Why you should consider taking more goat milk

Sep 12, 2021

It contains antioxidants that help to boost immunity and prevent aging

Why you should consider taking more goat milk

Umar Nsubuga
Journalist @New Vision

Milk is a highly nutritious food providing a raft of nutrients such as calcium, proteins and vitamins. Babies achieve their fundamental growth through the breast milk they drink.

After six months, the mother’s milk is no longer enough and it has to be supplemented with milk from other sources. In Uganda, parents usually prefer cow milk.

Dr Peter Mubiru, a veterinary doctor based in Nakasongola district, says people miss out on the option of goat milk because of cultural and access reasons.

“Many people do not rear goats for milk. They don’t even know you can milk goats as they do cows. And the goats they rear are not the milk-producing type. Yet, back in ancient times, goat milk was part and parcel of our nutrition sources,” he says.

Mubiru adds that dairy goats produce a lot of milk and it is better than of cows.

“Exotic dairy goats are available and picking up in Uganda. However, farmers complain of lack of market for the milk,” he says.

Mubiru says goat milk has one of the best profiles in terms of nutrients. It is rich in calcium, phosphorous, vitamin B12 (Riboflavin) and potassium. It contains about 13% more calcium per serving than cow milk, it is a rich and healthy alternative for those who find problems with cow milk.

One of the problems is lactose intolerance. The sugar in milk is called lactose. Some people have low levels of the enzyme lactase, which is responsible for digesting lactose and are, therefore, “lactose intolerant”.

Lactose intolerant individuals often choose to eliminate anything containing lactose from their diet.

Goat milk contains less lactose than cow milk, which may make it a better option for those with mild lactose sensitivities. Some people experience sensitivity to lactose in cow milk but can enjoy goat milk without any repercussions.

Mubiru says another problem is allergies.

“Milk allergy is a physical reaction to one or more of the proteins within milk, the most common being alpha S1-casein, found in both goat and cow milk. While goat milk has high-quality protein, providing nearly 6g per 200ml. Its milk has significantly lower levels of alpha-S1-casein than cow milk. That is another reason why some people may better tolerate it,” he says.

“Allergic individuals may also react to any hormones or antibiotics contained in the milk. Since allergies are generally quite protein-specific, there have been cases where those who are allergic to cow milk have been able to tolerate raw goat milk as a substitute.”

Sharon Naluwende, a nutritionist at Mulago Hospital, says goat milk is gentler on the gastrointestinal tract, which is the path that food takes from chewing to excretion.

“The smaller fat globules in goat milk result in a smaller and softer curd, enabling digestive enzymes to break it down more rapidly. Goat milk also has higher levels of short and medium-chain fatty acids, rendering a faster and easier digestion process as well as producing quicker energy.

“While the taste of goat milk is slightly sweeter and saltier than cow milk and its flavour may need one getting used to it, it has immense benefits. For example, the vital nutrients in goat milk are more easily absorbed for the body’s use than in cow milk,” she says.

More health benefits

Other sources indicate that it takes 20 minutes for the body to digest goat milk, compared to two to three hours for cow milk.

Naluwende also says goat milk helps to improve metabolism of iron and copper, which are needed by the body to make blood and prevent anaemia.

“It contains antioxidants that help prevent ageing, boost immunity and have some cancer-fighting properties.

It is low in cholesterol and, therefore, good for people at risk of diabetes and hypertension. The fat in goat milk is easily digested because it is unsaturated. There are also fewer calories per litre than in cow milk. It is good for the elderly and those on restricted diets,” she says.

Another advantage, Mubiru says, is in processing. Goat milk, he says, does not need homogenising, a process used in processing cow milk.

“Homogenising may kill some of the essential vitamins and minerals. So, with goat milk, we get most of nature’s bounty,” he says.

Mubiru adds that in some cultures, goat milk was used as a topical application to cure skin problems.

“This is why it makes a luxurious addition to some beauty soaps and its contribution to good skin can also be experienced even by drinking it,” he says.

Mubiru also says goat cheese is more tolerated by people who have digestive problems with cow cheese. It has reduced effects related to lactose intolerance like running stomach, flatulence and nausea.

That is why the National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Databank (NAGRC&DB) has introduced highly efficient and productive dairy goats for adoption by the livestock-rearing communities to avail milk rich in nutrients required for boosting the human immune system.

Dr Peter Beine, the NAGRC&DB executive director, says this was on the recommendation of our scientists and researchers.

“We are bringing the Toggenburg breed, a dairy goat that has been found to withstand conditions here,” he noted.

The Toggenburg, which traces its origin in Switzerland, is highly productive and yields about 740kg per lactation, with a minimum fat content of 3.56% and minimum protein content of 2.9%. 

Calcium

Another advantage of goat milk over cow’s is the calcium content. According to Health Diet, an online publication, 200ml of goat milk can provide more than 100% of an adult’s daily needs of calcium.

Calcium is essential for the development and maintenance of bones and teeth, helps support normal muscle function and normal blood clotting, and helps the body to produce energy.

“Goat milk has more oligosaccharides (non-digestible carbohydrates) than cow milk, with a similar amount and structure to those found in human milk. These may act as prebiotics in the gut and could help to maintain the health of the digestive tract and gut microbiome, by encouraging the growth of beneficial gut bacteria,” the publication stated.

Comments

No Comment


(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});