Goat milk vs cow milk: Which is better for babies? Pediatricians give the answer
Many parents are increasingly prioritizing their children’s health and nutrition. Many parents believe that expensive is better when it comes to their children’s daily diet, including dairy products. More and more businesses are promoting goat’s milk, and even camel’s milk, breast milk, buffalo milk, and other previously uncommon products. Today we are going to talk about goat milk vs cow milk, an issue that concerns all parents.
Among them, goat milk is the most popular. Merchants claim that goat milk has higher nutritional value than cow milk and is easier to absorb. Many parents also believe it and start giving their babies goat milk, thinking that this is better for the baby’s growth. So is this really the case?
1. Is goat milk really more nutritious than cow milk?
Many parents think that there is a reason why goat milk is expensive. Goat milk is more expensive than cow milk because its nutritional content is higher than cow milk, but this is not actually the case.
From a nutritional point of view, goat milk does have its advantages over cow milk:
1. Compared with cow’s milk, the protein and fat particles in goat’s milk are smaller and more evenly distributed, which makes them easier to absorb for people with poor gastrointestinal function.
2. The protein content in goat milk (raw milk) is only half of that in cow milk, while the fat and carbohydrate content is slightly higher than that in cow milk.
However, the goat or cow milk we buy in supermarkets is standardized, and there are no significant differences in the nutritional content of other lesser-known varieties, including camel milk and breast milk. Furthermore, the vitamin and mineral content in milk is not fixed and depends on factors such as the animal’s feed, growth environment, physical condition, and season.
In short, there are slight nutritional differences between goat’s milk, mare’s milk, camel’s milk, buffalo’s milk, and cow’s milk, but they’re not significant. Their high prices are primarily due to their high farming costs, but their milk yields are lower than cow’s. Rather than spending high prices chasing these minor differences, parents should focus on balancing other aspects of their diet.
2. Is goat milk better absorbed than cow milk?
Many businesses claim in their promotions that goat milk is easier to absorb than cow milk. Indeed, the fat particles in unprocessed goat milk are on average 1-2 microns smaller than those in cow milk. But as we mentioned earlier, what we buy on the market are all standard formulated goat milk powder or cow milk powder.
The milk powder used in the processing is all defatted particles, which means that it must go through a homogenizer to break up the milk fat in the milk, soften its tissue structure, and make all the fat globules smaller than 1 micron, and the difference is almost negligible.
However, the protein in goat milk forms softer clots in gastric juice than cow’s milk, which allows it to pass through the stomach better. In addition, the content of short-chain and medium-chain fatty acids and lactose in goat milk fat is higher, which can relatively reduce the burden on the baby’s stomach. It is still helpful for babies with lactose intolerance , prone to vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux .
3. Can goat milk prevent allergies?
Some people also say that goat milk can prevent or alleviate allergy symptoms because the casein content in goat milk is lower than that in cow milk.
First of all, we need to know that babies are allergic to dairy products mainly because of the αs-casein and β- lactoglobulin in them . However, in baby formula milk, whether it is cow milk powder or goat milk powder, the content of various proteins, amino acids, fatty acids , vitamins and minerals are all calculated and standardized. In other words, there is not much difference between the two. As long as the milk meets the standards of infant formula, it can be drunk.
But if your baby is allergic to milk, it is better to choose a special hydrolyzed protein formula milk powder, or a soy-based infant formula milk powder is more reliable.
In short, drinking the right milk is very important for babies. Babies under 6 months old should be fed mainly with breast milk. When the mother’s breast milk is insufficient, ordinary formula milk (made from cow’s milk) is recommended. Babies under 1 year old should mainly rely on formula milk as their staple food.
After the age of 1, there is no absolute answer to choosing goat milk or cow milk, mainly for healthy babies. You can decide based on the baby’s preferences and financial situation.
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