Benefits Of Goat Milk

'Benefits of Drinking Goat’s Milk Goat’s milk is the most digestible dairy product because of its molecular size and similar composition to mother’s milk. Any species of mammal can be raised on goat’s milk. Goat milk provides 13% more calcium, 25% more Vitamin B-6, 47% more Vitamin A, 134% more potassium and 350% more niacin than cow milk. Goat milk is also higher in chloride, copper and manganese. Easier to Digest Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized. While the fat globules in cow’s milk tend to separate to the surface, the globules in goat’s milk are much smaller and will remain suspended in solution. It forms a soft curd when compared to cow milk and hence helps in easy digestion and absorption. Amazingly, your body can digest goat’s milk in just 20 minutes. It takes 2-3 hours (or more) to digest cow’s milk! Reduces the body’s ph level Goat’s milk alkalizes the digestive system and also helps to increase the ph level in the blood stream. Furthermore, goat’s milk does not produce mucus and will not worsen allergic respiratory conditions such as asthma. Goat’s milk helps to increase the pH of the blood stream because it is the dairy product highest in the amino acid L-glutamine. L-glutamine is an alkalinizing amino acid, often recommended by nutritionists. Anti-Inflammatory Research reported in the March 2006 issue of “The Journal of Nutrition” found that in rats with colitis, goat milk exerted an anti-inflammatory response. This indicates that goat milk might be useful in the management of inflammatory bowel disease. The authors also note that goat milk has prebiotic properties that promote a healthy digestive system.

Better fats The August 2001 issue of the “Journal of Dairy Research” reports a study comparing cow and goat milk. It was found that compared with cow milk, goat milk reduced cholesterol levels. It was also found that goat milk fat was more easily absorbed in rats who had parts of their intestines removed, and therefore was more tolerated than cow milk. The digestive utilization of goat milk was compared to that of olive oil. From these observations, the authors note that goat milk can be useful in patients with certain intestinal problems, especially persons who have undergone intestinal surgery. Goat’s milk contains twice the healthful medium-chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids, which are highly antimicrobial. (They actually killed the bacteria used to test for the presence of antibiotics in cow’s milk!) Goat milk has a higher concentration of medium chain fatty acids which play an important role in imparting unique health benefits. Medium chain fatty acids minimize cholesterol deposition in the arteries, aid in dissolving cholesterol and gallstones and significantly contribute to normal growth of infants. Goat’s Milk Soothes the Digestive Tract Goat’s milk has long been used and recommended as an aid in the treatment of ulcers due to its more effective acid buffering capacity.Children on goat’s milk have been observed to sleep through the night and remain more satisfied between meals. Goat’s milk is less allergic – It does not contain the complex protein that stimulates allergic reactions to cow’s milk. Goat’s milk has more buffering capacity than over the counter antacids. (The USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat’s milk has more acid-buffering capacity than cow’s milk, soy infant formula, and nonprescription antacid drugs.) What’s in Goat Milk? Goat’s milk is a very good source of calcium and the amino acid tryptophan. It is also a good source of protein, phosphorus, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and potassium. Goat’s milk is a rich source of the trace mineral selenium, a necessary nutrient for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties. Goat’s milk is a good source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. A cup of goat’s milk provides 14.2% of the daily value for potassium. Goat’s milk is a very good source of riboflavin, a B vitamin important for energy production. One cup of goat’s milk supplies 20.0% of the daily value for riboflavin, comparable to the 23.5% of the DV for riboflavin provided in a cup of cow’s milk. Goat’s milk is a good source of low-cost high-quality protein, providing 8.7 grams of protein (17.4% of the daily value for protein) in one cup versus cow’s milk, which provides 8.1 grams or 16.3% of the DV for protein. Lactose Intolerant? Goat’s milk molecules are smaller than cow’s milk molecules,and therefore pass through the gut wall more quickly. This allows the lactose to pass through the intestines more rapidly, not giving it time to ferment or cause an osmotic imbalance. Goat’s milk also contains 7% less lactose than cow milk. Perhaps the greatest benefit of goat’s milk, is that some people who cannot tolerate cow’s milk are able to drink goat’s milk without any problems. It is not clear from scientific research studies exactly why some people can better tolerate goat’s milk. Some initial studies suggested that specific proteins known to cause allergic reactions may have been present in cow’s milk in significant quantities yet largely absent in goat’s milk. Other research has found some anti-inflammatory compounds (short-chain sugar molecules called oligosaccharides) to be present in goat’s milk. These oligosaccharides may make goat’s milk easier to digest, especially in the case of compromised intestinal function. In animal studies, goat’s milk has also been shown to enhance the metabolism of both iron and copper, especially when there are problems with absorption of minerals in the digestive tract. These factors and others are likely to play an important role in the tolerability of goat’s milk versus cow’s milk.