrong?  

  • Jessica Y.

    Great presentation! I am from a family of doctors and nurses who all think I’m crazy for most of the choices we’ve made for our kids and family. You had some CDC information in your talk. Would you post the link where you got your numbers so that I in turn have something that my family would recognize.  Thank you!

  • Amy

    This is why I moved to Costa Rica, to get real organic food and milk.  I’ve lost 20 pounds in 1 month just eating truly organic food, not what we consider organic here in the US.

  • JZ

    Mark, I am so ready to go with raw milk, however I thought you mentioned for already impaired immune systems raw milk could be a problem.  I was dignosed with Wegener’s (medical definition – an incurable form of vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels) that affects the nose, lungs, kidneys and other organs. Due to its end-organ damage, it is life-threatening and requires long-term immunisuppression).  I want to walk away from the medical world’s answers and go with raw food.   Please speak to the use of raw milk when immune system problems are present.

    • http://twitter.com/Majikza Jonathan Swaringen

        Check
      out the book Devils in the Milk by Keith Woodford or google difference
      between A1 and A2 milk for further potentially useful information.  Immune system problems could be potentially about the A1, A2 issue and the fact that the casein protein is different in some cows.

      Edit Reply

  • Sourpusscandy

    Bonnie who?? can’t understand, basler? bosworth? re: bacteria

    • Mary

       The slides that go with the audio have the important points on them. I make good use of the pause feature to write down things for reference. 
      Bonnie Bassler gave the TED talk.
       http://www.ted.com/talks/bonnie_bassler_on_how_bacteria_communicate.html

  • seancroxton

    Hey Guyz and Galz!

    Thanks for attending the summit. Mark will be on UW Radio tomorrow for Q&A. Get the details by clicking the sidebar banner!

  • joymassa

    Listening to Mark McAfee brings home, for me, how extraordinary farmers of Real Food are nowadays! I’m impressed by his articulate knowledge of his work & passion for raw milk! I remember the “old days” of stereotypes of farmers! Not so these days! (or perhaps, ever! Maybe it was part of the marketing of processed foods!) In any case, meeting & listening to Joel Salatin and Mark McAfee has been the highlight of your Real Food Summit, so far, for me! Thank you, Sean!

    • seancroxton

      Thanks! Glad you’re loving the summit!

  • SarahB

    Excellent information! We have enjoyed raw milk for years and have enjoyed its benefits in our family! My question involves defending milk consumption in general – how should I respond to vegans etc…who say cow milk is for calves – we have no business drinking cow milk in the first place…
    thanks

  • Rolondia Duran

    This was a very informative presentation.  I miss dairy and this new information may make me change my mind.  I not only have pasteurization intolerance, but also autoimmine diseases and wish Sean had asked McAfee about the antibodies and insulin in milk that MAY? trigger many humans’ immune systems to react with chronic inflammation and depletion of their own immune defenses. Thank you Sean for an awesome summit!

  • Sonia

    I thought he said 1100.. Including 2 from Mexico…but that wasn’t american..
    I live this summit!!!
    Sonia :)

  • Behopeful

    Zero deaths and 1100 ilnesses
    Bonnie Echols

  • Jo

    1100 illnesses and zero deaths
    Jo

  • Donna

    How does one transition from pasturized milk to raw milk.  Does the stomach go through adjustments (i.e. tummy upsets, etc) especially for children with gut issues?

    • Torie

      In my opinion (as nothing more than a happy consumer) there is NO transition period.  Just go straight to Raw…everything is gentler on your tummy so there are no issues.  The only “issue” I would caution is a compromised immune system.  Depending on what kind of ‘tummy’ issues your child has, I would say that raw milk will only HELP the issues.  Spoken as someone that was in your shoes :)

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1259404483 Miranda Clements

    We’ve been dairy free for over a year- both by choice for the whole family and allergies for myself. I have been on the fence about raw milk for a long and this info is fantastic! Thank you! I am unable to get raw milk where I am, but can get raw cheese at Whole Foods and was wondering if raw cheeses have the same benefits (I would think so, but this is new territory for me :) …. thanks again!

  • Janelle

    Please ask on Q&A: (I don’t see this posted already)   What about “the people” who say milk is meant for calves, not people?  And milk is not the same as colostrum… so why is milk–even raw–OK for us to eat/drink?  thanks!

    • Torie

      Raw Milk is not the same as Colostrum….however OPDC also sells Colostrum :)  

  • Randy

    1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations and 2 deaths.. reported to the CDC during that period from raw “not pasteurized” milk and cheese. This was from 1973 through 2009. 

  • Guest

    Hi
    – What about those who have been diagnosed with a casein allergy.  Do
    “casein allergies” apply to grass fed raw milk or is this just for pasteurized
    factory milk?  I understand that those with a lactose

    intolerance

    do well with raw milk and was wondering how casein allergies applied to raw milk.  I look forward to your reply.  Kind Regards

    • http://www.facebook.com/jaemi Jamie Ann

      drink raw, organic, grass-fed goat or sheep’s milk. milk from these animals do not have the problematic form of casein found in most cow’s milk.

