Goat Milk

The goodness of goats’ milk is adequately summed up in the Bible, Proverbs 27:23-27: “You shall have enough goats’ milk for your food, for the food of your household and for the maintenance of your maidservants.”

What does goat’s milk give you that cow’s milk can’t? Goat milk has smaller fat globules and softer curds which make it similar in nature to mother’s milk. It also has twice the amount of easily absorbed Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCT's). It is also a gentle cleanser and moisturizer.

Low Fat. Easily Digestible

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Goat milk contains all the essential proteins but is without the catarrh producing materials or the heavy fat content of cow's milk. With rising concerns of fat in the diet, more and more people are going in for low-fat or skimmed milk. Goat milk not only contains 20% less cholesterol than cows milk, but is also easily digestible and can be consumed even by those with lactose intolerance. It is also suitable for diarrhea and asthma patients who suffer from common food allergy, bloating and irritability .

For cow-milk or soy-milk sensitive people, goat milk is an ideal option. Goat milk contains 13 percent more calcium, 25 percent more vitamin-B6, 47 percent more vitamin A, 134 percent more potassium and 350% more niacin. No wonder, it works as a nutritious dairy option for patients of different age groups and lifestyles. Increased calcium content in goat milk is specially beneficial for menopausal women with milk sensitivity.

Among those found sensitive to cow's milk are young children, elderly people and certain ethnic groups, including Asians, Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans.

As goat milk has less folic acid, expectant mums, requiring folic acid supplements, should make up for it from alternative sources.

Growing Preference for Goat Milk

Growing preference for goat milk can be seen from available data which suggests that almost 5 million tons of milk is produced by 440 million goats worldwide. Even in the United States goat milk is gaining popularity.

This shift in preference resulted from the realization that goat is easier to maintain than cows. Goats eat less, occupy less space than cows, but produce enough milk for an average family. Some of the major advantages of goat milk over cow milk are:

• A cup of goat milk contains nine grams of protein compared to eight grams in cow milk.
• A cup of goat milk has 33 percent of recommended daily allowance of calcium as against 30 percent in cows.
• Goat milk has more vitamin A than cow milk.

Goat farming

Goat farming is also on the rise. Goats are easier to manage and being more hardy than cows need fewer expenses on medicines. Goat farming is comparatively much more economical. One cow eats about the same amount of food which 15 to 20 goats would normally eat.

During Illness

Goat Milk protein contains all the known and essential amino acids which have unique benefits in many metabolic diseases of humans. Goat milk is naturally homogenized as against cow milk products which are artificially homogenized.

• There have been instances where end stage cancer patients and HIV patients found goat milk an excellent supplementary source of nutrition. Apart from giving them soothing effects on the gut, it helped them maintain weight at a time when other food was not digestible.
• In comparative studies with cow’s milk, researchers found that goat milk helps prevent diseases such as anemia and bone demineralization.
• It is also ideal for babies with digestive problems.
• Goat milk contains several medium chain fatty acids which provide cure for conditions such as cystic fibrosis, gallstones, heart disease and different digestive problems.
• Goat milk may help bting relief to skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. It can be tried specially if the causes of these conditions remain unidentified.

For the Skin

It has been said that Cleopatra maintained her legendary beauty by bathing in goat milk. Goat milk is a great skin moisturizer and rejuvenator. Its skin care qualities have been recognized from the ancient Eastern culture to Modern day Western culture. It is a gentle cleanser as the pH level of goat milk is close to our skin’s pH level. Its alphahydroxyl acids have restorative and rejuvenating qualities.

Goat Milk Cheese

Many hesitate taking goat cheese because of its sharp taste. But modern machining and advanced refrigeration has today given goat milk cheese a distinct taste. Most goat milk cheese cannot be sliced because goat milk is delicate and needs to be handled with greater care during cheese making.

France is the largest producer of cheese from goat milk and currently has around a hundred different varieties to offer. They come in different shapes, such as pyramids, round and conical.

References

• [1]
• [2]
• http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/115093/goat_dairy_farms_popularity_on_the.html]
• [3]

Additional Information

• For details on the benefits of goat milk refer to Goat Milk FAQs
• You may visit this website [4] devoted to goat cheese . Also find exotic goat milk cheese recipes from this website on goat milk recipes
• For dairy goats in the US refer to Dairy Goats
• Select what you like from Goat's Milk Skin Care Products