Nutritional Benefits of Goats Milk:

[mikey]

The Nutritional Benefits of Goat Milk

By Miriah Reynolds 


Charts that compare goat milk to cow milk or other types of milk are readily available on the Internet, in books, or wherever one might search when looking for that information. Maybe they all originate from the same place, or maybe it is just a proven fact that goat milk is really better than cow milk in comparison, but unless one hears a true-life story of the benefits of goat milk, there are still some doubts that linger. I do not know why it is so hard for the general public to believe in the goodness of goat milk but I do know that I and my family have experienced, first hand, the benefits of drinking goat milk on a regular basis.

Goat milk is one of healthiest foods/drinks out on the market today. With its creamy texture, high mineral and vitamin content, goat milk replaces many of the supplements which people consume daily. Goat milk is better for most people than cow milk simply because it is composed of smaller fat globules which makes it easier to digest. This speed of digestion releases more good bacteria and enzymes in the consumer's body, better enabling them to absorb and utilize the nutrients without discomfort, stomach ache, or a variety of other typical milk allergy symptoms.

 
There are those who avoid goat milk because they do not appreciate the differences between cow and goat milk, and in some cases I agree. Goat milk is definitely a little thicker, richer, and creamier than the average homogenized cow milk available at the grocery store. For someone who is used to drinking 2% or skim cow milk, there is going to be a big change in taste when compared with whole goat milk. Being a goat farmer, I definitely prefer a glass of goat milk over cow milk any day. No disrespect, but after drinking the rich, sweet goat milk on our farm, I find that drinking cow milk purchased from a store is like having a glass of sour water. Now, a true comparison of rich flavorful, perhaps Jersey cow whole milk and rich, sweet goat milk, might reveal little taste difference at all. But most people forget the differences or origin and content when comparing cow and goat milk flavor.

Scientific studies and taste tests are fun, but learning about the true benefits of drinking goat milk can only come from those who have experienced such and in my family, it is my mother who can best relate.

My mother, Melody Reynolds, was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease when she was 18 years old. Doctors immediately pulled dairy out of her diet as well as fiber, and put her on heavy medication. She lost massive amounts of bone density and was told she could never gain it back. Faithfully obeying doctors orders for several years, the frustration of making no progress encouraged my mom to seek non-medical advice. Her search for a way to save her life led her to goat milk. Ignoring the doctors' requests, my mom drank raw goat milk. She said that her body felt as though it was craving milk and that she knew it was the right thing to do.

Months and years later, through a series of bone scans, doctors were astonished to find that she gained back 80% of her bone density and regained functional, even good, physical health. The damage that was done to her large and small intestines went from a necrotic to a healthy state of function. She said that she is convinced that goat milk and prayer were the main factors that helped her heal. Doctors also told my mom that she would never be able to have children, and well, as her daughter, I can well attest to the error of that prediction too. Maybe I am here due to the wonderful benefits of drinking goat milk.

My mom said that because of her will power not to give in to the disease, as well as the gallons of goat milk she drank, she made an unprecidented recovery from a destructive disease. She is still required to go to the doctor for regular testing and monitoring, and these professionals shake their heads in amazement when she tells them her recovery was based on drinking goat milk.

There are many production factors and human errors in management that can affect the flavor of goat milk. We owe it to our goats and to our fellow human beings to make it a priority to produce the best tasting, cleanest, quickest cooled goat milk possible and make this available to the public on a regular basis so more people, like my mother, can enjoy a healthy life because of it. Everyone deserves a chance to experience great tasting goat milk!

 

[mikey]

Goat Milk:
The other white milk

By Daniel Peterson
Georgia Dairy Goat Breeders Association's
Youth Representative 


When most people think of goats, they think of the cute little pygmy goat they saw at the petting zoo or on some farm. What most people don't know is that there are also dairy goats just the same as there are dairy cows. I live on a small family owned and operated dairy farm in Haddock, Georgia where we raise these fine animals.