      • http://twitter.com/Majikza Jonathan Swaringen

          Check
        out the book Devils in the Milk by Keith Woodford or google difference
        between A1 and A2 milk for further potentially useful information. Drinking milk from an A2 cow usually Guernsey, Jersey or a few others can be just fine too.

        Edit Reply

    • http://twitter.com/Majikza Jonathan Swaringen

        Check
      out the book Devils in the Milk by Keith Woodford or google difference
      between A1 and A2 milk for further potentially useful information.

      Edit Reply

  • Blakely

    Any thoughts on IGF-1 from milk promoting acne? I have been dairy free for over 6 months, tried raw milk and acne flamed up + stomach cramps/nausea. I’m a HUGE fan of raw milk, in fact, still crave it, but simply can’t tolerate. Any feedback on this aspect?

    • Rebekkah Smith

      Have you thought about it being a reaction from the probiotics in the raw milk killing damaging bacteria in your gut? Die off will cause acne.

    • http://twitter.com/Majikza Jonathan Swaringen

        Check
      out the book Devils in the Milk by Keith Woodford or google difference
      between A1 and A2 milk for further potentially useful information.

      Edit Reply

  • StefanieRN

    Very interesting talk! Cow’s milk is a cow’s breastmilk. Just like a women’s breastmilk, it is made specifically for its species. I believe that a cow’s breastmilk was created perfectly by God to feed its young not to feed another species. Since we can make our own milk, why we would be created to drink the milk of another creature vs drink our own milk created exactly for us? Secondly, we are the only mammal who continues to drink milk after infancy. I would  really appreciate your insight so I understand both sides…

    • Rebekkah Smith

      From a Biblical perspective (since you are referring to God), humans have consumed milk from animals since Cain and Able.  They kept livestock, and it’s safe to assume (since they weren’t eating meat at that time, not until after Noah) that they were utilizing their milk.  God also refers to Canaan as the land flowing with milk and honey.  There are tons of references in the Bible to milk as well, obviously not viewing it as a harmful and unnatural thing to consume.  

    • RealFoodDude

      In addition to what Rebekkah Smith said, I would add a “So what!??” to StefanieRN’s point of humans being the only mammal to drink another mammal’s milk after infancy.  So what?  I used to say this for about 18 years, when I was less informed about cows, goats, sheep, fake vs. real milk, and experiences with raw real milk from healthy animals who eat their proper diet and live an appropriate stress life.  Now that I have added real milk back into my diet since Aug of 2003, I say, “Yes, humans are the only mammal to drink another’s milk, as we are the only ones to think in the ways we do, to build things like the internet!  We are the the only creature to manage, dominate and control the other creatures on earth, may we do this in a sustainable, humane, and responsible manner.”  Some say that “manage, dominion, and control” are only able to be expressed in the form of tryanny.  That position reveals a lack of understanding, integrity, and common sense.

  • RealFoodDude

    Do you know of a human population group of at least 100 individuals who have lived at least 3 generations on a vegan diet?  I would like to see their bone & dental formation, as well as other health factors to assess whether their diet is properly meeting their physical needs.  The next step would then to be to describe their diet….

  • http://twitter.com/Majikza Jonathan Swaringen

    Check out the book Devils in the Milk by Keith Woodford or google difference between A1 and A2 milk for further potentially useful information.

  • brian burke

    I did a little research on the CDC site and here is some information that in my mind contradicts some of Mr. McAfee’s claims. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but this doesn’t sound as safe as he said it is. Here’s the link: http://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/rawmilk/raw-milk-questions-and-answers.html#related-outbreaks 

    Among dairy product-associated outbreaks reported to CDC between 1973 and 2009 in which the investigators reported whether the product was pasteurized or raw, 82% were due to raw milk or cheese. From 1998 through 2009, 93 outbreaks due to consumption of raw milk or raw milk products were reported to CDC. These resulted in 1,837 illnesses, 195 hospitalizations, and 2 deaths. Most of these illnesses were caused by Escherichia coli O157, Campylobacter, or Salmonella. It is important to note that a substantial proportion of the raw milk-associated disease burden falls on children; among the 93 raw dairy product outbreaks from 1998 to 2009, 79% involved at least one person less than 20 years old.Reported outbreaks represent the tip of the iceberg. For every outbreak and every illness reported, many others occur, and most illnesses are not part of recognized outbreaks.

  • Robert

    Thanks Mark for your informative talk, we know our raw milk farmer and that’s great advice,”Know your farmer”, Know what it is to grow real food and make real milk.

