You may hear a lot about goat milk from your nutritionist. This is a dairy product that is easy on the gut unlike other types of usual dairy products. Sounds fancy, isn’t it? Well, it is true. Although goat’s milk has a pungent taste in comparison to cow’s milk, it contains more nutrients like vitamins, cobalt, and calcium, and there are numerous health benefits of goat milk. It has very little alpha 1s casein, which means that it would suit lactose intolerant people. Let’s have a look at the nutrition facts of goat milk to find out if it’s really healthy.
Nutrition Facts of Goat Milk
Goat’s milk has an impressive nutritional value. It contains many minerals that are essential for our bodies, such as copper, calcium, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins. The nutritional facts of per 100-gram goat’s milk are provided below:
Nutrition Facts of Goat milk and Cow’s milk Per 100 grams |
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| Goat’s Milk | Cow’s Milk | |
| Calories | 69 | 60 |
| Total Fats | 4.1g | 3.25g |
| Sodium | 50mg | |
| Potassium | 204mg | 143mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 4.5g | 5.26g |
| Protein | 3.6g | 3.22g |
| Vitamin A | 3% | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 2% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.12 | 0.10 |
| Calcium | 0.13 | 0.11 |
| Magnesium | 3% | 3% |
| Iron | 0.07 | 0.06 |
| Phosphorus | 0.27 | 0.23 |
| Cholesterol | 10 | 14 |
| Saturated Fatty acids | 2.3 | 2.4 |
| Monounsaturated Fatty acids | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| Polyunsaturated Fatty acids | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Table: Nutrition Facts of Goat milk and Cow’s milk Per 100 grams
Comparison with Cow’s Milk
Both goat milk and cow’s milk are dairy products since both are generated from mammals. However, there are many differences between the two. The nutrition facts of goat milk and Cow’s milk Per 100 grams provided above are merely a glimpse of it. In terms of nutrients, goat milk is richer than cow’s milk. But the key difference between these two types of milk is not the quantity of the available nutrition, but its quality. Cow’s milk protein is largely alpha 1s casein type. Many people from all over the world are allergic to alpha 1s casein protein. On the other hand, goat’s milk has approximately 89% less alpha 1s casein type protein.
Moreover, the fat molecules of goat’s milk are homogenized. It means that the fat molecules remain evenly distributed in goat’s milk. If you keep cow’s milk alone for a certain period of time, the fat molecules will start to separate and float to the top, which is undesirable. On the other hand, the fat molecules of goat’s milk are homogenized and don’t have any lumpy textures.
Goat Milk Benefits
The benefits of goat’s milk are depicted below with the help of the following infographic.
Less Lactose (Sugar in Milk)
Goat’s milk contains less lactose that is the form of sugar commonly found in dairy items. In a study, it was found that around 65% of the human population is lactose intolerant. Goat’s milk is a great option for them because it contains very less amount of lactose in comparison to cow’s milk.
Easy to Digest
The fat molecules of goat’s milk are much smaller than that of cow’s milk. It is far easier to digest smaller fat molecules since smaller fat molecules are more soluble than the larger ones. The cheese and curd from goat’s milk have a nice texture and softness when compared to cheese made from cow’s milk. Goat milk is the closest thing to the mother’s milk, which is why many nutritionists suggest goat milk to the baby.
Medicinal Benefits
Goat milk has many medicinal uses. It can provide relief from stomach problems, thyroid, duodenum, tuberculosis, and diabetes. Patients who went under chemotherapy are prescribed goat’s milk for recovery. If you have suffered from food poisoning goat milk is a safe option for providing essential nutrients to your body without disturbing your gut.
Less Allergenic Protein Contents
Both cow’s milk and goat’s milk contain alpha 1s casein proteins. However, goat’s milk contains 89% less alpha 1s casein protein. Many people are allergic to this protein. For them, goat milk can be a good option. However, it is important to know that pasteurized milk often lacks the necessary alive bacteria that help in alpha 1s casein protein digestion.
Rich in Calcium & Other Minerals
Cow’s milk is often portrayed as a good source of calcium. If you are counting on this you have nothing to worry about. Goat’s milk also has a sufficient amount of calcium. In fact, goat’s milk is richer in minerals than cow’s milk.
Cholesterol Level
Goat’s milk has a tremendous therapeutic effect on the heart. It contains more fatty chain acids than cow’s milk. These fatty chain acids help convert the fats into energy rather than storing them as body fats. Thus, goat’s milk helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Disadvantages of Goat Milk
Pungent Taste
Although the nutritional value of goat’s milk is greater than that of cow’s milk, goat milk generally tastes pungent. However, the taste depends on the diet plan of the goats and milk from goats that are fed natural green grasses tends to be sweeter.
Increases Hemoglobin
Goat milk consumption has a positive correlation with the increase of hemoglobin cells in the blood. People who have thick blood should be careful about their consumption of goat’s milk. To be safe goat’s milk should be consumed with water dilution to a ratio of 1:1.
Pancreatic Diseases
Goat’s milk contains around 4.4% fat. People who are suffering from pancreatic diseases should not consume goat’s milk more than a particular limit because this can aggravate their problems and stomach pain.
Finally, it can be said that goat milk may cause problems for many. But the health benefits of goat milk certainly outweigh its disadvantages. It is an excellent alternative for cow’s milk, providing more nutrients to your body more effectively. This is the reason goat milk formula is commonly preferred over cow’s milk formula.
