Before we begin
Before you read the rest of this please be aware that what I’m going to tell you about homogenised milk is controversial and that the original theory (referred to in this article) has not been proven by subsequent studies. This post is simply to stimulate thought and discussion.
I take the view that foods are best eaten/drunk in as near-to-natural state as possible when that state has been proven by the passage of time (in the case of milk, 10,000+ years) or by science to be safe. I find it more straightforward to drink whole un-homogenised milk, which tastes great as it is, has been drunk for thousands of years to good effect and doesn’t need squirting through a machine at a million miles an hour.
Why is homogenisation even a thing?
It’s thought that people don’t like to see the cream on top of milk, or clinging to the carton, as it would naturally. And apparently people don’t like seeing creamy coloured milk, they like it to look whiter (can’t think of anything nicer than creamy-looking milk).
We, at Nuush, think foods are best eaten in as near to their natural state as possible which is why we go for un-homogenised milk.
People are actually scared of whole milk; when they become a member on the Nutrition for Everyone plan they’ll often email me and ask if I’m absolutely sure they can have it. Can they not have oat milk instead or some other milk-like liquid made of locusts, nuts, soya, rice or ground-down amaranth flown all the way from Peru or something. I have the most hellish job persuading them to simply enjoy real milk. Like getting people to drink arsenic.
Our weekly healthy eating plans, from £20 a month, will get you drinking proper milk, whole and unhomogenised.
The story of homogenised milk
Dr. Kurt Oster, a cardiologist, proposed in the 1970s that homogenised milk could contribute to cardiovascular disease, specifically atherosclerosis. His theory centred on the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO), which naturally occurs in milk. Oster argued that in non-homogenised milk, XO is typically broken down during the digestive process. However, during homogenisation, the milk fat globules are broken down at that stage, potentially allowing XO to pass into the bloodstream. He hypothesised that once in the blood, XO could damage artery walls and promote plaque formation, leading to atherosclerosis.
Although his ideas were controversial and have not gained wide acceptance in the scientific community, they sparked interest in the potential health impacts of homogenisation. Modern evidence on this theory remains limited, and no conclusive studies have directly linked homogenised milk with increased cardiovascular risk. Critics argue that the body’s natural digestive processes would still break down XO, even in homogenized milk. Nonetheless, Oster’s hypothesis continues to be referenced in discussions around dairy processing and health.
Whether he was right or wrong, it’s a pretty tasty experience drinking un-homogenised milk, when you can get it!
Related article: What is inflammation?
We’re always hearing that inflammation is bad for our health and that we should be eating more anti-inflammatory foods, but what IS inflammation, exactly?
So what can you do? Just drink unhomogenised milk!
Just drink un-homogenised, preferably organic, milk whenever you can get hold of it, and if you want to – choice is always a ‘thing’. Milk from cows who eat grass, too – because that’s what cows are meant to do, and it makes for lovely nutritious milk. Problem is, the law doesn’t force manufacturers to say on the packaging whether the milk is homogenised, so it’s hard to tell until you get your eye in. But most milks sold in supermarkets are homogenised, with a few exceptions listed below – check the labels though as some of these companies also produced homogenised versions.
- Waitrose in the UK – Duchy from Waitrose (not Waitrose organic, that’s homogenised). Their whole milk is unhomogenised, but semi-skimmed is not.
- Morrison’s own whole milk – but only in their Yorkshire stores, it’s called ‘Yorkshire Milk’.
- Gold Top Channel Islands milk, such as Tesco Finest and Sainsbury Taste the Difference – but always check labels as a few Channel Islands milks are homogenised.
- Abel & Cole
- Daylesford Organic
We have lots of beautiful recipes using gorgeous whole milk, like this creamy rice pud that any Grandmother would approve of (you wouldn’t find many grandmas drinking milk made out of nuts you know, they know better!)
What about ‘full fat’ milk though, isn’t that bad?
No! People think whole milk is high fat and somehow dangerous – it’s commonly referred to as ‘full fat milk’, but whole milk is nowhere near a high fat food. A high fat food is one which is more than 17.5g of fat per 100g, a low fat food is one that is less than 3g of fat per 100g. Whole milk is around 3.5g per 100g, virtually a low fat food!
Whole milk contains more Vitamin A and Vitamin E than semi-skimmed and skimmed, which are just watery poor cousins of the real thing; skimmed has to be fortified with vitamins that are no longer in it because the fat has been removed – crazy. Channel Islands Milk comes in at around 4% fat because it retains the cream that would normally be skimmed off whole milk for other dairy products – and it is BEAUTIFUL.
What about the animals
Now this I have huge sympathy with. The dairy industry can be one of the cruellest. If people find it abhorrent then yes they are free to not drink milk, of course, fully support that. But if you have fewer qualms about that side of it the follow my advice in the rest of this article, but do seek out organic milk where animal welfare standards are higher.
But we weren’t designed to drink milk from other mammals!
Maybe not, but the success of the human species is down to our fantastic ability to adapt and evolve to use the foods that are available where we live. Thus, about 10,000 years ago humans from northern Europe (if you’re in the UK that’s you) underwent a genetic mutation that meant they produced lactase, the stuff that means we can digest milk. Hey presto, fabulous source of nutrition. A tiny percentage of the population from this region are lactose intolerant, less than 5%. 95% can drink milk with no problems at all, and with huge benefits.
Hang on a minute, I am allergic to milk
If you have a medically diagnosed allergy to milk – lactose intolerance – then of course you should not drink milk, that would be silly. You can now benefit from the miles of supermarket aisles of nut, soya and rice milk – hurray! Every cloud. Go for fortified ones though, otherwise you’ll be missing out on iodine. calcium and B12.
If you don’t have a medical diagnosis, get one before you cut milk and dairy from your diet. TV and radio programmes, newspapers, mags, friends and social media are not reliable diagnostic tools. Read about food intolerances.
Conclusion
Forget messed-with milk and buy and drink the real thing. Cold, creamy and delicious.
By the way, here’s the reply I sent to an email asking me about this article:
Firstly, studies have been inconclusive about the effects of homogenisation on absorption of xanthine oxidase and subsequent degradation of plasmalogen (plasmalogen helps to form cell membranes). The theory that homogenised milk is a factor in cardiovascular disease is controversial. My own recommendation is to drink non-homogenised milk so that the question doesn’t have to be considered.
To encourage and support healthy cell membranes it’s important to eat a diet that is rich in fat-soluble vitamins and Omega 3 fatty acids. It’s all about balance and moderation. So if you drink unhomogenised milk and butter that’s made from it but you have an overall healthy lifestyle and varied whole food diet you are taking a great approach.
It’s difficult to be ‘perfect’ with everything we eat and drink, and as I said, this one is still out to the jury.
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