Learn How Goats Milk Products Benefits the Elderly

 

 

Various goat milk products including fresh milk, milk powder, fermented, frozen, condensed and dehydrated milk, and skin care products are produced in many countries. Goat milk plays a vital role in our body and skin as well.

 

As we age, the changes in our bodies create challenges for sufficient nutrient intake and absorption. Goat milk and dairy goat products provide good source of protein, calcium, minerals, vitamins and beneficial fats to fulfill elderly adults nutritional requirements.

 

Normally, elderly adults lack the motivation to cook nutritional meals especially if it has been their daily routine throughout their entire life. Therefore, dairy goat products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt which do not require cooking or preparation, when combined with other nutritious, ready-to-eat foods like fruits, bread or crackers, can provide a nutrient-dense, protein-rich meal with little effort.

 

Elderly adults with gum and mouth problems, like dentures or missing teeth, along with reduced saliva production, create problems chewing and swallowing solid foods. Goat milk and soft cheeses require no or little chewing, and can be combined with other soft foods to provide variety, like pureed fruits.

 

Many elderly adults tend to drink less than optimal amounts of liquids due to reduce sensation of thirst. Milk is nearly 90 percent water, and can provide hydration in a form that many elderly adults find more appealing than water. Milk is also easily flavored to suit particular tastes.

 

Some elderly adults take diuretics, which cause elevated excretion of important minerals like potassium, calcium and magnesium. Goat milk has 134 per cent more potassium than cow milk, and also has higher levels of magnesium.

 

Food moves more slowly through the gastrointestinal tract of the elderly adults , often resulting in constipation. Goat milk is highly digestible and 100 per cent of the protein in milk is absorbed before it reaches the large intestine. Cultured goat milk products, such as yogurt, buttermilk and kefir, also contain bacteria that are beneficial to gastrointestinal health.

 

Elderly adults often complaint of lack of appetite, their taste have changed and the texture of many foods are disagreeable. Lack of appetite combined with reduced nutrient absorption can cause weight loss and dwindling muscle tissue. Whole goat milk is calorie and protein-rich, containing more fat, protein and amino acids than cow milk. Goat milk and dairy goat products have mild taste and the smooth textures are usually easily accepted. They are also easy to blend with cooked foods and milk, plain yogurt or sour cream can be used to moisten foods which would otherwise be dry or difficult to chew.

 

 

Skin Care

 

Goat milk is also great for your skin because it is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins as well as high in lactic acid which helps exfoliate dead skin cells and soften your skin. Elderly skin care is a very important health concern for aging adults. While our skin is generally ignored throughout life unless we have a cut, a rash, an itch, or a burn, etc., Skin is our largest and important organ – adults carry some 8 pounds (3.6 kilograms) and 22 square feet (2 square meters) of it,  and the  skin plays a much bigger role than just holding everything together in one package.

 

Healthy skin keeps infectious agents from entering the body, synthesizes essential vitamin D from sunlight, manufactures vitamin D for converting calcium into healthy bones and provides our sensation of touch through the various nerves running throughout.

 

The hallmark of goat milk is its gentleness and nutritive properties in digestion, but those same properties carry over to the skin care products, as well. Goat milk skin care products are especially suited for caring for the special challenges that aging skin presents.

 

For cleansing, goat milk soap has the benefits of a lower pH, making it more friendly to the skin’s protective acid mantle, and a high fat content that supplies moisture, while gently removing dirt and dead skin cells.

 

Goat milk soaps also come in a vast array of combinations that include nourishing herbs and other natural ingredients tailored for specific skincare needs. Read the labels or inquire as to the suitability of particular ingredients for elderly skin care, or for other special skin care needs.

 

Creams, lotion and body butters made from goat milk are also especially nourishing for elderly skin. The special fat and protein molecules from goat milk, along with an array of vitamins and minerals, are easily absorbed through the skin, providing hydration, a protective moisture barrier, and nourishment for the skin all at the same time.

 

Isolated rough patches of skin might also benefit from the application of a homemade facial solution containing goat milk yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk. These fermented products contain lactic acid, one of the alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), known for helping to remove dead surface layer skin cells to leave skin smoother.

 

These goat milk versions of alpha hydroxy acid contain no additional chemicals or preservatives and are not as harsh as commercial products.

 

Conclusion, goat milk and dairy goat products provide an immediate source of energy and important nutrients to you and elderly adults. Additionally, it is also vital to nourish skin from the inside out. Proper nutrition is an imperative component in elderly skin care.

As the saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding.”That pudding was made with goat milk, right?

If you or an elderly loved one suffers from dry, itchy skin, try a cleansing and hydration program based on goat milk. Products are widely available, and come in a range of scents or unscented and added ingredients.

