There are many benefits of goat milk. Besides containing calcium, goat milk is also rich in protein and good fatty acids, so it can meet the nutritional needs.
Both goat’s milk and cow’s milk can potentially cause allergies, children who are allergic to cow’s milk may also show an allergic reaction to goat’s milk. This is because both types of milk contain beta-lactoglobulin which is one of the causes of allergies.
However, goat milk has a number of health benefits, and can be an alternative to cow’s milk. From the nutritional content, here are some benefits of goat milk:
An important source of calcium and nutrients
Safer for psoriasis sufferers
Easily absorbed by the body
High calorie content
Like cow’s milk, goat’s milk is also rich in calcium and phosphorus which is beneficial for bone formation. Goat milk contains more potassium, vitamin A, and niacin when compared to cow’s milk. However, goat milk contains less folic acid, vitamin B12, and selenium.
Some sufferers of psoriasis feel an improvement in symptoms after replacing cow’s milk intake with goat’s milk and using products made from goat’s milk. But so far there have been no studies that explain this effect in detail.
Goat milk contains a slightly lower proportion of lactose than cow’s milk, so it is more easily absorbed. In addition, goat milk protein clumps formed by gastric acid activity are softer so they will be easier to digest. This can benefit babies who often spit up or have indigestion such as reflux, although they must be aware of the risk of allergies that may occur.
In one cup of goat milk contained 168 calories. However, there are also about 6.5 grams of saturated fat. The amount of saturated fat and calories in goat milk is higher than cow’s milk. Keep in mind, consuming excessive amounts of saturated fat milk can cause blockages in blood vessels. Therefore, you should keep your goat milk intake if you want to maintain cholesterol levels in the body.
Tips for Eating Goat Milk
With a number of benefits of goat milk, you still have to pay attention to some of the signs. Make sure there is a label ‘Free Bovine Growth Hormone (BHG) and antibiotics’ if you want to buy goat milk.
In general the consumption of cow’s milk and goat’s milk is not recommended for babies under one year old. This is because giving milk other than breast milk to the baby can increase the risk of intestinal irritation and anemia. Consult your doctor first if you want to give milk other than breast milk to children, especially children who are allergic to formula milk made from cow or soy milk, and also goat’s milk.
Unmodified goat milk has a high calorie, protein and mineral content for babies, but a lower folate content and high saturated fat. In terms of allergic risk, goat’s milk is not much different from cow’s milk. Although there are several recommendations for giving goat milk as a nutritional intake further, you should still consult with your doctor first before deciding to give goat milk to the Little One.