Cow's milk, goat's milk, camel's milk... the truth you should know

Some rare "special" milks have emerged, such as goat milk, camel milk, etc. They are said to have all the shortcomings of cow milk and have many advantages that cow milk does not have. Is this true or false?

People tend to think that rare things have greater value. For example, milk is cheap and plentiful, but years of research have led to many "negative news". Rare milks have emerged, such as goat milk and camel milk, which claim to have all the shortcomings of cow milk and all the advantages that cow milk does not have. Is this true or false? Let's sort them out one by one.

What is the difference between camel milk and cow milk?

Camel milk is a very niche milk. According to the folklore saying that "extraordinary things must have extraordinary effects", it is easy for people to believe that it has various "special functions". It has appeared in China for some years and has always been promoted as "desert white gold" and "the closest to breast milk".

Cow's milk is produced by cows, and camel's milk is produced by camels. Since the animals are different, their milk may naturally be different.

Cow's milk has been extensively studied and commercialized, so the standardization of cow's milk is very high. However, the camel milk industry is still small, the research is not in-depth, and the standardization of the product is also low. In other words, the nutritional composition of cow's milk on the market is relatively fixed, while the uncertainty of camel's milk is very large. For example, when there is sufficient water, the protein content in camel's milk can be as high as 4.6%, and the total solid content may reach 14.3%; when there is less water, the protein content can be as low as 2.5%, and the total solid content can be as low as 8.8%. In the former extreme case, the total protein and solid content of camel's milk is much higher than that of cow's milk; in the latter extreme case, it is much lower than that of cow's milk.

Given that the composition of camel milk fluctuates so much and the product is not well standardized, it doesn't make much sense to talk about its "nutritional value" as a whole.

“Camel milk is close to breast milk” is a cheap rumor

Camel milk marketing has always claimed that its "ingredients are closer to breast milk" based on the fact that "compared with cow's milk, camel milk has low cholesterol, low sugar, high minerals (sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium), high vitamin C, high protein and high calcium content."

Regardless of whether these "comparisons" are true or not, even if they are true, they run counter to the characteristics of breast milk. The protein, fat, and lactose content of breast milk is usually 1%, 4%, and 7%, respectively, while cow's milk is about 3%, 4%, and 5%. Compared with breast milk, the protein content of cow's milk is too high and the lactose content is too low, making it unsuitable for infants. The sugar content of camel milk is lower than that of cow's milk, which is much lower than breast milk; the protein content is higher than that of cow's milk, which is much higher than breast milk. Even if other trace nutrients are not considered, the composition of the main nutrients alone is too different from breast milk, and it is completely unsuitable for infants.

Those so-called "active substances" are also unreliable

The marketing copy for camel milk likes to tout that it is "rich in active substances that are lacking in other milks" and "has certain functions and can enhance human immunity" and so on.

Whether it is breast milk, cow's milk or other animal milk, they all contain some "biologically active" substances. When the corresponding cubs are young and their digestive tracts are not fully developed, these active substances can produce "physiological activity" well, which is beneficial to the health of the cubs.

However, for infants, milk from other animals cannot be drunk directly. It needs to be "formulated" to adjust its nutritional composition to make it close to breast milk. After being formulated and processed, those "active substances" often lose their activity. For adults, the digestive tract is already fully developed, and those active substances are difficult to have physiological activity after digestion and absorption.

So, are there some ingredients in camel milk that can survive heating, digestion, and water absorption without being destroyed, and can really have health benefits after people consume them? Logically, it is possible, but in reality, there must be clear scientific evidence, and we cannot promote it as a fact just because it is "logically possible".

So far, the "benefits" advocated by camel milk merchants are either fabricated out of thin air or misinterpretations of scientific data, and cannot withstand scrutiny and verification.

In some parts of the world, natural conditions make it difficult to develop dairy farming, and camels can provide people with dairy products. Based on current scientific data, camel milk is just milk. As a food, there is nothing wrong with it, but there is nothing more magical than other milk.

Are there any benefits for babies to drink goat milk?

In recent years, goat milk has become increasingly popular in the market, so what are the benefits of drinking goat milk for babies? Here we must first emphasize that if "baby" refers to a newborn, the question of drinking goat milk is not "what are the benefits", but "you should not drink it at all", and you should not drink any "natural milk".

The nutrition that newborns need is completely provided by milk - the best food is breast milk. Breast milk not only contains all the nutrients that babies need, but also the proportions of various nutrients are within the reasonable range required by babies. In addition, the milk of any other animal in nature only meets the needs of that animal's cubs, which is far from the needs of human babies. Those who advocate that the milk of any animal is "good for newborns" are not only deceiving, but also harming people.

If breastfeeding is not possible, infant formula is the only approved option. Whether based on cow's milk, goat's milk or soy protein, the nutritional content of infant formula has been adjusted to make it "simulate breast milk" as much as possible to meet the nutritional needs of infants.

