Goat Milk

We chat to two passionate goat milk farmers who have to jump through stringent regulatory hoops to ensure their goats produce high-quality, clean raw milk.

- Kate Duncan

With so many different types of milk on offer these days, it’s hard to know what dairy, if any, is best for our health. With nut milk options like almond, macadamia and cashew milk through to plant milks such as rice and soy — not to mention low-fat, full-cream, lactose-free and A2 milk — it’s no wonder your head is spinning in the dairy isle. Don’t worry; ours too. But, before you reach into the fridge to pick out your weekly milk of choice, let me introduce you to a new “kid” on the block: goat milk.

Despite being one of the world’s most widely consumed milks, goat milk is only beginning to gain popularity in the west. And rightly so — when ethically farmed and consumed in its raw organic state, goat milk boasts incredible health benefits.

Compared to cow milk, goat milk has chemical make up closer to the human breats milk, which makes it easier to digest and assimilate in the body. People intolerant of cow milk are often sensitive to one of the proteins found in it, A1 casein. This highly-inflammatory protein can cause allergic reactions among children which can persist throughout adulthood. Goat milk doesn’t contain any A1 casein, which is why people with intolerances to dairy can still stomach goat milk.

Lactose, a sugar found in milk products, can also be difficult to digest, often causing abdominal cramps, bloating, gas and diarrhoea. Because goat milk is hypoallergenic, people with lactose intolerances can enjoy the creaminess of goat milk without the painful repercussions.

But where does goat milk sit when it comes to calcium? Goat milk has just as much calcium as whole cow milk but contains more tryptophan, an essential amino acid used by the body to create proteins, vitamins and enzymes.

HAPPY GOATS