Here’s what Ayurveda says about consuming goat milk

      Goat Milk is a commonly consumed dairy type. According to WebMD, around 65-72 per cent of all dairy consumed globally is goat milk. “This is partially due to the ease of keeping goats as opposed to cows in developing countries, where goat milk is an important source of calories, protein, and fats,” it stated.

      It is just not a milk type that is conveniently available but also has a host of health benefits, according to Ayurveda. Dr Rekha Radhamony, an Ayurvedic expert, said, Whenever a baby is born in my family, the first thing people look out for is a good source of goat milk.

      “If you ask my grandmother, she will say goat milk is great for kids but she may not know the reason why. That’s how Ayurveda has been interwoven in our culture,” she added.

      Explaining the benefits of goat milk, Dr Radhamony said that it is important to first understand the goat. “It is lean built, always active, drinks lots of water and loves eating grass.” “Goat milk also has similar properties,” she added as she shared the following health benefits of consuming goat milk.

*It helps keep a lean body.
*It makes you active and improves strength.
*It is good for dryness and weakness.
*It also helps subside kapha.

      “Diluted goat milk with a lot of water is a good replacement for breast milk for babies. It can also help subside loose motions in babies and kids,” she added.

          She also warns about substituting goat milk in people with milk protein allergies. “Many people who are allergic to cow milk will also be to goat milk. Consult a physician prior to trialing goat milk in a cow milk allergic patient especially in patients, with anaphylactic type reactions.”

          Here is a look at goat milk nutrition facts:

Lactose: Both goat milk and cow milk contain lactose as their primary source of carbohydrate. Many people, especially as they age, have difficulties tolerating lactose and may struggle to meet the USDA guidelines of three servings of dairy per day. Goat milk is slightly lower in lactose than cow milk. Switching from cow milk to goat milk products may help those with mild to moderate lactose intolerance continue to enjoy dairy’s valuable contribution to a balanced diet.

Protein: Does goat milk have casein? Although the main protein in both cow and goat milk is casein, the forms of casein between these milks is slightly different. In cow milk it is alpha (α-s1) casein. Casein in goat milk is beta (β) casein. Allergies occur when immunoglobulin E (IgE), part of the body’s immune system, binds to food molecules. A protein in the food is usually the problem. Because the proportions of these proteins are slightly different between the two types of milk, sometimes people who have an allergic response to cow milk will not experience goat milk side effects.

Fat: Smaller fat globules in goat milk can be broken down and digested more quickly than cow milk. Goat milk also has a higher proportion of medium chain triglycerides (MCT), a special type of fat that bypasses normal fat breakdown and instead is absorbed directly into the bloodstream. MCT is better tolerated in people who have issues absorbing fat and, in some studies, has even been shown to help with weight loss.