Raw Facts
MOTHER NATURE IS VERY CLEVER
Mother Nature has created a system that protects the wholesomeness of raw milk products, including human breast milk. As it was intended, natural milk contains many bio-active components, which serve to retard the growth of harmful organisms, and to protect the health of the person consuming them. Given a clean milk supply, harmful organisms are kept in check by components like lactoferrin, which "steals" iron from disease-producing bacteria. Interestingly, lactoferrins are also involved in stimulating the human immune system. Mothers looking for a transition from breast milk, could make no better choice, than to use all of the available mechanisms that nature has provided to protect and nourish babies. Those elements are all found in goat milk.
BENOY, M.J., ESSY, A.K., SREEKUMAR, B., HARIDAS, M., 2000. THIOCYANATE MEDIATED ANTIFUNGAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTY OF GOAT MILK LACTOPEROXIDASE. LIFE SCIENCE, 66(25):2433-9, AND BENOY, M.J., MANOJ, N.K., HARIDAS, M., 1998. ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTY OF GOAT MILK LACTOPEROXIDASE. INDIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY, 36: 808-11.
Goat Milk Is a Rich Source of the Trace Mineral Selenium
The trace mineral selenium is very commonly deficient in the human body. It is a necessary nutrient, however, for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties. Recently, selenium deficiency has been linked to HIV/AIDS and other viral diseases. Selenium works two ways in the body: it helps to control the human immune system, upgrading it when necessary, and downgrading it when it is overactive, such as in auto-immune diseases; selenium also works directly on viruses themselves, preventing them from replicating. Selenium improves T cell function and modulates the production of interleukin, both important components of the immune system.
BAUM, et al., 2000. JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND PATRICK, et al., 1999. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE REVIEW
A recent publication has shown that goat milk is the highest source of selenium of any of the milks. Importantly, it contains more than 2.5 times the selenium of powdered infant formula (19.98 mg/l vs. 7.47 mg/l) and nearly 35% more than pasteurized cow milk (19.98 mg/l vs. 14.85 mg/l). Pasteurization was shown by the same researchers to reduce the availability of selenium in commercial cow's milk by 10%. Goat milk is also a richer source of selenium than human breast milk, which contains 15.69 mg/l.
RODRIGUEZ, E.M., SANZ ALAEJOS, M., DIAZ ROMERO, C., 1999. CHEMOMETRIC STUDIES OF SEVERAL MINERALS IN MILKS. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD CHEMISTRY, 47: 1520-4
Goat Milk Is an Alkalinizer of the System
Goat milk is a rare dairy food in that it has an alkaline ash. This means that it does not produce acid in the intestinal system. Acidic blood and intestinal pH levels have been associated by researchers with fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and pains, sore pressure points, excess weight, blood sugar imbalances, and excessive yeast populations. Goat milk helps to increase the pH of the blood stream because it is the highest dairy product in the amino acid L-glutamine. L-glutamine is an alkalinizing amino acid, often recommended by nutritionists.
MEHAIA, M.A., 1989. STUDIES ON CAMEL AND GOAT MILK PROTEINS: NITROGEN DISTRIBUTION AND AMINO ACID COMPOSITION. NUTRITION REPORTS INTERNATIONAL, 39 (2):351-357.
Goat Milk Contains Twice the Healthful Medium Chain Fatty Acids In comparison to cow milk, goat milk contains twice the content of medium chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids. These fatty acids are highly antimicrobial. They are so powerful, that authorities had to devise different tests for the presence of antibiotics in goat milk. The fatty acids killed the bacteria used to test for the presence of antibiotics in cow milk. Capric and caprylic acids are used today in dietary supplements to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans and other yeast species. Medium chain fatty acids are often called "the fats that act like carbohydrates". They are immune and energy enhancing.
HAENLEIN, G.F.W. GOAT MANAGEMENT: LIPIDS AND PROTEINS IN MILK, PARTICULARLY GOAT MILK. DELAWARE COOPERATIVE EXTENSIONHTTP://BLUEHEN.AGS.UDEL.EDU/DECES/GOATMGT/GM-08.HTM, AND HINCKLEY, L.S., 1991. QUALITY STANDARDS FOR GOAT MILK. DAIRY, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION, 11(9): 511-512
Goat Milk Soothes the Digestive Tract
Goat milk has more buffering capacity than over-the-counter antacids. Goat milk has long been used and recommended as a supplement to reduce indigestion, and to help soothe irritated areas in the stomach or intestines. Both USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat milk has more acid buffering capacity than cow milk, soy infant formula and nonprescription antacid drugs.
PARK, 1991. JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE, 74:3326-3333, AND GAMBLE, J.A., ELLIS, N.R., BESLEY, A.K., 1939. COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF GOAT'S MILK AS COMPARED WITH COW'S MILK. TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 671, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 209280-40-1.
Mothers observe that children on goat milk sleep through the night and remain more "satisfied" between feedings. Other components in unpasteurized goat milk help to heal and protect the lining of the digestive tract, and to speed assimilation of nutrients.
