Why Goats Milk?

For most people, cows' milk provides an excellent source of nutrition.  However, some people, young and old, find cows' milk unsuitable.  Goats' milk is a natural alternative.

The nutritional value of goats' milk has been recognised for centuries.  Studies have shown that many people who are allergic to cows' milk find goats' milk an ideal substitute.  Allergic reactions to cows' milk proteins can include diarrhoea, asthma, eczema, migraine and colitis.  Many people find that by using goats' milk as a substitute, these problems can be overcome.

Powerful justification for goats' milk can come from medical needs (not just desires) of people, especially infants afflicted with various ailments, including cows' milk protein sensitivities.  Swedish studies have shown that cows' milk was a major cause of colic, sometimes fatal in 12 to 30 percent formula-fed, less than 3 month-old infants.  In breastfed infants, colic was related to the mother's consumption of cows' milk (Baldo, 1984; Cant et a 1985; Host et al. 1988)  In older infants, the incidence of cows' milk protein intolerance was approximately 20 percent (Nestle 1987).

Goats' milk produces a softer, more friable curd than cows' milk, because of the different protein composition.  The soft curd is more easily digested and has a higher buffering capacity than cows' milk and is therefore very beneficial to people suffering from stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.  Because goats' milk is higher in short to medium fatty chain acids and contains finer fat droplets than cows' milk, it contributes to improved digestibility and has a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.

The composition of goats' milk fat may be much more important than the prevalence of large numbers of small fat globules, because it too differs significantly from the composition of cows' milk fat under average feeding conditions (Haenlein, 1992).  The various components of milk fat, fatty acids, differ in carbon chain length at saturation, which has great nutritional and medical significance.  Goats' milk fat normally has 35 percent of medium chain fatty acids compared to cows' milk fat 17 per cent, and three are actually named after goats - caproic, capry and capric, totalling 15 percent in goats' milk fat as against only 5 percent in cows' milk fat.  Besides the unique flavour, which can have serious consequences in improper handling of goats' milk, these medium chain fatty acids have become of considerable interest to the medical profession, because of their unique benefits in many metabolic diseases of humans (Babayan, 1981)

Capric, caprylic and other medium chain fatty acids have been used for treatment of malabsorption syndrome, intestinal disorders, coronary diseases, premature infant nutrition, cystic fibrosis, gallstone problems; and because of their unique metabolic abilities of providing energy and at the same time lowering, inhibiting and dissolving cholesterol deposits (Schwab et al 1964; Greenberger and Skillman, 1969, Kalser 1971; Tantibhedhyangkul and Hashim, 1975, 1978).  It seems apparent that in this lipid area is great potential for identifying a unique importance and a role for goat milk; specifically goat milk fat and probably goat milk butter, which has not received much attention at all.

A popular therapy among pediatricians is the change to vegetable protein soy-based formula; however, an estimated 20 to 50 percent of all infants with cow's milk protein intolerance will also react adversely to soy proteins (Lothe et al 1982).  Approximately 40 percent of all patients sensitive to cow milk proteins tolerate goat milk protein (Brenneman, 1978; Zeman 1982); possibly because lactalbumin is immunospecific between species (Hill 1939) but beta-lactoglobulin appears to be the major allergen in cow's milk.

In a nutshell, goats' milk:

• Contains more minerals and vitamins than cows' milk
• Has smaller fat and protein particles, so it is digested more easily
• Is ideal for children with allergies to cows' milk
• Suffers no loss of vitamins due to pasteurisation
• Does not form excess mucous
• Contains ten times more natural fluorine than fresh cows' milk
• Contains 50% more vitamin B1, important for those with digestive upsets and rheumatism.
• The milk and cream are pure white because the carotene content is completely converted into vitamin A. (New Zealand Goat Breeders Ass. Inc.)
• Goat milk is a good source of calcium, which is important in promoting strong bone growth and in the prevention of osteoporosis