Some claim that raw milk is nature's perfect food, packed with nutrients and probiotics,

but others warn it's a dangerous gamble with your health.

And now there's a new concern.

Bird flu has been found in raw milk.

In today's episode, we're going to sort through the science on the raw milk debate.

Music sort through the science on the raw milk debate. Welcome to the Nutrition Deva podcast, where we take a closer look at nutrition news,

research, and trends so that you can feel more confident about what you eat.

I'm your host, Monica Reinagle, and today we're talking about a subject

that has been back in the news lately, and that is the risks and potential benefits of drinking

raw or unpasteurized milk. Virtually all of the milk for sale in grocery stores has been

pasteurized, and that means it's been briefly

heated in order to kill any microorganisms that might make you sick. The widespread adoption

of pasteurization in the early 20th century represented a huge advance for public health and safety.

However, a lot of people, including our recently

confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services, believe that raw unpasteurized milk

might actually be better for you. A 2017 survey found that 4% of U.S. adults said that they had consumed raw milk in the past year,

with 1% drinking it once a week or more. Now, that may not sound like a lot, but it's roughly

double the estimated percentage from a decade earlier. Now, depending on where you live,

you might have a hard time buying raw milk. Approximately 30 states do allow some form of raw milk sales, but around 20 states prohibit it entirely.

Federal regulations, meanwhile, prohibit the sale of raw milk for direct human consumption

across state borders, out of concerns

for public safety. Secretary Kennedy has characterized these regulations as aggressive suppression

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