 

 

 

DIY Goat Milk Lotion

 

Raising goats is not just about drinking their milk but it is great in other DIY skin care products as well. You can use it to make Goat Milk Bath or even this beautiful Goat Milk Lotion Recipe.

Making Goat Milk Lotion is an easy and  simple process that any individual can master.

 

Goat Milk Lotion Recipe:

 

  • 1 1/2 Tablespoon beeswax
  • 2 Tablespoon pumpkin seed oil
  • 2 Tablespoon palm oil
  • 3 Tablespoon sweet almond oil
  • 1 Tablespoon apricot oil
  • 1 Cup warm goats milk
  • 1 Teaspoon Vitamin E oil
  • 1/2 Cup Aloe Vera gel

 

 

Procedures:

 

Melt beeswax and palm seed oil together. Remove from heat. After melted, add the sweet almond oil, pumpkin seed oil and apricot oil. With a blender, slowly add the warm goat milk to oil/wax mixture. Add Vitamin E oil as mixture begins to thicken. Beating until mixture thickens and cool to room temperature. Add aloe vera gel to the cooled lotion and blend well one final time. Since goat milk is used it is recommended adding a preservative to extend shelf life. Store in air-tight containers.

 

 

Experiment with different brands and varieties to find one that works best for your special needs.

 

Of course, homemade products are almost guaranteed to be less irritating and more moisturizing than commercial products, not to mention less expensive!

 

 

Want more fun DIY Skin Care recipes? Check out our other soaping post as well.

 

 

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Handmade Goat Milk Soap Recipes

 

Besides consuming goats milk daily, goats milk is also used to make soap.

 

What are the benefits of goat milk soap?

 

 

Skin Care

Goat milk soap gives a rich creamy feel and will leave your skin feeling very soft. Most people with problem skin, eczema (atopic dermatitis), acne, psoriasis and other sensitive skin find that after using goat milk soap their skin condition improve. The soap will clean and not irritate your skin.

 

One of the most popular additives to goat milk soap is  handmade soap. And rightly so. Goat Milk is a natural emollient that helps soothe and moisturize the skin. It contains vitamins A, B6, B12 and E. Goat milk has 3 times more beta-casein than cow milk. Caseins are easily absorbed into the skin and allow for quick hydration of dry skin. The content of triglycerides, capric, caprylic and caproic acid helps balance the skin’s natural pH and promotes natural exfoliation of dry skin.

 

Scented or fragrant goat milk soaps are like Floral, Oatmeal, Spice and Fruit Fragrances. Special Dermatological and Manuka Honey (unscented soaps) goat milk soaps are for people forced to use soap substitutes or very neutral soaps because of allergies or skin sensitive to perfumes. According to a survey, the demand for such soaps make up almost half of all sales.  Dermatologists commented that unscented goat milk soaps are particularly good for patients with skin problems because they leave no residue on the skin. These problems include eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and infant eczema.

 

There are basically three ways to incorporate goat milk into your soaps however, each works a bit differently.

  1. Fresh goat milk
  2. Powdered goat milk
  3. Canned/ Evaporated goat milk

 

 

Handmade Natural Goat Milk Soap Recipe

 

Handmade soap is akin to rediscovering the traditional value of doing things yourself, doing them naturally, and enjoying the benefits.

Making soap of any kind is fairly simple. Goat milk soap is no exception. Homemade soap can be a welcome addition to anyone bathing routine, especially for someone with sensitive skin.

Goat milk soap is a very moisturizing, soft soap and not that difficult to make. Follow some simple instructions and make goat milk soap for home use or to give away as gifts.

Lye and Borax are available at the grocery stores, make sure that the lye can states 100 per cent lye. Before you buy the lye, shake the can and listen to it to make sure it is free flowing for easy handling, and has no lumps in it. Borax – this boots cleaning ability, soften the water and helps with suds-ing. Liquid Glycerin is available at drug stores. Glycerin gives the soap more moisturizing qualities.

Lye heats the milk up very hot; the sugar in the milk will “caramelize” and the soap will be tan in colorSoap made with 100% lard will not lather a whole lot, but make a good cleaning, very gentle, moisturizing soap. Lathering and cleaning ability have nothing to do with one another.

 

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 3 pints of ice cold goat milk
  • 1 12 oz. can of Red Devil Lye
  • 5 1/2 pounds of lard
  • 2 oz. glycerin
  • 2 Tablespoon borax
  • 1/3 Cup Honey

 

Instructions:

 

*Cautions, wear rubber gloves when handling lye.

