Why you should NEVER drink COW milk again and opt for GOAT milk instead: implications for cancer, athletes and much more
Cow milk is a staple food in today’s Western diets, consumed extensively across the majority of people. Lately though, more and more individuals are discovering their lactose intolerance, and more healthful people have been criticizing cow milk for its health risks, making the need for an alternative ever the more in demand.
Although the consumption of goat milk in our societies is currently low, its acceptance is rising with the current trend in favor of high quality, nutritious and healthy foods.
This blog post will guide you through the following 6 REASONS why goat milk is superior to cow milk and you’ll be convinced to never drink cow milk again.
- The difference in allergic reactions between goat milk and cow milk, and why this difference exists
- Goat milk rarely causes lactose intolerance, and why this is
- Goat milk protein is digested more easily and much, much faster than cow milk protein
- What homogenization does to cow milk and why this may have worrying consequences for athletes and contracting cancer or heart disease
- Why cow milk causes inflammation and increases your risk on diseases like diabetes
- Why goat milk matches up to the human body much better than cow milk
- Conclusion
But first: WHAT IS MILK?
All mammalian milk comes from filtered blood. This is because blood contains lots of nutrients and hormones necessary for the baby to grow and develop its brain and body. Said simply, mammals filter this blood by using their mammary glands, of which special cells grab water and nutrients from passing blood and pour these into tiny sacks for them to mix and become milk available for the baby. Each mammalian species has their proper milk recipe intended for the optimal growth of their specific progeny.
In this blog post, we’re going to focus on the differences in composition between cow milk and goat milk and their relative impact on our health.
The difference in allergic reactions between goat milk and cow milk, and why this difference exists
One of the most common food allergies in the world is that of cow milk. Symptoms include stomach cramps, vomiting, eczema, swelling of the face and can go as far as to completely block breathing. This allergic reaction is often caused by a protein known as Alpha s1 Casein, found in high levels in cow milk. Goat milk majorly contains a different form of this Casein protein and its levels of Alpha s1 Casein are almost 90% lower than in cow milk, making it a far less allergenic substance.
Between 40 to 100% of people allergic to cow milk proteins can actually tolerate goat milk. What’s more, goat milk is actually given as a therapy to children with a bad cow milk allergy. The reason that some people cannot tolerate goat milk is that the proteins between cow milk and goat milk are similar in structure, which may cause their body to confuse both. For this reason, if you are allergic to cow milk, never drink big amounts of goat milk without having tested – starting off with a small dose – whether your body tolerates it first.
Goat milk rarely causes lactose intolerance, and why this is
Lactose is the sugar you find in milk, and can be broken down by the enzyme lactase. What you might not know, is that 70% of the general population becomes lactose intolerant at a certain age, based on their genetics – meaning that they don’t produce lactase – or at least not enough of it – in order to successfully digest lactose.
Goat milk contains less lactose than cow milk, but interestingly not by that much: about 12%. Nevertheless, countless lactose intolerant patients thrive on goat milk. Why is this? Scientists say it to be unclear, but hypothesize that the superior ease of digestion and absorption of goat milk compared to cow milk, allows for this disparity. By limiting possible digestive issues and leaving no undigested ‘lactose leftovers’, goat milk may prevent the effects of lactose intolerance.
Note: lactose intolerance and cow milk allergy are two very different conditions, as lactose intolerance is caused by a sensitivity to a certain sugar, while cow milk allergy is caused by a protein allergen.
Goat milk protein is digested more easily and much, much faster than cow milk protein
Goat milk is an excellent source of high quality protein, easily absorbed and more digestible than cow milk. This is because the fat globules in goat milk are smaller and it contains higher levels of medium-chain fatty acids (or MCTs, which – in goat milk – also have been shown to lower bad cholesterol and fat deposits). This means that the smaller fat globules and fatty acids disperse better throughout the milk, resulting in much faster digestion.
Also, when the casein protein in goat milk denatures and clumps up in the stomach, it forms a much softer and smaller curd than with cow milk, which also allows for the protein to be digested much faster in goat milk.
While goat and cow milk have about the same amount of protein, goat milk protein is of more high quality due to its superior digestion and absorption rates. Regularly consuming a superior quality protein is especially relevant for athletes who are aiming to build more muscle.
What homogenization does to cow milk, and why this may have worrying consequences for athletes and contracting cancer or heart disease
Homogenization is the process of forcing milk through minuscule holes under enormous pressure which destroys the cell walls of the fat globules, therefore allowing the fat to be homogeneously distributed throughout the milk. All mainstream cow milk you will find in the supermarket is homogenized, as consumers prefer its whiter color and balanced fat content (less clumpy). The difference with goat milk is that it is naturally homogenized, made possible thanks to its smaller fat globules.
Why is this important?
When fat globules are forcibly broken up by mechanical means, it causes xanthine oxidase – an enzyme leading to the formation of free radicals – to be released and penetrate the intestinal wall. Once xanthine oxidase has passed the intestinal wall, it continues into the bloodstream where it leads to several health adversities, outlined below.
Cholesterol
Xanthine oxidase can cause scar damage to the heart and arteries, which can stimulate the body to coat these scars with a protective fatty layer of cholesterol, ultimately leading to atherosclerosis. Furthermore, a cholesterol buildup has been shown to lead to a less controlled blood pressure, which not only has worrisome implications for heart disease (it has been shown that milk antibodies are significantly elevated in the blood of male patients with heart disease), but also for athletes. Studies have demonstrated that when athletes have a less controlled blood pressure, the risk of them contracting an injury elevates drastically.
