Although we in the Western world think of cow’s milk as the drink for children, the reality is that most of the world’s children grow up on goat’s milk. Some 70 percent of children worldwide grow up drinking goat’s milk. When we compare the two, we see that goat’s milk makes far more sense for the majority of children. Consider the following:
- Goat’s milk is less allergenic
Milk allergies are reactions to a protein allergen known as Alpha s1 Casein, which is found in high levels in cow’s milk. The levels of Alpha s1 Casein in goat’s milk are about 85 percent less than cow’s milk, making it a far less allergenic food.
- Goat’s milk is naturally homogenized
Goat’s milk has smaller fat globules and does not contain agglutinin, a compound found in cow’s milk that causes the milk to separate into two layers—cream and the skim milk. With smaller fat globules and no agglutinin, the goat’s milk stays naturally homogenized (mixed), making it easier to digest.
- Goat’s milk is easier to digest
When goat’s milk proteins denature (clump together) in the stomach, they form a much softer bolus (curd) than the bolus formed by cow’s milk. This allows the body to digest the protein more easily and completely. In addition, goat’s milk contains higher levels of medium-chain fatty acids than cow’s milk, which also make it far easier to digest.
- Goat’s milk rarely causes lactose intolerance
Goat’s milk contains less lactose than cow’s milk and therefore is easier to digest for those suffering from lactose intolerance. Although goat’s milk contains only about 10 percent less lactose than cow’s milk, it has been noted that the lactose intolerance problems seen with cow’s milk are often nonexistent with goat’s milk. This may be due to the overall easier digestibility of goat’s milk.
- Goat’s milk contains extra vitamins and fatty acids
Compared to cow’s milk, goat’s milk contains higher amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B6, niacin, potassium and the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and arachidonic acid.
- Goat’s milk is an alkaline food
The higher potassium content of goat’s milk creates an alkaline effect within the body, instead of the acidifying reaction created by cow’s milk. Maintaining an alkaline pH environment has significant health benefits by improving the body’s cellular ability to absorb nutrients and efficiently remove waste.
- Goat’s milk was designed for a similar-size baby
Cow’s milk is designed to feed a 100-pound calf, which will eventually develop into a 1,000-pound cow. Goat’s milk, on the other hand, is designed to feed a 7-10-pound kid, which will eventually develop into an adult that weighs 120-200 pounds. From this we can see that goat’s milk and human milk are both designed to feed a 7-10-pound infant, who will then grow to a similar size and weight as an adult.
- Goat’s milk contains more calcium than cow’s milk
It also provides comparable amounts of all the other vitamins and minerals except for folic acid and vitamin B12. These two vitamins can be easily added to goat’s milk if needed.
