Pasteurization destroys more than just microbes.

Commercial dairy products often boast that they have been pasteurized, as if to imply that this is some kind of improvement. Granted, pasteurization does kill harmful microbes that can cause acute illness, but in the process the high heat can destroy essential vitamins. Enzymes in particular are very sensitive to the high heat. Virtually all enzymes are destroyed when milk is pasteurized. One enzyme of special interest is called phosphatase. This enzyme's primary purpose is to buffer the acidity of phosphorus, as cow's milk is naturally high in phosphorus. Apparently, Mother Nature considered the excess phosphorus to be a problem and thus created the phosphatase enzyme to offset this problem. Most reports on phosphatase will say that it improves the absorption of calcium, but this is only half the story. Basically phosphatase is a very alkaline enzyme, and it is this alkalinity that enables it to buffer the acidity of phosphorus. Unfortunately, almost all commercial milk products have been pasteurized. The high heat used in pasteurization destroys all the enzymes present in the milk. So unless you buy raw unpasteurized milk, you will not be getting any enzymes. This may explain the discrepancies regarding the health effects of milk products. Many studies have reported that people with a high intake of dairy products, had a high incidence of osteoporosis. While conversely, many populations with a high intake of raw milk, had a lower incidence of osteoporosis. The phosphatase enzyme may have been a factor in these conflicting studies.