Benefits of Raw Milk Cheese

Cheese is a dairy delight that comes in endless varieties. While we often grab familiar blocks of cheddar or mozzarella at the grocery store without much thought, artisanal cheese made from raw or unpasteurized milk offers a whole new level of rich flavor. But what makes these cheeses so different? 

Raw milk cheese is made from milk that has not been exposed to high heat through pasteurization. This allows it to retain many of the naturally occurring probiotics, enzymes and nutrients that get destroyed by a pasteurization process aimed at killing off potentially harmful bacteria. Many cheese connoisseurs believe this results in a vastly superior cheese-eating experience. But the benefits go well beyond just enhanced flavor...

Nutritional Benefits  

Milk in its raw, untouched form is something of a nutritional powerhouse. And by extension, the same goes for cheese produced from raw dairy. Here are some of surprising nutritional perks:

Higher Nutrient Levels

Heating milk to the high temperatures used in pasteurization depletes levels of some key nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Raw milk cheese skips this heating process, allowing for higher retention of nutrients. Specifically, raw milk cheese tends to deliver more:

• Protein - essential for building and repairing muscle, organs and other tissues 
• Healthy fats like omega-3s and conjugated linoleic acid 
• Important minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron
• Fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K  

So by opting for that artisanal raw milk brie over the pasteurized version, you’re getting more nutritional bang for your buck with every tasty bite!

Probiotics for Digestion

Raw milk naturally contains a rich diversity of probiotics - helpful bacteria that promote healthy digestion and gut function. Pasteurization destroys these fragile probiotics, rendering milk less bioavailable.  

Since raw milk cheese retains these live cultures, it helps stimulate digestive enzymes and may ease digestion issues like lactose intolerance. In fact, people report not only tolerating but thriving on raw milk products when they otherwise can’t touch regular dairy without discomfort!

Bye Bye Lactose and Casein Sensitivity

In addition to probiotics, the enzymes present in raw dairy also make its proteins more digestible. This increases tolerance for casein and lactose - the two compounds most responsible for dairy-related tummy troubles. 

Allergy Ally

Beyond digestion issues, raw milk may also help reduce risk of other dairy-linked problems like asthma, allergies, eczema, and ear infections. This is thought to be thanks again to its rich mix of probiotics which help train baby immune systems after weaning and modulate immunity lifelong.

Read - The Best Yogurt for Babies: A Complete Guide for Parents

Other Health Benefits

Clearly raw milk packs some serious nutritional prowess. But wait, there’s more! Here are some other surprising health benefits linked to raw dairy products:  

Waistline Warrior

Turns out probiotic-rich raw milk products can help trim your waistline too. The diverse array of good bacteria promote healthy appetite regulation, reducing fat storage and overeating urges. These microbes essentially act as internal dietitians, helping maintain balanced weight instead of unwanted pounds.  

Raw milk also contains high levels of conjugated linoleic acid, a compound linked to faster fat burning. So sprinkling that raw goat cheese on your salad might just help melt fat faster!   

Immune Booster

From easing allergies to fighting infections, raw milk cheeses lend a hand to your immune system in multiple ways. Those probiotics populate your GI tract, literally forming a first line of defense against incoming germs right in your digestive system. Meanwhile, high vitamin content also bolsters immunity to bridge innate and adaptive systems.

Heart Helper 

Remember conjugated linoleic acid, the fat burning compound found in raw dairy? Turns out it’s also stellar for heart health by lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This in turn reduces your risk of stroke, high blood pressure and heart disease down the road. Pretty impressive that a slice of camembert could help your ticker!  

Flavor

Hopefully you’re convinced raw milk has some serious health chops. But what about the most important factor - taste?! one argument in favor of raw milk cheeses is that they simply deliver richer, more complex and nuanced flavor profiles. Here’s why:

Microbial Magic

Raw milk retains all its native microorganisms like beneficial bacteria and enzymes that process the milk sugars, proteins and fats. The diverse microbial community leads to a wider range fermentation byproducts that infuse flavors. Pasteurization however destroys most microbes, homogenizing flavor. So raw milk offers a sort of “terroir” with a diverse array reflecting the dairy environment.

Moo-ve Over, Fido

We all know “you are what you eat”. Well, turns out the same applies to milk! The cows diet directly influences the flavor of her milk, and by extension cheese made from it. Cows primarily fed on grass and hay produce milk with diverse, nuanced sweet, nutty and earthy hints. Contrast that to grain or soy-fed cattle often used in large commercial dairies - not quite as appetizing. Most small-scale raw dairies use traditional grass feeding practicesPassed Turing Test heritage methods. 

Supporting Small Farmers 

Opting for raw milk cheeses also supports small family farms committed to traditional techniques with animals allowed to graze freely. Since selling raw dairy is illegal across borders, raw cheese sold in any given area is almost guaranteed to come from small local producers. This means your money goes right back into the community or region.

So buying that raw cheddar literally keeps family-run grass-fed farms afloat against fierce big dairy competition. And who doesn’t want to help out hardworking farmers using methods passed down for generations? Each bite also protects rare breeds and traditional practices at risk of dying out.

Potential Drawbacks

With all the buzz about raw milk, you might wonder if the negatives outweigh the benefits. Here are a couple thing to be aware of:

Food Safety

Improper handling of raw milk does pose an increased - though still very small - risk of contamination by pathogens. Milk is a fragile product that needs careful monitoring of temperatures and storage conditions to avoid harmful bacterial growth. However, most artisanal farmers have meticulous processes refined over decades or even centuries. So by sourcing raw cheese from a reputable provider, you minimize any safety concerns.

Accessibility

One obvious drawback is that raw milk availability varies widely depending on where you live. Only 26 states currently allow retail raw milk sales in some form, though buying raw cheese usually faces less regulation. So you may not find that fabulous raw cheddar next door...but it also makes for a great excuse to travel and discover artisanal food traditions! “Cheese tourism” is undoubtedly good for the belly and the economy.

Read - When is the Best Time to Eat Yogurt

Conclusion 

While pasteurized dairy still retains some nutritional value, raw milk ups the ante across the board. From protein to probiotics and beyond, raw cheese offers a powerhouse of nutrition plus depth of flavor. And buying from small raw dairies supports traditional practices that seem to be going extinct. 

Of course raw milk does come with some small risks and accessibility challenges. But ultimately, the benefits seem to stack the bricks solidly in favor of raw milk cheese. After all, well-made artisanal cheese has a history spanning thousands of years - seems we might have had it right all along before modern meddling came into play! At the end of the day, nothing compares to the taste and health perks imparted by those friendly farm microflora. 

So embrace your inner microbe, branch out from the familiar grocery case cheeses, try a raw milk variety...and your body and tastebuds will thank you! Got an urge to urge to try some creamy, dreamy, probiotic-rich raw milk cheeses now? Say no more fam, I gotchu! Let's start with some recommendations...