Free radicals
Xanthine oxidase leads to the formation of free radicals, which have been implicated in a multitude of health issues, but most importantly mutations in our DNA, which in time can lead to cancer. Furthermore, the severe heat treatments undergone by milk causes an extra risk of developing cancer due to more free radicals and carcinogenic compounds being formed, together with the oxidation of anticancer omega-6 fatty acids, which normally have a protective function towards our cells.
Estrogens and Growth Hormone
Milk is a hormonal delivery system. Normally, steroid and protein hormones are easily broken down by digestion. Homogenization however, ensures the survival of these proteins past the digestive system, allowing them to enter the bloodstream and deliver their messages to the rest of the body. This goes not only for the cow’s natural hormones, but also for the growth hormones that are injected into it for it to produce more milk. Since cow milk proteins can resemble a human protein, they can become triggers for autoimmune diseases, like diabetes and multiple sclerosis. The growth hormones naturally present in milk plus those injected can lead to dangerous cell growth in the form of cancerous cells.
Furthermore, estrogens in milk have been proposed as a possible risk to cause prostate cancer. Data from 42 countries revealed that milk was the food most closely correlated with this cancer incidence (r = 0.711) and mortality (r = 0.766). Estrogen levels in prostate fluid are highly correlated with prostate cancer, and it is estimated that men consuming milk and dairy products have a 10% higher risk of this cancer. On top of their difference in homogenization, goat milk has been found to contain lower levels of estrogen than cow milk.
These estrogen levels are also very relevant for athletes. This is because excessive cow milk/dairy consumption, together with other estrogen-promoting factors we are highly exposed to nowadays (found in some plant-based foods and plastics), leads to high estrogen levels which may result in estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance refers to an imbalance in sex hormones, which may increase body fat and lower testosterone levels, possibly plummeting athletic performance. Imbalanced estrogen levels can also increase the risk of sports injuries.
Why cow milk causes inflammation and increases your risk on diseases like diabetes
In the milk protein casein, you find two versions of a certain bioactive peptide called beta-casein: A1 and A2.
- A2 is the natural and original form, found in the milk of humans, sheep, goats and purebred Asian and African cattle.
- A1 is a different form that originated following a genetic mutation, which appeared about 5000 years ago in European cattle. Due to crossbreeding, most dairy products today contain both A1 and A2.
So goat milk contains only the safe A2, while mainstream cow milk contains both A1 and A2. Now the distinction between these two is that out of A1, your digestive enzymes can form an opioid named BCM-7. This opioid has been associated with a multitude of diseases such as type 1 diabetes, heart disease, delayed development in children and autism. Although research about BCM-7 is still limited, there is consistent evidence that consuming A1 contributes to inflammation. Some scientists even suggest that people who think to be lactose intolerant are in fact sensitive to A1 instead and would not report symptoms of lactose intolerance when drinking only A2 milk (which would be a plausible reason why people may tolerate goat milk but not cow milk).
Why goat milk matches up to the human body much better than cow milk
Cow milk is much more acidic
Goat milk is a far superior source of potassium than cow milk, which in turn causes goat milk to react in an alkaline way – similar to that of human milk – while cow milk reacts in an acidic way. An acidic environment within the body has been shown to promote the growth of certain malevolent bacteria, fungi and viruses.
Superior micronutrient composition & absorption
Goat milk is superior to cow milk in terms of fat composition and mineral composition. It has a greater amount of essential fatty acids such as linoleic and arachidonic acid and a higher number of medium-chain fatty acids (MCTs). Goat milk consumption improves DNA stability thanks to the quality of its fat together with high levels of bioavailable magnesium and zinc. It also improves antioxidant defense and seems to increase bone formation.
Not only the composition, but also the absorption of micronutrients is superior in goat milk. Thanks to higher magnesium levels, the absorption of calcium is much more effective than in cow milk (which has low levels of magnesium that may cause excess calcium to be left unabsorbed by the body). Goat milk also improves iron uptake, a mineral for which ¼ of our societies are deficient. Lastly, goat milk supplies high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin B3 (niacin), vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), vitamin B6, thiamine and riboflavin, making it a very nutrient-dense fluid.
Growth hormones & animal size
When it comes to growth hormones, goat milk is much more adapted to human consumption. A goat baby weighs around 3.5kg/7.8lbs at birth, about the same as a human baby, while a baby calf is born around 40kg/88lbs and subsequently gains more than 1kg/2.5lbs per day. This clearly shows that these animals have very different needs in terms of growth. A cow’s milk is designed to grow a 40kg/88lbs calf into a 544kg/1200lbs cow, whereas goat and human milk are aimed at transforming a 3.5kg/7.8lbs baby into let’s say a 90kg/200lbs adult.
This discrepancy in nutritional and hormonal needs may have implications for obesity and cancer, and without doubt makes goat milk far more adapted to humans than cow milk.
Conclusion: GOAT MILK WINS
Goat milk is drastically better for human health than cow milk because it matches the human body’s needs far better.
Goat milk causes less allergies, less intolerances and less inflammation than cow milk. Also, the protein in goat milk is digested way faster than its cow counterpart, and the nutritional as well as hormonal composition of goat milk is superior and more adequate for human consumption.
What’s more, cow milk consumption is often associated with a plethora of health risks, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, endocrine disbalance or even disturbance of athletic performance.
Enough evidence, it seems, to opt for some excitingly new goat milk instead of that boring old cow dungus.
Stay tuned for my next blog post: THE BEST plant-based protein powder and the best recipes to make with it