 

Use a stainless steel pot for your soap making. Very slowly pour the lye into the ice cold milk, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The milk will heat up very quickly due to the addition of the lye. If you add the lye too fast, the milk may scorch and curdle. The milk will turn an orange color and curdle a little bit but do not worry, add the honey. Let the mixture cool down to 85°.

 

While the lye and milk mixture is cooling, warm the lard to 90°. Slowly pour the lard into the lye and milk mixture, stirring constantly, and add the glycerin and borax.

 

The best thing to stir soap with is an electric hand held “stick blender” because you really need to stir the soap mixture to get it to “trace”. The slower your stirring is, the longer it will take to trace. You cannot just stop or go away and let it sit because if you do not stir constantly, the soap will never “trace”.

 

Add the glycerin and borax and keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken like thin pudding nice “traces”. The mixture “traces” when a small amount of the solution drizzled across the top of the main solution’s surface leaves a faint pattern before sinking back into the mass. A trace should be reached within 10 to 20 minutes of hand stirring, or 5 to 10 minutes of stirring with a “stick blender”.

 

Add any essential oils you wish to add to the soap at this point. Stir it in well.

 

Pour the mixture into your molds. Cover the top of the molds with a cloth such as cheesecloth and then cover it with a blanket. Leave it undisturbed overnight.

 

The next day you can cut the soap into bars using fishing line. Stack the bars on a cookie sheet lined with a large paper bag. It is not ready to use yet; the mixture needs to saponify and cure. Let the soap cure by air-drying it for at least 6 weeks before using or giving away.

 

 

Handmade Organic Goat Milk Soap Recipe

 

Since I posted a topic about the benefits of goat milk soap, I have been asked “Do you have homemade milk based soap recipe for beginners?” After experimenting a few shortcuts, I recommend this simple Organic Goat Milk Soap recipe.

 

What are the benefits of  organic goat milk soap?

 

Organic goat milk soap offers a natural and less-abrasive form of cleansing bar. And organic goat milk soap aids in the treatment of mild to moderate acne.

 

Recipe:

 

Light essential oil scent can be added to the soap and oatmeal mix, if desired. The recipe yields approximately 12 bars of organic soap.

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 15 oz. organic olive oil
  • 5 oz. organic palm oil
  • 5 oz. organic coconut oil
  • 3.5 oz. lye
  • 8 oz. goat milk
  • 1/2 cup organic oatmeal
  • 1 oz. lavender or lilac essential oil for fragrance (optional)
  • Soap molds

*Cautions, wear rubber gloves when handling lye.

 

Instructions :

  • Purchase molds. Chocolate or candy-making molds are permissible for use in soap making. Do not reuse molds for chocolate making once used in the soap making process.
  • Combine 1/2 cup organic oatmeal with 1 oz. fragrance oil, and set aside. Lavender scent is recommended.
  • Mix all remaining soap base materials together in a stainless steel bowl.
  • Heat inside a slow cooker on medium heat until melting occurs. Do not reuse the slow cooker for food preparation.
  • Mix fragrance mixture into the slow cooker.
  • Pour soap mix into molds once it is warm enough to handle safely.
  • Cool soap mix for 24 hours. Remover from molds and use. Clean molds with warm water, dry and store.

 

I love making this organic goat milk soap recipe because it is easy, good for your acne skin and shows my love for goats.

Want more fun DIY Skin Care recipes?  Check out my other DIY post as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goat Milk Health Benefits

I started drinking goat milk daily and began doing research about this milk since more than a decade ago. I learned interesting facts and would continue to share more.

 

Goat Milk is gaining popularity all over the world and is the popular choice besides cow milk. Goat milk is available all year round in retail stores and market. If you have not tried drinking goat milk, you may find that it taste strange, slightly sweet and at times salty undertone.

 

A2 casein – Goat milk can sometimes be consume as another option if individual or infant is allergy to cow milk. Goat milk mostly contains ‘A2 casein’ which makes it comparable to human breast milk in terms of protein. A2 casein does not cause any inflammatory diseases, like colitis. A study even states that when babies are fed with goat milk as the first protein after breast feeding, they are less allergic as when compared with cow’s milk feeding.

 

Reduce bad cholesterol – Goat milk decreases bad cholesterol and increases the level of good cholesterol in the human body. It has healing properties and just like olive oil, are effective in keeping high cholesterol under check.

 

Prevents arteriosclerosis – Goat milk helps to prevent arteriosclerosis. This is because it contains a limited amount of the enzyme, xanthine oxidase. This enzyme is believed to cause heart issues on entering the bloodstream. Goat milk contains this and very less quantity and hence can prevent arteriosclerosis

 

Medium-chain fatty acids – Goat milk also contains medium-chain fatty acids (30–35% in comparison to 15–20% in cow milk). These acids offer energy boosts and are not stored as fat in the body. These help to decrease cholesterol and treat tough conditions like coronary diseases.

