Not All Milk Is Created Equal

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Created on Sunday, 08 January 2012 17:02

Written by Maria Tadd

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Perhaps some of us have made and have started our New Year’s resolutions vowing to eat better and exercise more. Throughout our lives we have been encouraged to drink milk, after all, they say, we need milk for healthy bones. While our bones need calcium, cow’s milk may not be the best source. Calcium in cow’s milk is very difficult to assimilate so the benefit from drinking cow’s milk is questionable. An alternative to cow’s milk is goat’s milk and here is why:
 

1. Goat’s milk is less allergenic.

In the United State the most common food allergy for children under three is cow’s milk. Mild side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, and skin rashes. Some MDs even attribute ear infections as another potential side effect to cow’s milk. In a recent study of infants researchers found that nearly 93% of children with a milk allergy could drink goat’s milk with virtually no side effects.

2. Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized.

If you were to place a glass of fresh cow’s milk as well as a glass of fresh goat’s milk in the refrigerator overnight, the next morning you would find that the cow’s milk had separated - cream on the top and skim milk on the bottom while the goat’s milk was uniform. Homogenization is a process that keeps the milk intact, no separation. However, there is a downside to homogenization as it breaks the cell wall of the fat globule which in turn releases Xanthine Oxidase, a free radical. Free radicals are responsible for DNA mutations which can lead to cancer. In a recent study published just last week, Harvard Medical School stated that the consumption of milk can be linked to an increase in ovarian and prostate cancer. They do not recommend dairy products (cow’s) as part of a healthy diet.
 

3. Goat’s milk is easier to digest.

Goat’s milk has smaller fat molecules (they are one-fifth the size of those from cow’s milk) as well as higher levels of medium chain fatty acids. This means that during digestion, each fat globule and individual fatty acid will have a larger surface-to-volume ratio resulting in a quicker and easier digestion process. An added bonus is that goat’s milk is alkaline while cow’s milk is acidic! It has been suggested that cancer cells cannot live in an alkaline environment.
 

4. Goat’s milk rarely causes lactose intolerance.

Goat’s milk contains less lactose (only about 10% less) than cow’s milk and therefore is easier to digest for those suffering from lactose intolerance. In spite of the small difference in the amount of lactose, it has been hypothesized that since goat’s milk is digested and absorbed in a superior manner, there is no “leftover” lactose that remains undigested which causes the painful and uncomfortable effects of lactose intolerance.

Goat’s milk is closer to human milk and is therefore easily accepted especially by those who are young or frail.

The benefits of goat’s milk are numerous. With nearly three-fourths of the world’s population consuming goat’s milk, we probably should take a closer look at this “super” food.

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