MOTHER NATURE IS VERY CLEVER
Mother Nature has created a system that protects the wholesomeness of raw milk products, including human breast milk. As it was intended, natural milk contains many bio-active components, which serve to retard the growth of harmful organisms, and to protect the health of the person consuming them. Given a clean milk supply, harmful organisms are kept in check by components like lactoferrin, which "steals" iron from disease-producing bacteria. Interestingly, lactoferrins are also involved in stimulating the human immune system. Mothers looking for a transition from breast milk, could make no better choice, than to use all of the available mechanisms that nature has provided to protect and nourish babies. Those elements are all found in goat milk.
BENOY, M.J., ESSY, A.K., SREEKUMAR, B., HARIDAS, M., 2000. THIOCYANATE MEDIATED ANTIFUNGAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTY OF GOAT MILK LACTOPEROXIDASE. LIFE SCIENCE, 66(25):2433-9, AND BENOY, M.J., MANOJ, N.K., HARIDAS, M., 1998. ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTY OF GOAT MILK LACTOPEROXIDASE. INDIAN JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY, 36: 808-11.
Goat Milk Is a Rich Source of the Trace Mineral Selenium
The trace mineral selenium is very commonly deficient in the human body. It is a necessary nutrient, however, for its immune modulation and antioxidant properties. Recently, selenium deficiency has been linked to HIV/AIDS and other viral diseases. Selenium works two ways in the body: it helps to control the human immune system, upgrading it when necessary, and downgrading it when it is overactive, such as in auto-immune diseases; selenium also works directly on viruses themselves, preventing them from replicating. Selenium improves T cell function and modulates the production of interleukin, both important components of the immune system.
BAUM, et al., 2000. JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES AND PATRICK, et al., 1999. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE REVIEW
A recent publication has shown that goat milk is the highest source of selenium of any of the milks. Importantly, it contains more than 2.5 times the selenium of powdered infant formula (19.98 mg/l vs. 7.47 mg/l) and nearly 35% more than pasteurized cow milk (19.98 mg/l vs. 14.85 mg/l). Pasteurization was shown by the same researchers to reduce the availability of selenium in commercial cow's milk by 10%. Goat milk is also a richer source of selenium than human breast milk, which contains 15.69 mg/l.
RODRIGUEZ, E.M., SANZ ALAEJOS, M., DIAZ ROMERO, C., 1999. CHEMOMETRIC STUDIES OF SEVERAL MINERALS IN MILKS. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD CHEMISTRY, 47: 1520-4
Goat Milk Is an Alkalinizer of the System
Goat milk is a rare dairy food in that it has an alkaline ash. This means that it does not produce acid in the intestinal system. Acidic blood and intestinal pH levels have been associated by researchers with fatigue, headaches, muscle aches and pains, sore pressure points, excess weight, blood sugar imbalances, and excessive yeast populations. Goat milk helps to increase the pH of the blood stream because it is the highest dairy product in the amino acid L-glutamine. L-glutamine is an alkalinizing amino acid, often recommended by nutritionists.
MEHAIA, M.A., 1989. STUDIES ON CAMEL AND GOAT MILK PROTEINS: NITROGEN DISTRIBUTION AND AMINO ACID COMPOSITION. NUTRITION REPORTS INTERNATIONAL, 39 (2):351-357.
Goat Milk Contains Twice the Healthful Medium Chain Fatty Acids In comparison to cow milk, goat milk contains twice the content of medium chain fatty acids, such as capric and caprylic acids. These fatty acids are highly antimicrobial. They are so powerful, that authorities had to devise different tests for the presence of antibiotics in goat milk. The fatty acids killed the bacteria used to test for the presence of antibiotics in cow milk. Capric and caprylic acids are used today in dietary supplements to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans and other yeast species. Medium chain fatty acids are often called "the fats that act like carbohydrates". They are immune and energy enhancing.
HAENLEIN, G.F.W. GOAT MANAGEMENT: LIPIDS AND PROTEINS IN MILK, PARTICULARLY GOAT MILK. DELAWARE COOPERATIVE EXTENSIONHTTP://BLUEHEN.AGS.UDEL.EDU/DECES/GOATMGT/GM-08.HTM, AND HINCKLEY, L.S., 1991. QUALITY STANDARDS FOR GOAT MILK. DAIRY, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION, 11(9): 511-512
Goat Milk Soothes the Digestive Tract
Goat milk has more buffering capacity than over-the-counter antacids. Goat milk has long been used and recommended as a supplement to reduce indigestion, and to help soothe irritated areas in the stomach or intestines. Both USDA and Prairie View A&M University in Texas have confirmed that goat milk has more acid buffering capacity than cow milk, soy infant formula and nonprescription antacid drugs.
PARK, 1991. JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE, 74:3326-3333, AND GAMBLE, J.A., ELLIS, N.R., BESLEY, A.K., 1939. COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF GOAT'S MILK AS COMPARED WITH COW'S MILK. TECHNICAL BULLETIN NO. 671, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 209280-40-1.
Mothers observe that children on goat milk sleep through the night and remain more "satisfied" between feedings. Other components in unpasteurized goat milk help to heal and protect the lining of the digestive tract, and to speed assimilation of nutrients.