Raw milk is a hot topic these days, particularly in West Virginia. After the bill legalizing raw milk was approved by West Virginia lawmakers, raw milk is back at the headlines again - this time as a possible suspect.
Apparently, some West Virginia lawmakers and Capitol staffers decided to celebrate raw milk's legalization by drinking it in the State Capitol. Over the weekend, however, some Capitol staffers and lawmakers reported falling ill which prompted some to suspect that the raw milk might have something to do with it, according to Jonathan Mattise article for Associated Press appearing in the live5news website.
Mason County Republican Delegate Scott Cadle, who authored the bill and joined the milk toast, explained that it is not the milk that's making them sick. Cadle said, "Everybody up there is getting it. It's a stomach virus. It didn't have nothing to do with that milk."
This view is corroborated by House spokesman Jared Hunt who noted that some lawmakers, including House Speaker Tim Armstead, were already sick on Thursday, even those who did not drink the milk.
The milk debate stems from two very different viewpoints. Opponents of raw milk often cite the possibility that untreated milk might contain dangerous microorganisms that can pose serious health risks such as Samonella, E. Coli and Listeria according to an FDA article.
On the other hand, proponents of raw, unpasteurized milk argues that raw milk is the healthier option because pasteurization destroys enzymes and vitamins such as A, C, B6 and B12. Moreover, raw milk advocates argue that pasteurization radically transforms milk proteins turning them into unnatural configurations that could actually be damaging to one's health according to this Huffingtonpost article by Dr. Joseph Mercola.
In an attempt to put matters in perspective, Delegate Josh Nelson was even quoted as saying "Guys, we're not talking about legalizing marijuana or anything like that, were simply talking about - milk," according to Jed Oelbaum reporting for Good Magazine.
For now, health officials are still conducting investigations if the milk is to be blamed for the fever, vomiting and diarrhea experienced by those who fell ill. It could just be a case of a very bad timing after all.
