Benefits of Pasteurized Milk
Pasteurized milk refers to milk that has been heat treated so as to kill molds, yeasts and bacteria. After heat treatment, the milk is quickly cooled and then kept refrigerated. Consuming pasteurized milk provides the following health benefits.
1. Reduces disease risk
Raw milk may be contaminated with various pathogens like Escherichia coli and Salmonella as well as many others. These pathogens are very harmful when ingested in the body and they could possibly cause several diseases. When milk is pasteurized, all these pathogens are eliminated and this lowers the probability of getting sick following milk consumption. An additional pasteurized milk benefit is the fact that milk still retains its taste as well as other milk benefits.
2. Highly nutritious
Many people believe that the pasteurization process damages the nutritional worth of milk. However, the nutrients present in milk that has undergone pasteurization are almost the same as those found in unpasteurized milk. While heating at very high temperatures may break down most of the milk components, the overall effect on nutritional value is quite minimal. Pasteurized milk therefore still comprises of high amounts of various beneficial nutrients such as protein, calcium and riboflavin.
3. Enhances shelf life
Since pasteurization destroys the bacteria responsible for causing souring, pasteurized milk boasts of an enhanced shelf life in comparison to raw milk. The shelf of pasteurized powdered milk is even more enhanced and it also does not need any refrigeration. Actually, pasteurized products usually store much better. It is vital to note that once you add water to the powdered milk, its shelf life becomes similar to liquid pasteurized milk.
While pasteurization renders the consumption of milk much safer, it also harms most of the enzymes found in milk that make it simpler to digest. Moreover, most people prefer the taste of raw milk over pasteurized milk.