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whey proteins in the total milk fares even worse, to the effects seen with 65 degrees C than those seen with 85 degrees C,
as shown in Figure 2, “Total Whey Protein.” then we can conclude that it destroys roughly 45 percent of the glutathione-
High-temperature short-time (HTST) pas- boosting properties of milk. The undenatured whey protein that proved
teurized milk had 30 percent less whey protein useful for boosting glutathione and immune function in mice was pro-
than raw milk, while UHT milk had a whopping duced with a single round of “classical” pasteurization at 63 degrees C for
80 percent less and sterilized milk had a igno- 30 minutes, which led to an even greater destruction of serum albumin,
minious 87 percent less! resulting in a total loss of 52 percent of the whey’s glutathione-boosting
To make matters worse, heating milk also power. The other whey proteins suffered even more heat damage during
reduces the proportion of total whey protein processing and failed to boost glutathione at all.
represented by those magical yet delicate gluta-
thione-boosting proteins. This next study, shown HOW MUCH EXTRA GLUTATHIONE DOES RAW MILK PROVIDE?
in Figure 3, did things the right way and used What follows should be regarded as a very rough calculation that
raw milk from one source and subjected the milk relies on several unproven assumptions, including the following: a) that
to different heat treatments. So we can without the researchers’ hypothesis that the glutamyl-cysteine bonds are in fact
hesitation chalk these differences up completely responsible for the glutathione-boosting power of whey protein is true, b)
to heat. that the total body increase in glutathione was similar to the increase seen
Whey protein from HTST milk has 22 in the tissues the researchers measured, and c) that raw, undenatured whey
percent less beta-lactoglobulin than raw milk. protein produces a similar response in people as it produces in mice. Whey
If HTST also destroys 30 percent of the whey protein has in fact been shown to increase glutathione status in people,
protein, then a glass of pasteurized milk has 45 but for obvious reasons no one has ever dissected a human to analyze the
percent less undenatured beta-lactoglobulin than total amount of glutathione produced.
a glass of raw milk. Relying on these imperfect assumptions, then, we can calculate that
While I had trouble finding a study that each glass of raw milk provides about 9.3 milligrams of glutathione while
quantified the effect of HTST (about 72 degrees pasteurized milk provides only 4.5 milligrams. The comparison is illus-
C for 15 seconds) on serum albumin, a second trated in Figure 5.
rigorous study showed that heating milk at only Humans appear to make about 185 milligrams of glutathione per
65 degrees C for 15 seconds slashed away 40 day when they meet the requirements for protein and sulfur amino acids.
percent of the serum albumin while heating the A “milk fast” on 1500 calories of raw milk per day would provide the
milk at 85 degrees C for 30 seconds destroyed requirement for protein and sulfur amino acids and supply an extra 100
77 percent of it, as demonstrated in Figure 4. milligrams of glutathione-boosting power. This should theoretically boost
If we give HTST the benefit of the doubt and glutathione levels over 50 percent. It should not be surprising, then, that
assume its destructive effects are more similar such “milk fasts” have proved useful in the past for boosting immune

Figure 1. Figure 2.

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