Subscribe
Previous Post
We’ve been writing a lot about milk this week on Blisstree—raw milk, skim milk, non-dairy milk, milk trends. But one type of milk we haven’t explored yet is goat’s milk. I always thought goat’s milk was pretty much identical to cow’s milk except, you know, it came from a goat. But there are actually quite a few differences between the two—and goat’s milk might be the healthier choice (especially if you’re lactose intolerant). Although not popular in the United States, goat’s milk is the milk of choice in much of the world.
“For non-vegans, goat’s milk may be a very good option rather than cutting out dairy altogether,” recommends blogger and registered dietician Tamara Duker Freuman. “Goat’s milk is a nice alternative to cow’s milk in many ways.”
1. Goat’s milk is naturally lower in lactose.
“While not lactose-free like the non-dairy milk substitutes, it certainly has less lactose (about 25% less per cup) and tends to be tolerated by some of my lactose-intolerant patients,” Freuman says. Goat’s milk yogurt is even easier for folks with lactose issues to digest, since the culturing process breaks down some of the lactose. [For more about dairy with less lactose, see Hanna's post from earlier this week.]
Goat’s milk might also be less allergenic than cow’s milk. It contains only trace amounts of the alpha-S1, a casein protein found in cow’s milk which is known to trigger allergies.
2. Goat’s milk is better for weight-loss/weight-management.
Calcium and protein are both beneficial for weight loss or maintenance. Goat’s milk has about the same protein and calcium content as cow’s milk, but it’s lower in lactose and other sugars.
3. Goat’s milk is higher in certain vitamins and minerals.
Goat’s milk contains 25% more vitamin B6 than cow’s milk, nearly 50% more vitamin A, three times more niacin, 27% more selenium and 134% more potassium. However, is does contain less vitamin B12 and significantly less folic acid than cow’s milk.
A 2007 study found goat’s milk was better than cow’s milk at preventing anemia and bone demineralization, because of the higher bioavailabilty of iron, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium in goats’ milk (meaning it’s easier for the body to digest and metabolize these minerals in goat’s milk than in cow’s milk).
4. Goat’s milk is more enviro-friendly, less laden with hormones and antibiotics.
“Goat’s are not factory-farmed (to my knowledge), and are not treated with hormones and antibiotics routinely like dairy cows are in this country,” Freuman says. “Many goat farms tend to be smaller, family-owned operations.” Goat farms tend to have a much smaller environmental footprint than dairy farms, because goats eat less and occupy less grazing space than cows.
Of course, because goat’s milk isn’t the giant business proposition that cow’s milk is, goat’s milk is harder to come by; you’re unlikely to find goat’s milk sold at your average Safeway or Super Target. Local family farms and farmer’s markets are a good place to find goat’s milk. It can also be found in specialty markets and health foods stores.
Acouple of you have no idea what you are talking about! I have Nigerian Dwarf Dairy goats and MiniMancha dairy goats and they don’t have to be kept preganant constantly to produce milk. I only have to breed every couple years and some go longer. Production does go down but when you have a few to rotate 3 mini size dairy goats produce enough for a famly’s use and only breed occasionally. They do not damage grass more than any other animals and prefer brousing on weeds and brush than grass. Mine graze on a small pasture and the grass never dies or gets “uprooted” as has been said. “Humans do not have the enzymes to digest milk after the age of 4″ is crazy. How do I digest it at the age of 55 and my whole family does also! I have many friends who have goats and they all digest it fine also. Allergies can happen to any thing! Obviously my family lines go back many generations that relied on milk as a food source and developed the enzymes to digest it. Some people did not have the resource and therefore lost or never developed the enzyme for milk. Poor you. My three little goats coast less to feed than one large dog and produce very little mess and hardly enough to compost! Anything can get overgrazed. By any kind of grazing animal. I suppliment with weedy hay, that goats love and my little field works fine and stays green.
Also note that cows release large amounts of greenhouse gases (methane, etc.) through belching, as well as some through flatulence. They also contribute a whole lot of ammonia via urine.
Goats release much less greenhouse gas per animal than cows. Even though it takes a number of goats (6 maybe? i can’t recall) to produce the same amount of milk as one cow, the gas emissions from goats are still lower per unit of milk produced.
I have 11 goats on 3 acres. My grass is green and lavish, because my goats don’t touch the grass. They eat the clover and any weeds that come up, but leave the grass alone. I’ve had my goats for 6 years, and I’ve never had a problem with my grass being uprooted.
Human beings are the only species that drinks milk after lactation. A goat only gives milk if it has babies. So a goat like a cow is kept pregnant it’s entire life to give milk. Humans do not have the enzymes to process milk after the age of 4. Hence so many milk allergies. Skip the dairy all together, eat plants, they are more nutritious. Watch the movie Fork over Knife, will explain it all.
Contrary, though they do need to be bred and give birth to begin producing milk, goats(and cow) can be kept in milk year round with out being re-bred every season. so long as they are nutritionally healthy and physically healthy they can produce if they are being milked daily.
My friends told m e great site—please check my name—. They told me it is the best place to seek casual fun and short-term relationship. I have tried. It is fantastic! Tens of thousands pretty girls and handsome guys are active there. You wanna get laid tonight? Come in and give it a shot, you will find someone you like there. Have fun! R_R
I have to agree with Nancy, goats can be given antibiotics the same as cattle & there ARE large goat dairies (Meyenburg Farms anyone? Foul tasting milk sold by Walmart & other retailers!)
As a dairy goat owner I have to disagree with Mockingbird though. I chose goats because they ARE easier on the land & less messy than cattle. The sheer weight of cattle tear up the ground into a nasty dirt pit.
Goats, by nature are browsers, unlike sheep & cows who are grazers. They prefer brush, shrubs & trees to grazing. Given the proper space & forage materials, goats are much, much easier on the land. This is coming from someone who has owned both & no longer raises cattle ;)
Goats milk rocks! Very yummy (if not buying that junk in the store that taste like licking a dirty goat!) & good for you. Support your local small farmers! :)
“Goats milk is less laden with antibiotics and hormones” is not an accurate statement. Goats can be given antibiotics just as easily as a cow can, and for the same reasons. The real issue is factory farmed milk or non-factory farmed milk. It is just as easy to find a small farmer who offers natural, non-contaminated cow’s milk as it is to find a small farmer who offers natural, non-contaminated goat’s milk.
If the A1 gene is an issue, goats are not the only solution. There are cattle (such as most Guernseys and some Jerseys) that do not have that gene. Again, seek out a small farmer, since many small farmers choose these breeds for just such reasons.
The idea that goats are better for the environment is completely absurd. True, goats need less land for grazing but they absolutely destroy the land they graze on. While cows and most grazers simply bite the grass, goats uproot the grass so that it will not grow back. Goat herding is a major reason behind desertification in Africa, where goats are a cheaper livestock option to cows.