Milk Wars: Goat, Sheep or Cow

Angela

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I never knew any of this. Thought others might be interested.

See:
http://www.weedemandreap.com/milk-showdown-cow-sheep-goat/

Looking at the cons, because that's just how I roll. :)

Goat:

"CONS: Some people dislike the taste of goat’s milk, and we agree that certain breeds of goats can have musky tasting milk. We own Nigerian Dwarfs, which produce a mild taste that’s almost identical to cow’s milk. The only drawback is that they are small animals. Small animals = less milk. Because we get about 1-2 quarts a day from one goat, we need about 2-3 goats to feed our family of four. Not too bad, but you’d definitely need a lot of Nigerian Dwarfs to “feed the masses.”

Sheep:
"CONS: Sheep are naturally prey animals, which means they have difficulty “relaxing” while being milked. Trying to milk a sheep is difficult, because if you scare them even slightly, their bodies will produce adrenaline. This counteracts the “letting down hormone” oxytocin and the subsequent production of milk. Boo."

Cows:
"CONS: Because the fat globules are bigger (the main reason why the cream separates), cow’s milk is harder to digest. It takes your body about two hours to digest cow’s milk, even if it’s raw. Not too bad, but a far cry from goat milk’s 30 minutes. The 3rd most common allergy for children is cow’s milk, and there are theories for this ranging from leaky gut side effects to a mutation in the beta casein protein in “newer breed” cows like the common Holstein. But no matter what it is, allergies are definitely something to worry about."

This is what explains my problem with cow's milk products, I think, since I have two derived alleles for LP. I'd heard of the first problem, but this is the first time I've heard about the second. Our cows in Emilia whose milk was used for parmigiano-reggiano used to be from the Reggiana breed. The old people used to say it was better in the past; maybe it was also more digestible. Good to know they're bringing them back. It's best to stick with the original varieties from your area. Btw, real mozzarella isn't made from cow's milk at all. A cheese like Asiago is only 60% Frisian cow's milk. I have to find out about the others, or just buy imported versions of all of them and see if there's any difference.
http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe/Parmigiano-Reggiano-Vacche-Rosse.asp

He's right about the children's allergies. I had to get formula based on goat's milk for my son for when I couldn't be home to nurse him. He seems to have largely outgrown the allergy, but who knows what will happen in the future. (He has two derived LP alleles too.)

Pros:
Goat's milk:
"PROS: Goat’s milk is closest in structure to human milk. The fat globules are smaller, which aids in digestion. In a recent study of infants allergic to cow’s milk found that 93% of them were able to drink goat’s milk with absolutely no allergic reaction!The ease of digestibility is also due to the high amount of medium-chain fatty acids (has 35% compared to cow’s 17%). Goat’s milk also contains less lactose (milk sugars) than cow’s milk, which is great because it helps those who suffer from lactose intolerance. Goat’s milk is slightly alkaline, unlike cow’s milk which is slightly acidic."

No wonder that's what doctors recommend. Since it's closest to human milk why don't they just make all the formula from goat's milk? Probably the output differential and therefore cost, I guess?

Sheep's milk:
"PROS: While there’s some debate on the actual amounts of fat soluble vitamins in sheep’s milk, they still produce the CREAMIEST milk out of these three. Sheep are famous for the deliciously succulent cheeses their milk makes. They are efficient producers, only needing 100% grass (no alfalfa or grain—just cheap grass!) to produce rich milk. Like goats, they also naturally homogenized milk. That means smaller fat globules and more medium-chain fatty acids. This aids in digestion, just like goat’s milk."

Cow's Milk:
"PROS: One of the benefits of cow’s milk is that the cream separates from the liquid. Hence, you get cream. Hence, you get butter. Cow’s milk also is a better milk to “feed the masses.” While I don’t support commercial farms (CAFOs) AT ALL, even small organic, grass fed, raw dairy farms who have only 50 cows can put out a whopping 300 gallons a day. SPROS: One of the benefits of cow’s milk is that the cream separates from the liquid. Hence, you get cream. Hence, you get butter. Hence, you get heaven on earth. So yeah, two big thumbs up for that Mrs. Cow. Cow’s milk also is a better milk to “feed the masses.” While I don’t support commercial farms (CAFOs) AT ALL, even small organic, grass fed, raw dairy farms who have only 50 cows can put out a whopping 300 gallons a day. So, another thumbs up to those amazing cows that produce so much milk a day. Also, cow’s milk knocks goat’s milk out of the park in levels of B12 and folate.

You get these mostly from meat, fish, and eggs, none of which the babies are consuming. You'd have to fortify the goat's milk formula, which I'm sure they do
 

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