Thursday, May 20, 2010

Cheese’s vitamin K2 content, pasteurization, and beneficial enzymes: Comments by Jack C.

The text below is all from commenter Jack C.’s notes on this post summarizing research on cheese. My additions are within “[ ]”. While the comments are there under the previous post for everyone to see, I thought that they should be in a separate post. Among other things, they provide an explanation for the findings summarized in the previous post.

***

During [the] cheese fermentation process the vitamin K2 (menaquinone) content of cheese is increased more than ten-fold. Vitamin K2 is anti-carcinogenic, reduces calcification of soft tissue (like arteries) and reduces bone fracture risk. So vitamin K2 in aged cheese provides major health benefits that are not present in the control nutrients. [Jack is referring to the control nutrients used in the study summarized in the previous post.]

Another apparent benefit of aged cheese is the breakdown of the peptide BCM7 (beta-casomorphin 7) which is present in the casein milk of most cows (a1 milk) in the U.S. BCM7 is a powerful oxidant and is highly atherogenic. (From "Devil in the Milk" by Keith Woodford.)

[P]asteurization is not necessary, for during the aging process, the production of lactic acid results in a drop in pH which destroys pathogenic bacteria but does not harm beneficial bacteria! Many benefits result.

In making aged cheese, the temperature [should] be kept to no more than 102 degrees F, the same temperature that the milk comes out of the cow. The many beneficial enzymes in milk (8 actually) therefore are not harmed and provide many health benefits. Lactoferrin, for example, destroys pathogenic bacteria by binding to iron (most pathogenic bacteria are iron loving) and also helps in absorption of iron. Lipase helps break down fats and reduces the load on the pancreas which produces lipase.

By federal law, milk that has not been pasteurized cannot be shipped across state lines [in the U.S.], but raw milk cheese can be legally shipped provided that it has been aged at least sixty days. Thus, in backward states like Alabama where I live that do not permit the sale of raw milk, you can get the same beneficial enzymes (well, almost) from aged cheese as from raw milk. And as you pointed out, cheese that is shrink-wrapped will keep a long time and can be easily shipped.

I buy most of my raw milk cheese from a small dairy in Elberta, Alabama, Sweet Home Farm, which produces a great variety of organic raw milk cheese from Guernsey cows that are fed nothing but grass. No grain, no antibiotics or growth hormones. There is nothing comparable in the way of milk that is available legally. The so called “organic” milk sold in stores is all ultra-pasteurized. Yuck.

Raw milk cheese is readily shipped. Sweet Home Farm does not ship cheese, so I have to go get it, 70 miles round trip. On occasion I buy raw milk cheese from Next Generation Dairy, a small coop in Minn. which promises that they do not raise the temperature of the cheese to more than 102 degrees F during manufacture. The cheese is modestly priced and can be shipped inexpensively.

Jack

9 comments:

Jim Sutton said...

Hey Jack, that makes 2 of us. I have been buying from Sweet Home Farm since we moved to the Foley area about 10 years ago. They used to be open 5 days a week, but now only Fri and Sat as you know. We're all getting older. I hope they don't "retire" anytime soon, don't you?

Anonymous said...

Hi neighbor Jim, I have lived in Fairhope about six years but only discovered Sweet Home Farm about three years ago.

I agree, I hope Alyce and Doug don't retire any time soon. They have been making cheese for 23 years in Elberta. In a newspaper interview a couple of years ago Alyce admitted that she sometimes has to psych herself up in the morning by repeating "I want to make cheese, I want to make cheese".

I make the trip to Elberta worthwhile by buying at least ten pounds of cheese in one pound chunks, most of it shrink wrapped. We also usually pick up a loaf of old fashioned raisin bread made by the "Bread Lady" with real butter and eggs.

rhc said...

This is great information. I was not aware that aged cheese was ok to be shipped. The other day I was shopping at Sam's and as usual looked over their cheese collection. To my surprise I found a cheese: "Le Gruyere Switzerland" which lists the following ingredients:
fresh part-skimmed cow's milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes - aged over 120 days. Product of Switzerland.

Since I have no local source for raw dairy, I thought this would be a suitable alternative. Of course full fat would be better. But it's a good start.

online Viagra said...

online Viagra

viagra online said...

I'm a nutritionist and there are three synthetic forms of vitamin K, vitamins K3, K4, and K5, which are used in many areas, and according with this interesting and wordy article we can find them in the cheese fermentation process. 2j3j

kamagra said...

This is the reason I use to eat cheese because it has excellent nutrients to get a perfect health, actually I didn't know that it had vitamin k2 m10m

discount cialis said...

That is very good comment you shared.Thank you so much that for you shared those things with us.Im wishing you to carry on with ur achivments.All the best.

herbal viagra alternative said...

Your blog is outrageous! I mean, Ive never been so entertained by anything in my life! Your vids are perfect for this. I mean, how did you manage to find something that matches your style of writing so well? Im really happy I started reading this today. Youve got a follower in me for sure!

Amarjeet Prasad said...


Very nice! Big fan of the blog.

pressure pasteurization
pasteurization equipment