Reasons to consider Goats' Milk
Goats' milk is highly nutritious, contains essential vitamins and minerals and is an ideal food for the whole family to enjoy. Mild and smooth tasting it is drunk by more people around the world than cows' milk and is already a key healthy fridge essential for thousands of people. So why not join them now?
1. Less allergenic proteins
Protein is essential for growth, development and repair of the body. However, research indicates that peoples' intolerance of cows' milk is often due to the proteins; in particular Aplha-S1-casein. Goats' milk has less of this protein than most cows’ milk which is one of the reasons it may be better tolerated by some people.
Importantly, goats’ milk is not recommended for anyone who has been diagnosed with a cows’ milk allergy. Some of the proteins in goats' milk are sufficiently similar to those found in cows' milk and may cause cross-reactivity. Take advice from an allergy consultant or allergy specialist dietitian.
2. Easily digestible fats and proteins
Whilst the fat content of goats' milk is similar to cows' milk (3.6% for whole, 1.6% for semi-skimmed and almost zero for skimmed), the fat globules are naturally much smaller in size and this may make it easier to digest. The protein composition of goats’ milk allows it to form a softer curd during digestion which may assist with your digestive health and comfort.
3. Lower in Lactose
Goats’ milk is not recommended for anyone who has been diagnosed with lactose intolerance. However, goats' milk typically contains slightly less lactose than cows' milk and the amount of lactose people can tolerate varies. This, together with goats' milks’ easier digestibility, may help to explain why some people with lactose intolerance are able to enjoy goats' milk without any repercussions. Consult your GP or a health professional before making changes to your diet.
4. Plenty of calcium
3 servings of goats’ milk products can provide more than 100% of an adult's reference intake of calcium. Calcium is essential for the development and maintenance of bones and teeth, to help against the onset of osteoporosis and may also aid weight control by helping breakdown body fat as part of a calorie controlled diet.
5. Naturally lower in cholesterol
Goats' milk is naturally slightly lower in cholesterol than cows' milk and the skimmed and semi-skimmed options make it a good alternative for people who are watching their cholesterol or saturated fat intake.
6. Blood pressure friendly
Dairy products like goats' milk and yogurt are rich in calcium, a mineral indicated as important in lowering our blood pressure. Choose the low fat options if you’re concerned about blood pressure.
7. Other Essential Minerals
One (200ml) serving of goats' milk delivers over one quarter (180mg) of your Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) of phosphorus (which helps build strong bones and teeth and to release energy from food), and meets your daily iodine needs (which helps keep our thyroid and metabolic rate healthy) and provides 340mg (17% NRV) of potassium (involved in maintaining a healthy blood pressure by helping to blunt the effects of sodium).
8. A good source of key vitamins
One (200ml) serving of goats' milk provides 13% of the NRV for vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), which is needed for the release of energy from food and 12% of the NRV of biotin (a B-vitamin which is important for a healthy nervous system).
9. Prebiotic
Goats' milk has more oligosaccharides than cows' milk, with an amount similar to human milk. These act as prebiotics in the gut and may help to maintain the health of the digestive tract by encouraging the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and preventing the growth of harmful bacteriа.
