Drinking milk is considered to be among the best ways to generate more calcium in your body – which helps strengthen your bones and joints. Apart from calcium, milk is a nutritious food loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids. Many people drink raw milk – more natural and containing antimicrobials but its many health claims are not evidence-based and do not outweigh potential risks like severe infections caused by harmful bacteria.

Before pasteurisation was introduced in the early to mid-1900s, all milk was consumed raw, in its natural, unprocessed state. Pasteurization, however, involves heating milk to kill bacteria, yeasts, and molds and also increase the product’s shelf life.

Raw milk usually comes from cows, sheep, goats, and buffaloes. It is commonly believed that raw milk tastes better than milk that has been pasteurized. Among the health claims surrounding raw milk are that it can cure lactose intolerance, treat allergies, and support gut health. However extensive research and studies have shown that none of these myths are true.

In fact, according to experts, drinking raw milk can be hazardous to your health.

Is it okay to drink raw milk? Experts across the world point to a firm "no". The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that unpasteurized milk is more likely than pasteurized milk to cause life-threatening foodborne illnesses and hence should be avoided. The pasteurization process kills bacteria to make the milk safe to drink. The dangers include:

Drinking raw milk can increase your risk for illnesses like Escherichia Coli or E. coli and Salmonella which leads to severe abdominal cramps, bloody diarrhoea and stomach pains, fever, and even vomiting. In some cases, it can also affect the functioning of your kidneys.

Listeria monocytogenes bacterium leads to an infection called listeriosis - especially dangerous for pregnant women, newborns, older adults, and those with weakened immune systems.

It causes miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infections in newborns.

Drinking raw milk can put you at risk for highly pathogenic avian influenza or HPAI - also known as H5N1 bird flu. While avian flu is rare in humans, there has been an outbreak in the US with the FDA issuing advisory that the virus can be transmitted by wild birds to other species, including dairy cattle.

Experts also say milk from infected cows carries the HPAI virus – even though it is still unclear whether you can become infected with HPAI by drinking contaminated raw milk.

Children are at a high risk when it comes to consuming raw milk due to their still-developing immune systems. According to health experts, foodborne illness from raw milk especially affects children and teenagers with many often-requiring hospitalization.

Pasteurizing milk means heating it to 161 degrees Fahrenheit or 71.66 degrees Celsius, for just 20 seconds. Experts say the process kills any and all bacteria. Most milk and milk products contain pasteurized milk or cream or are processed in a way that destroys bacteria. So, take a minute to read a product’s label to make sure you see the word “pasteurized.” If it’s not there, the product may contain raw milk. Take special care with milk products sold at farm stands or farmer’s markets. Don’t buy them unless you can confirm they’ve been pasteurized.

This method also keeps milk fresh for 2-3 weeks and extends its shelf life. Pasteurized milk is often also homogenized - a process of applying extreme pressure to disperse the fatty acids more evenly, improving appearance and taste.

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