If "baby" refers to a young child, its nutrition should mainly come from a regular diet, of which milk is only one component. Whether it is cow's milk or goat's milk, it can be given to children, but there are no legendary "benefits".

1. Is goat milk fat particles small and easy to digest? It doesn’t make sense

The natural pH value of milk is slightly lower than the neutral 7.0, while that of goat milk is slightly higher, but this has nothing to do with whether milk is easy to digest. When food enters the stomach, the gastric juice is highly acidic, and the protein will be initially digested by pepsin, which is active under highly acidic conditions.

The fat particles in goat milk are small, but the idea that it is "good for digestion" is just a guess and there is no scientific evidence to support it. Moreover, commercially produced milk is now processed by high-pressure homogenization, and the particles are much smaller than those in goat milk.

▲According to Jiemian News, Feihe, a leading milk powder company, acquired a goat milk powder company in Shaanxi in July 2021, which aroused people's attention to this new track. Globally, Asia is the main goat milk producing area, with India being the highest, accounting for nearly 33% of the output in 2018. China's goat milk production was 1.33 million tons, accounting for 7% of the world. Shaanxi Province is China's largest goat milk and goat milk product production and processing area. In 2018, goat milk production accounted for 45% of China's total (data source/West China Securities Research Institute, "Goat Milk Powder Industry Series Report", Dysin)

2. Cow's milk has allergens but goat's milk doesn't? This is a rumor

Goat milk is not among the eight major allergens, probably because not so many people drink goat milk, so there are not many cases of allergies. It is true that some people who are allergic to cow milk are not allergic to goat milk, but it is also found that people who are allergic to cow milk are often allergic to goat milk. The claim of goat milk powder manufacturers that "goat milk powder is not easy to cause allergies" is not supported by scientific evidence. The European Food Safety Authority issued an assessment report clearly stating that there is currently insufficient evidence to support the claim that "goat milk powder is less likely to cause allergic reactions than cow milk powder."

3. Goat milk has more calcium than cow milk and is more nutritious? Not true

The nutrients in milk are all within a range. Some actual products have higher and some have lower levels. The so-called "goat milk has 1.3 times more calcium than cow milk" is also inaccurate. The so-called "goat milk" is goat milk, and its average calcium content is similar to cow milk. The average calcium content of sheep milk is indeed higher than that of cow milk and goat milk, and the content of other nutrients is also higher, which is equivalent to concentrated.

On average, the vitamin B12, B6 and vitamin D in cow's milk are higher than that in goat's milk, while the vitamin A and B3 in goat's milk are higher than those in cow's milk. Both have their own advantages, and it is difficult to say which one is more advantageous overall.

4. Is goat milk’s high content of short-chain fatty acids easier to absorb? Just an interpretation

The content of short-chain fatty acids in goat milk is indeed higher, but saying that it is "easier to absorb and more nutritious" is just an interpretation. There is currently no sufficient evidence on its effect on the human body.

The marketing of goat milk often emphasizes that "goat milk has a high absorption rate". In fact, the absorption rates of various components in cow milk and goat milk are very high. Even if we can distinguish which one is better, it has no practical significance. For example, the absorption rate is 97% and 98%. In terms of numbers, 98% is higher, but what the human body needs is the total amount absorbed rather than the proportion absorbed. The difference in absorption rate may be far less than the impact of a mouthful of milk.

Further reading >>>

There are also some "special" milk

Milk is a popular product. Under the market trend of "product differentiation" and "high-end", some "special" milk products have also emerged. In addition to the goat milk and camel milk discussed above, the following also belong to the "special forces":

Buffalo milk, horse milk, donkey milk, etc.

These "niche" milks are also good sources of protein and calcium. Compared with cow's milk, they have their own advantages and disadvantages in different nutritional indicators. However, the "special effects" mentioned in marketing have no scientific basis - they are just rarer, different-flavored, and more expensive milks.

A2 Milk

This is a hot concept in the current dairy product market. Milk contains casein, of which A1 and A2 are the two main subtypes. A2 milk does not contain A1 casein, and merchants claim that A1 milk can cause health hazards such as lactose intolerance, so they promote A2 milk as healthier. This claim has not been recognized by academia and regulators in various countries, but has been widely used in marketing.

Shuhua milk

Milk contains about 5% lactose. Many people are lactose intolerant and will have diarrhea and other symptoms after drinking it. Soluble milk is milk that has had its lactose broken down by lactase. Soluble milk is meaningful for people who are lactose intolerant; but it is meaningless for people who are not lactose intolerant.

Written by Yun Wuxin (Doctor of Food Engineering) Edited by Liu Zhao

New Media Editor/Lv Bingxin Image Source/Visual China

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Science Plus Client

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