Goat Milk is More Beneficial to Health then Cow Milk.
On a global scale, goat milk is preferred to cow milk, with cultures around the world enjoying its sweet, slightly salty taste. In America, goats are more popular. Goats eat less and occupy less grazing space than cows, and in some families, including my family, the backyard goat supplies milk for family needs.
Goat milk is an excellent source of protein, riboflavin, potassium, calcium, tryptophan, and phosphorous.
Goat Milk vs Cow Milk
In comparison. Goat milk is easier to digest and absorb as it has softer and finer protein curd than cow milk, less likely to contain hormones and additives and less allergenic than cow milk. Allergy to cow milk has been found in many people with conditions such as recurrent ear infections, asthma, eczema, and even rheumatoid arthritis. Replacing cow milk with goat milk helps to reduce some of the symptoms of these conditions. A cup of goat milk provides 32.6% of the daily value for calcium along with 27.0% of the daily value for phosphorus, whereas, a cup of cow milk provides 29.7% of the daily value for calcium and 23.2% of the daily value for phosphorus. Moreover, goat milk naturally contains bio-active factors such as Nucleotides, Polyamines and Taurine which benefit gut and immune functions.
Cow milk contains around ten grams of fat per eight ounces compared to 8 to 9 grams in goat milk, and it is much easier to find low fat and non-fat varieties of cow milk than it is to purchase low-fat goat milk. Unlike cow milk, goat milk does not contain agglutinin. As a result, the fat globules in goat milk do not cluster together, making them easier to digest. Like cow milk, goat milk is low in essential fatty acids, because goats also have EFA-destroying bacteria in their ruminant stomachs. Yet, goat milk is reported to contain more of the essential fatty acids, known as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and arachnodonic acids, in addition to a higher proportion of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids which have been suggested as protective components in colon cancer besides easier for intestinal enzymes to digest.
Goat milk protein forms a softer curd which makes the protein more easily and rapidly digestible. Theoretically, this more rapid transit through the stomach could be an advantage to infants and children who regurgitate cow milk easily. Goat milk also have advantages when it comes to allergies. Goat milk contains only trace amounts of an allergenic casein protein, alpha-S1, found in cow milk. Goat milk casein is more similar to human milk but, cow milk and goat milk contain similar levels of the other allergenic protein, beta lactoglobulin. Generally, mothers are more sensitive to children reactions. Some mothers are certain that their child tolerates goat milk better than cow milk. However, if your baby is under one year of age and allergic to cow milk-based formulas, consult your doctor or a pediatric nutritionist for best alternative.
Goat milk is alkaline, while cow milk is slightly acidic. Alkaline diets result in a more alkaline urine pH. It has been suggested that an alkaline diet may prevent a number of diseases and result in significant health benefits, including cardiovascular, neurological, and muscular.
Nutrition: RDI based on data from the USDA
A quick Comparison.
| Vitamin/Mineral | Cow Milk (% RDI) | Goat Milk (% RDI) |
| Calcium | 29.7 % | 33 % |
| Vitamin B2 | 26 % | 20 % |
| Vitamin D | 24 % | 7 % |
| Phosphorus | 23.2 % | 27 % |
| Vitamin B12 | 18 % | 3 % |
| Selenium | 13 % | 5 % |
| Potassium | 10 % | 14 % |
| Vitamin B5 | 9 % | 8 % |
| Zinc | 7 % | 5 % |
| Vitamin B1 | 7 % | 8 % |
| Magnesium | 6 % | 9 % |
| Vitamin A | 5 % | 10 % |
| Vitamin B6 | 4 % | 6 % |
| Sodium | 4 % | 5 % |
| Folate | 3 % | 1 % |
| Vitamin E | 1% | 1 % |
| Vitamin K | 1 % | 1 % |
| Copper | 1 % | 6 % |
| Vitamin B3 | 1 % | 3 % |
| Vitamin C | Trace | 5 % |
| Manganese | Trace | 2 % |
| Iron | Trace | 1 % |
Now that you know goat milk is more health benefits for you and your family, let’s move forward to other goat milk related information.
How to Select and Store Goat Milk
Identification
Goat milk, like cow milk, can spoil quickly if not properly stored. If spoiled, goat milk will have a bitter taste. Also, the smell of spoilage is unmistakable, possessing a similar rancid scent to spoiled cow milk.
Features
The fat globules in goat milk are small enough to remain suspended in the liquid. These fatty clumps can lead some to erroneously believe the milk has spoiled. Shaking or stirring the milk will help break up the clumps.
When purchasing goat milk, always use the ‘Best before’ date as a guide to the shelf life of the goat milk. Choose a milk container that has the latest expiration date you can find. Smell the top of the container to make sure that the milk does not smell of spoilage, normally occurs when stored for a period of time outside of the refrigerator or in a storage room. Select goat milk from the coldest compartment in the refrigerator, which is usually the lower section.
How to Store Goat Milk
Glass is the best option for storing raw milk because it is easily cleaned and sterilized. Place the milk into the refrigerator as soon as you get home. Use 1 quart wide mouth mason jars and gallon glass jars (1 gallon pickle jars). I would suggest the wide mouth jars because you can fit your hand into them and really scrub them and get them clean. Use quart mason jars to store if you do not have so much milk to store. Otherwise, go for bigger jars if you have so much milk to store. Do not use plastic container for storage. Plastic cannot be properly cleaned and sterilized. Never reuse milk jugs from the store; they cannot be cleaned well enough at all and will contaminate your fresh milk.
Goat milk should always be refrigerated and keep it between 35-38 degrees since higher temperatures can cause it to turn sour more rapidly. Always seal or close the milk container when storing it to prevent it from absorbing the aromas of other foods in the refrigerator. Avoid storing goat milk near or in the refrigerator door since this exposes it to too much heat each time the refrigerator is opened and closed.
How to store fresh milk for use during the winter
All you have to do is just pour the fresh milk (still warm from the goat) into new quart Ziploc freezer bags and stack them in the freezer. Use REAL Ziploc bags because “off brands” tend to leak. Do not freeze in glass! Glass is extremely dangerous, it can break very easily in the freezer – as the milk expands when it freezes. Never freeze in milk jugs from the store; they cannot be cleaned well enough at all and will contaminate your milk. When you thaw your milk (in the Ziploc bags) be ready for the bags to leak, they normally do. Put the bags in a dish as you thaw the milk. I thaw in the fridge and sometimes in the microwave. Thawed milk can have clumps in it but, it is nothing to worry about. I find that frozen milk will keep fine for 6 – 8 months in the deep freeze.