 

Calcium  – Goat milk is a very good source of calcium. Hence, I suggest that you should drink raw goat milk because up to 50% of people who are lactose intolerant can easily digest goat milk, especially if it is raw. When you drinks raw goat milk, you can attain most benefits of this nutritious drink.

 

Calcium is also widely recognized for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones. In a process known as bone mineralization, calcium and phosphorus join to form calcium phosphate. Calcium phosphate is a major component of the mineral complex (called hydroxyapatite) that gives structure and strength to bones.

 

Normally, you think of cow milk as the most healthy and calcium-rich food. But do not worry about calcium while you are switching to goat milk. A cup of goat milk supplies 32.6% of the daily value for calcium as compare to cow milk has 29.7% calcium.

 

In recent studies, goat milk calcium has shown to:

  • Reduce PMS symptoms during the the second half of the menstrual cycle
  • Help prevent the bone loss that can occur as a result of menopause or certain conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Help prevent recurrent migraine headaches
  • Help protect colon cells from cancer-causing chemicals

 

In fact, this mineral does more then just stronger bones and teeth. Calcium also plays vital role in many other vital physiological activities, including cell membrane function, nerve conduction, muscle contraction, regulation of enzyme activity, blood clotting and blood pressure regulation. Since these activities are essential to life, the body utilizes complex regulatory systems to tightly control the amount of calcium in the blood, so that sufficient calcium is always available. As a result, when dietary intake of calcium is too low to maintain adequate blood levels of calcium, calcium stores are drawn out of the bones to maintain normal blood concentrations.

 

Tryptophan – Goat milk contains high Tryptophan. Tryptophan is one of the 20 standard amino acids, as well as an essential amino acid required in the human body.

 

Dairy Foods Better than Calcium Supplements for Growing Girls’ Bones

Based on recent studies,  young girls going through the rapid growth spurt of puberty, getting calcium from dairy products, such as goat milk, may be better for building bones and teeth than taking a calcium supplement.

 

Essential Nutrients – Goat milk is also a good source of protein, potassium, phosphorus and riboflavin, vitamin D, B-6 and vitamin B-12. Research has found some anti-inflammatory compounds (short-chain sugar molecules called oligosaccharides) to be present in goat milk. Oligosaccharides is know to make goat milk easier to digest, especially in the case of compromised intestinal function.

 

In recent studies, goat milk has also been shown to enhance the metabolism of both iron and copper, especially when there are problems with absorption of minerals in the digestive tract. These benefits and others are likely to play vital role in the tolerability of goat milk. As for older children and adults, besides an excellent calcium-rich which is widely recognized for its role in maintaining the strength and density of bones and teeth, goat milk may help to reduce some of the recurrent ear infections, asthma, eczema, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Goat milk can also prevent disease such as anemia.

 

Skin care Goat milk is also great for your skin because it is rich in vitamins, minerals, proteins as well as high in lactic acid which helps exfoliate dead skin cells and soften your skin.

 

Lactose Intolerance – Goat milk, like cow milk, contains the milk sugar, lactose, and may produce adverse reactions in lactose-intolerant individuals. Goat milk is slightly lower in lactose than cow milk, with 4.1% milk solid as lactose versus 4.7% in cow milk, which may be an advantage in lactose-intolerant persons. Here, goat milk is a viable option for them.

 

The common symptoms of lactose intolerance are nausea, vomiting, abdominal distension, abdominal cramps and passing of flatus. The degree of symptoms depends on the amount of milk consumed specifically, the amount of lactose and the degree to which our body is deficient in lactase enzyme. Intolerance adverse reactions are not life-threatening but may result in life long discomfort.

 

I experienced vomiting after drinking milk. My first impression at that time was allergic to lactose . From my previous experience, now I must consider both milk allergy and lactose intolerance when adverse reactions like vomiting occurred because both milk allergy and lactose intolerance can exist simultaneously. A correct diagnosis must be made and properly followed up, as the treatment, dietary avoidance, is often very difficult and if incorrectly applied can lead to vitamin deficiencies or malnutrition.

 

In addition, we should not believe the myth that humans are never meant to digest cow milk or goat milk. And our bodies are meant to consume  mother’s milk for the first several months or years, and then move on to other foods. In fact, people only become lactose-intolerant as teens or adults, when the enzymes to digest any kind of milk stop being produced by the human digestive system.

 

So, let us not stop drinking goat milk daily, it’s good for your health.