Goats Milk a Natural Alternative for Milk Sensitive Patients

[Guest guest]

http://www.chiroweb.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=38646

Goat's Milk:

A Natural Alternative for Milk Sensitive Patients

By Editorial Staff

The advertisement asks, " Got milk? " But what kind of

milk?

Twenty years ago, most people who routinely had milk with their

morning cereal used whole milk. Today, with the concern for fat in the

diet, many people have switched to low-fat milk or skim milk.

Foot Levelers

And a significant number of people are opting for lactose reduced or

lactose free milk.

There are other alternatives: take goat's milk, for example. Patients

with diarrhea, asthma, bloating and irritability may be suffering from

the most common food allergy: cow's milk. Goat's milk is a natural

alternative to cow milk and can comfortably be consumed by many

patients who suffer from cow milk allergies or sensitivity.

Although goat milk, like cow's milk and human milk, contains lactose,

many people with lactose intolerance can drink goat milk. Why? It has

been hypothesized that the reason lies in goat milk's superior

digestibility. Goat milk is more completely and easily absorbed than

cow's milk, leaving less undigested residue behind in the colon to

quite literally ferment and cause the uncomfortable symptoms of

lactose intolerance.

It may also be that the patient is not lactose intolerant at all, but

instead is one of the 1-in-10 people who are allergic to the major

protein of cow's milk ... alpha S1 casein protein. The symptoms are

almost identical to those of lactose intolerance. Both goat milk and

human milk lack this offending protein.

The digestibility of goat milk can be attributed to its casein curd,

which is both softer and smaller than that produced by bovine milk.

The smaller and softer the curd, the more easily accepted by the human

digestive system.

Another significant difference between cow's milk and goat milk is

found in the composition and structure of fat. The average size of

goat milk fat globules is about two micrometers, as compared to 2 1/2

to 3 1/2 micrometers for cow's milk. These smaller sized fat globules

provide a better dispersion and a more homogenous mixture of fat in

the milk, another factor in making goat milk easier to digest.

Goat milk contains more of the essential fatty acids (linoleic and

arachidonic acids) and a higher proportion of short-chain and

medium-chain fatty acids than cow's milk. The fat in goat milk may be

more readily digested and absorbed than cow milk because lipases

attack ester linkages of such fatty acids more readily than those of

longer chains. And, unlike cow's milk, goat milk does not contain

agglutinin; as a result, the fat globules in goat milk do not cluster,

which helps facilitate digestion and absorption.

Goat milk is a nutritious dairy option for many patients of different

age groups and lifestyle needs. Young children and seniors can be

especially sensitive to cow's milk and so can certain ethnic groups,

including Asians, Hispanics, African Americans and Native

Americans.

Goat milk is an excellent option for any patient who is cow milk or

soy milk sensitive and is necessarily concerned with obtaining

adequate calcium from a natural dietary source. Goat milk is also an

excellent source of dietary calcium important in the prevention of

high blood pressure, osteoporosis and other bone-related problems. For

menopausal women, goat milk provides 13% more calcium than cow's milk

and can be consumed comfortably even by those women with milk

sensitivity.

While it is often recommended that children who have problems

digesting cow's milk change to vegetable protein soy-based milk, that

is not always the answer. An estimated 20%-50% of children with cow

milk protein intolerance will react adversely to soy proteins. Goat

milk is a natural milk that children like and can consume comfortably,

even if they are sensitive to cow's milk and/or soy milk.

The nutrient composition of goat milk is very different than that of

cow's milk. In addition to containing 13% more calcium than cow's

milk, goat milk also has 25% more vitamin B-6, 47% more vitamin A,

134% more potassium and 350% more niacin. Goat milk is also higher in

chloride, copper and manganese and contains 27% more of the essential

nutrient selenium. Goat milk contains none of the controversial Bovine

Growth Hormone (BGH).

Goat milk is available nationwide in evaporated and powdered forms

(supplemented with folic acid) and in fresh one-quart, refrigerated

cartons (whole and 1% low fat), as well as aseptic quarts with an

unopened 8-month shelf life.

For more information on goat's milk, contact the National Goat Milk

" hotline " at (800) 891-GOAT (4628).

References

Luke B, LG. Calcium requirements and the diets of women and

children. Journal of Reproductive Medicine.

Haenlein GFW. Role of goat milk in human nutrition. International

Conference on Goats, University of Delaware.

Haenlein GFW, Ace D. Extension Goat Handbook. United States Department

of Agriculture/USDA.