Goat’s milk health benefits

Goats were among the first animals to be domesticated by early peoples, and during Stone Age times farmers herded goats for their milk, meat and dung (used as fuel and fertilizer). Intrepid and hardy, goats remain an important part of many tribal communities’ health and wellbeing.

Goat milk is naturally homogenous and can be digested more easily than cow’s milk as the fat globules suspended throughout the milk are smaller in size. It is also lower in lactose (milk sugars), making it more easily tolerated by those who are lactose intolerant.

Goat milk has many health benefits. It is high calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, copper, magnesium and antioxidant activity.

Goat milk has just as much calcium as whole cow milk but contains more tryptophan, an essential amino acid used by the body to create proteins, vitamins and enzymes. It is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids and without the heavy fat content of cow milk.

Goat’s milk is less allergenic. It does not contain the complex proteins that stimulate allergic reaction to cow’s milk.

When fed to other animal species, goat milk has been shown to enhance metabolism of both iron and copper, especially for individuals who have problems absorbing minerals in the digestive tract because of compromised intestinal function.

The milk alkalinizes the digestive system. It actually contains an alkaline ash, and it does not produce acid in the intestinal system.

Goat’s milk contains twice the healthful medium chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids which are highly antimicrobial.

Goat’s milk has antibacterial agents that delay the growth of bacteria. This helps to reduce and treat acne because breakouts are fueled by bacteria and oil clogging the pores of the skin.
Goat’s milk health benefits

Nutritional properties of goat milk

Goat milk differs from cow and human milk in having better digestibility, buffer capacity, alkalinity and therapeutic values.

In gross characterization of milk fat, goat milk contains 97-99% of free lipids and 1-3% bound lipids of total fat.

One of the most important contributions of goat milk to human nutrition is the calcium and phosphate that it supplies. Goat milk contains about 1.2 g calcium and 1 g phosphate per liter; these concentrations are similar to those in cow milk.

Fat is up to 99 % glycerides and steroids. Free lipids of goat milk contained 96.8% triglycerides, 2.2% diglycerides and o.9% monoglyceride, whereas bound lipids contained 46.8% neutral lipids and 53.2% polar lipids.

Fat globules are smaller and probably one of the reasons for easy digestion of this milk. The average diameter of globules in goat‟s milk is about 1.5-2 µm compared to 2.5-3.5 µm for cow‟s milk and the percentage of globules of less than 1.5µm is 28% for goat‟s milk verses 10% for cow‟s milk. These smaller sized fat globules provide a better dispersion, and a more homogeneous mixture of fat in the milk.

Goat milk contains slightly less total casein but higher non-protein nitrogen than the cow counterpart. Milk from goats is also high in vitamin A and niacin.

Lactose is the major carbohydrate in goat milk and the content is slightly lower than in cow milk. Other carbohydrates found in goat milk are oligosaccharides, glycopeptides, glycoproteins and nucleotides in small amounts.

Goat milk taste varies a great deal by bred, by feed stuffs, by stage of lactation, by the age of the milk and especially by the way it’s handled.

Goat milk is more complex in flavor than cow’s milk. and is gaining popularity in the United States for those with allergies to cow’s milk and for those who choose to avoid cattle byproducts.
Nutritional properties of goat milk

Characteristics of goat milk

Goat milk has high biological value and nutritional qualities due to its higher digestibility and its dietary characteristics with smaller diameter fat globules.

The quality of milk as well as its safety in the consumption depends on its chemical composition, microbiological, physical and organoleptic properties. It is naturally homogenized, with smaller fat molecules evenly suspend throughout the milk. In one study found out that, total fat contents in goat milk are predominated by smaller fat globules where 90% of the fat particles in goat milk were less than 5.21 µm in comparison to cow milk fat particles, 90% of which less than 6.42 µm.

Goats’ milk has less alcoholic stability when compared with cow’s milk where it precipitates on addition of 44% ethanol vs. 70% for cow’s milk.

It has freezing point slightly higher than cow’s milk equal - 0.543°C. its specific gravity ranged between 1.0263 to 1.0335 vs. 0.1320 for cow’s milk.

The gross chemical composition of goat’s milk can vary considerably and the total solids may range between 11.3 and 15, g /100g; the main cases of this variation are breed, stage of lactation, geographical location and diet.

Goat milk contained (g/100 g): 3.6 proteins, 4.5 fats, 0.83 ashes, 87.38 water, 12.62 total solids and 0.8 minerals of which 4.7 are lactose (96.26 %).
Characteristics of goat milk