I can imagine at this point quite a few people might ask "Who on earth would want to drink goat milk?" Well, this question is fairly simple to answer: more people consume goat milk than they do cow milk. As unbelievable as this may sound, it is true. Most third world countries and quite a few European countries prize goats and goat milk over cow milk. Dairy goats were also often present during the early years of our great country and helped many a settler's family keep food on the table by supplying them with milk.

Often the dairy goat has been called the "poor man's cow," because good dairy goats do not cost near as much as good dairy cows do. You can raise more goats on a smaller amount of pasture than you can cows. While it takes an acre for a cow/calf, you can successfully raise six goats on one acre. Cows usually have only one calf per year, while goats have two kids (that's what you call a young goat) after their second year. Pound for pound a good dairy goat will produce more milk than a cow will. Unlike a cow, a good dairy goat can produce up to 10% of its body weight in milk.

The most common question I get asked is, "What does goat milk taste like?" It is a common misconception that goat milk tastes bad. People believe that it tastes "like a old billy-goat." This is not true. Milk that is properly handled and cared for will not have an off-taste. When folks first taste goat milk they are expecting it to taste different, but to their surprise it tastes just like cow milk. You could not tell a difference between the two types of milk no matter how hard you try.

Goat milk is also a healthier alternative to cow milk. Why? Cow milk has to be homogenized to be more easily digested, which is a process where the fat globules are broken down. However, this is not necessary with goat milk because it is naturally homogenized. Therefore goat milk is much more easily digested than cow milk is.

Goat milk has more of the essential vitamins that we need. Goat milk has 13% more calcium, 25% percent more B6, 47% percent more vitamin A, and 27% more selenium. It also has more chloride, copper, manganese, potassium, and niacin than cow milk. It also produces more silicon and fluorine than any other dairy animal. Silicon and fluorine can help prevent diabetes.

Scientist are not sure why, but people who are lactose intolerant can often drink goat milk without having to worry about side effects. Goat milk does not cause phlegm like cow milk does, so you can drink goat milk even when you have a cold or bad allergy problems.

Milk is not the only product you can get from a dairy goat. Feta cheese was originally made from goat milk. Go to the grocery store and look in the specialty cheese section, more often than not you will find chevre- which is in fact cheese made from goat milk.

Some of our family's favorite goat milk recipes include:

French Chévre cheese

5 quarts milk room temperature (70-80 degrees)
1/2 cup buttermilk or keifer
2 tablespoons diluted rennet (3-4 drops concentrate in 1/3 cup cool water)

Stir, cover, and let sit for about 10 hours.

Pour through strainer cloth and hang to let drain 6-8 hours.

Season as you like or freeze plain for later.

You can use this like cream cheese in any recipe or mix with salsa, spices, or fruit to make a dip. Add milk to make it creamier and easier to dip.

Basic soap

24 oz. coconut oil
24 oz. olive oil
40 oz. vegetable shortening
16 oz. water or herb tea
16 oz. milk
12 oz. lye

Add lye to water in heat resistant glass, plastic, or stainless steel container.

Remember always add lye to water not the other way around! Stir until dissolved. Melt oils together. When lye solution cools down past 100deg;F add milk slowly and stir. When lye solution and oils both reach about 100deg;-110deg;F degrees slowly add lye solution to oils and stir until mixture traces. Add fragrances or other additives at this time. Pour into molds, cover, and wait 48 hours. Then remove from molds and set on shelves to air dry for 3-4 weeks.

These directions are given assuming you already know the basics of soap making and are well versed in the safety precautions. If you have never made soap before I suggest getting one of the many good books available.

We also make a lot of keifer (much like thin yogurt). This is made with culture you can buy at Hoegger's that will last forever if you treat it right. We use keifer much like buttermilk and we also make smoothies by adding fruit and honey.

We also make ice cream, yogurt, sour cream, and butter.

As you can see goat milk is healthy and nutritious, and hopefully people in so-called "modern countries" will stop looking down their noses at the humble dairy animal and give the goat its much deserved credit.