    Warmest regards,
    Robert

  • RM in KS

    We believe in the benefits of raw dairy and enjoyed raw milk, butter, cheeses and making my own yogurt for over a year.  Just after Christmas, my family ended up with a campylobactor infection that affected many of us in different ways.  My husband I and were hit the hardest with 6 weeks of intestinal problems and diarrhea – then my husband had a ruptured bowl, emergency surgery and almost died.  I am not trying to scare anyone with this story, but I have been very discouraged to search and search for answers to some of my questions without any useful information.  I am either considered a fear-monger or uninformed (and I am a big reader/researcher) or told that we just didn’t know what we really had wrong with us.  I would LOVE to go back to raw milk because we saw wonderful benefits, but we feel like we’d be playing Russian roulette with our health.  We are not totally healed.  My husband especially, is still having gut issues that we are working on finding balance.  Is there a way to ADD something to the raw milk to make sure the bacterial balance is good – or some way of checking for the levels of bacteria (and what kind are present) without costing an arm and a leg?  Is the only way to insure we don’t get this sick again to have our own cow and be in control?  Help with this would be GREATLY appreciated!  Thanks!

    • Robert

      Something doesn’t seem right. Do you know the farmer? We’ve known ours for 30 years. When we buy milk we have to write our names down on a sheet just in case they find something wrong with the milk. The state of NY regulates these farmers very carefully. Our farmer is known by everyone in the area and he always gets high marks.
      How do you know it was the milk? Was it traced to it? Was the farmer contacted? Shut down? Did other people buying his milk get sick?
      Sorry for all the questions.
      Robert

      • RM in KS

         Yes, we know the farmers and they have a great place.  They are checked and their milk and farm always has the highest “scores”.  It was really strange.  There were other families that became ill, but we were hit the hardest.  It was so strange, really.  The dairy shut down for a time to check things out (no one forced them to shut down) and then they were able to open back up.  It seemed that there must have been one bottling time that would have been the culprit, not their whole dairy or batch. 

        We met and had lunch with the couple after my husband was out of the hospital.  They know it had to come from the milk, but not sure what happened.  They commented on how the milk would need to be kept refrigerated all the time and that could cause the bacteria to grow – but I’d kept cream and dairy out on purpose for souring and didn’t have trouble.  If anyone was going to have a problem, my 2 yr old would have been IT.  She always had milk in a sipper cup so it wasn’t always refrigerated. 

        We just have never come up with a good answer – or how to keep it from happening again.  I’d really like to have raw milk again, if we could overcome the fear of getting so terrible sick again. 

        • RM in KS

           There are a few things that I have wondered –
          The dairy does NOT have the cows in the pasture.  They are in a lot and given feed.  We’ve been told there are no antibiotics or hormones (wondering now, if the feed may have antibiotics)  Anyway, we felt like in a good-better-best situation with milk, that buying from this dairy was a “better” but not necessarily “best” situation. 

          Questions:

          What does the feed as opposed to pasture change in the ecology of the dairy cow that might contribute to an imbalance of bacteria?

          Even if the big vat of milk is tested every time the milk is picked up (they sell to a company, too)  Is the testing really telling those of us drinking the raw milk what WE need to know?  Are the numbers “good” because the company is going to pasteurize the milk anyway, but not “good enough” for raw milk consumption?

          I do realize that we probably didn’t have a great gut flora to begin with, so we are working on making sure OUR health is much better.

          • Robert

            First, I’m not an expert
            on this, I’m not a farmer but logic says that if the cows are penned or not in
            pasture they are likely consuming corn and not grass. Cows are herbivores and
            should eat mostly grass, the other thing is that cows in a restricted area are
            in a high bacterial environment, not a healthy bacterial environment.

            I would look further
            into this farmer and your own practices. I spoke to someone who consumes raw
            milk and makes yogurts, etc. out of it and she never leaves milk out. In fact
            she has a freezer bag in the car that the milk goes in right from the farm
            stand.

            I’m not sure what you mean
            by your gut health, has it been tested?

            Regards,

            Robert

          • RM in KS

             I don’t believe their feed is all grains, but has grasses – I would have to check further.  It wouldn’t be fresh pasture, tho.

            We have not been tested – just knowing our upbringing on SAD has not given us the best bacterial playground.  This is one of the reasons why I think my children didn’t get sick as bad as my husband and I – my 2yr old was exclusively nursed for her first year, then introduced whole foods and raw milk products (with SAD here and there, but not her staple)  She should have been the worst case, but was not.  I do believe our gut flora contributed to who was the most sick.

            I also know that in God’s providence, this happened.  It has been discouraging to feel that I finally found something I didn’t have to search and think about anymore – in order to feed my family better.  It was awesome for a year!  We loved it!  I really want to get back.  My husband is especially leery and I don’t blame him.  He was very sick.

            The farmer was mentioning adding in probiotics to the milk – anyone heard of doing this?

          • Robert

            Our farmer specifically states that no hormones or antibiotics are in his milk. I think farmers can use antibiotics IF they isolate the cow until it is well and the antibiotics are out of its system. If they do that they can claim no pesticides. These are things you might ask your farmer.
            The thing I do now is eat sauerkraut and Kefir for probiotics. Actually I had a craving for sauerkraut a few days ago.

            Hope this helps,
            Robert

          • Robert

            sorry thaty should read “no antibiotics”