Is it healthy to drink milk straight from a cow?

Drinking raw milk, meaning milk that has not been pasteurized, can be unsafe and is not generally recommended by health organizations due to potential health risks. Raw milk may contain harmful bacteria, such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria, which can cause foodborne illnesses leading to various symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and more severe medical conditions.

Although some individuals advocate for the consumption of raw milk, claiming potential health benefits, the risks usually outweigh any perceived benefits. Pasteurization is a process that effectively eliminates these hazardous bacteria by heating the milk to a high temperature for a prescribed period of time. It ensures the safety of the milk by killing these harmful microorganisms while preserving the milk's nutritional value.

Pasteurization has been instrumental in the significant reduction of milk-borne illnesses. Therefore, it is generally safer and highly recommended to consume pasteurized milk to avoid potential health issues associated with raw milk consumption.