Did you know that raw milk can be purchased in some form in 29 states? I didn't know that, and frankly, I'm kinda surprised. What I remember from my science classes is that milk is a terrific medium to carry bacteria, hence the need for pastuerization.

As a kid, my mom took my brother and I over to a friends farm where they drank the fresh raw milk daily. We go tot watch them milking the cow, the distinct high pressure liquid hitting a metal pail sound in rapid succession stream, stream, stream. The cow getting fussy and then talking the biggest pee I had ever seen. Ah yes, the stuff you remember when you were eight years old. I also remember the taste of that milk. Wow, I could not spit it out fast enough. My mom had built it up to be a big deal (bad idea) and boy were my brother and I disappointed. When you tell a kid that something is going to be "creamy", the kid will think of at least two things they associate with cream. 1) ice cream (yum!) and 2) whipped cream (yum!). Maybe a thrid option, ice cream with whipped cream (YUM! YUM!)
Instead, with raw milk, it was thicker than store bought whole milk and coated the tongue like butter. That may not sound all that bad, but it just wasn't milk as we knew it as kids, and it sure wasn't ice cream with whipped cream!

So, enough about me....back to drinking this stuff..(blech!)

A reader at Eating Well asks the question if raw milk is more nutritious that pastuerized milk.

The answer: No, and the risks from foodborne illness outweigh any potential good.

Check out this little tidbit:
But the Centers for Disease Control and the FDA beg to differ, stating that pasteurized milk has all the same nutrients as raw milk and that raw milk comes with an added formidable risk of pathogen outbreaks. According to the CDC, these outbreaks accounted for more than 1,000 illnesses, more than 100 hospitalizations and two deaths between 1998 and 2005.

There are additional details online here: http://www.eatingwell.com/health/qanda/a_raw_deal.html