Goat Milk: Discover The Healing Power Of Goat Milk
Author: Daniel Madock

Doctors of chiropractic have long been advocates of transforming health from the inside out. As we seek to better our patients’ health, there is one particular healing food that has been revered for centuries: goat milk and goat-milk-derived products.

Goat milk has extensive healing properties. Research shows that goat milk has better digestibility, buffering capacity and alkalinity than cow milk.(1,12) Several properties testify to the superiority of goat milk. First, goat milk biologically resembles human milk. Second, goat milk contains a low level of allergy-producing substances. Third, it digests quickly and absorbs completely. Last, goat milk is an alkaline powerhouse.

Biological Resemblance to Human Milk

Goat milk has a similarity to human milk that is unmatched in bovine (cow) milk, which may be at the root of goat milk’s healing properties. A study by the International Journal of Food Science Nutrition found that "goat milk has a very different profile of the non-protein nitrogen fraction to cow milk, with several constituents such as nucleotides (DNA structure) having concentrations approaching those in human breast milk." (2)

So at the very base of the DNA structure of goat milk are similarities to the DNA structure of human milk. Another study concluded, "The oligosaccharide (prebiotic) profile of goat milk is most similar to that of human milk." (3) The same study went on to state, "Goat milk oligosaccharides could be included in infant formulas to improve the nutrition of infants." (3) These prebiotics are on the cutting edge of digestive health.

Goat milk also resembles human milk in the protein structure. Beta casein, the major casein protein found in both goat and human milk, is different from the casein found in cow milk. (4) Also, the peptide mappings of these alpha-lactoalbumins and beta-lactoglobulins in goat and human milk are completely different from those of cow milk. (4) Another publication found that the micelle structures of the casein between human and goat milk had a prevalence of beta casein unmatched in cow milk. (13) Furthermore, "...milk samples from women and goats were found to contain significantly higher concentrations of selenium than samples from cows." (5)

Low Level of Allergy-Producing Substances

Perhaps one of goat milk’s most famous attributes, low allergenicity, is vital to keeping each patient in optimum health. Cow milk allergy is the No. 1 allergy of children, affecting roughly 500,000 to 1.5 million children every year. (6) Cow milk contains more than 20 allergen proteins (4), which are not recognized by the immune system and are targeted in ways that cause a variety of symptoms. Hives, wheezing, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, skin rash (commonly near and around the mouth), runny nose, watery eyes, colic in infants and even anaphylactic shock can all be signs and symptoms of a cow milk allergy.

Evidence points, however, to the lower allergic potential of goat milk when compared with cow milk. (4,6,9) One study found that nearly 93 percent of infants suffering from cow milk allergies were able to tolerate and thrive on goat milk. (7) Another animal model study concluded that "goat milk, when used as the first source of protein after a breast feeding period, is less allergenic than cow milk." (8) Alphas1 casein is one of the main allergens in cow milk. Goat milk, like human milk, contains low levels of allergy-causingalphas1 casein and high levels of alphas2 casein, which is non-allergy-causing.

Allergies to foods such as cow milk also affect adults. Often these allergies do not manifest themselves immediately in adults. It is common for adult allergies to cause latent discomfort, pain, damage and overall lack of wellness. Cow milk should always be lined up as one of the usual suspects when investigating food intolerances in patients. While soy milk has been touted as a safe alternative to cow milk, some studies show that those with a cow milk allergy have a 47-percent chance of also being allergic to soy milk. (10)