Goat's Milk: properties and benefits

It has nutritional properties similar to breast milk and brings many health benefits: it is goat's milk, a niche food that is even used in the production of cosmetics for its moisturising and emollient qualities. It was no coincidence that it was among the ingredients Cleopatra used to maintain her legendary beauty. A goat's butter mask, for example, can bring considerable benefits to those with dry facial skin: the result will be soft and smooth skin.

Useful for those who suffer from cow's milk intolerance, it is recommended for both children (including infants) and the elderly, thanks to its richness in nutrients and numerous properties.

Goat's milk, thanks to its lower concentration of alpha-1 casein, can be a valid (and more affordable) alternative to cow's milk substitutes such as soy and rice drinks, increasingly consumed by those intolerant or allergic to the proteins in regular milk.

But the versatile properties of this food do not end here: recent studies have found high doses of conjugated linoleic acid, which would attribute a protective action against the onset of cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Goat's Milk — Characteristics

The characteristics of goat's milk are as follows:

Its chemical composition is the most similar, after donkey's milk, to human milk.
The fat content ranges from a maximum of 4% at the start of lactation to a minimum of 2.7% in the summer period.
The lactose content is practically similar to cow's milk (4-5% depending on the lactation period).
It has low values of folic acid and vitamin E, while it is rich in B vitamins, especially B3. The fats in goat's milk are saturated, and consequently the cheeses produced have, in addition to a positive cholesterol contribution, different digestibility compared to cow's milk cheeses: fresh goat's cheese can be consumed even beyond 60 days from production without deteriorating, other than the normal change in taste.