Nutritional differences between goat milk and cow milk

In our country, besides breast milk, cow's milk and goat's milk are the only two major milk substitutes. In recent years, with the continuous development and growth of the goat milk industry, the situation of "one cow dominates" has been broken, and the competition between cow's milk and goat's milk has become increasingly fierce. Parents are also more entangled when choosing dairy products. Which one should they choose? Traditional cow's milk or new goat's milk, which one is better?

(Main data are extracted from "Chinese Nutritionist Training Materials" edited by the Chinese Nutrition Society)

1. Protein

The protein content in cow's milk is richer, but the protein content in goat's milk is closer to breast milk. The main proteins in cow's and goat's milk are casein and whey proteins. Among them, the ratio of casein to whey protein in cow's milk is about 80:20, the protein in goat's milk is 65:35, and the protein in breast milk is 60:40. Relatively speaking, the ratio of casein and whey protein in goat's milk is closer to that of breast milk.

Although the protein content in milk is high, it is not easy to absorb because of the large protein molecules. The protein molecules in goat milk are relatively small and easy to absorb.

 2. Fat

The fat content in cow's milk is 3.2g/100g, that in goat's milk is 3.5g/100g, and that in breast milk is 3.4g/100g. In comparison, goat milk has a higher fat content and is closer to breast milk. The fat in goat's milk consists mainly of short-chain fatty acids. Fat globules are much smaller than milk, and lipase in gastric juiceThe area in contact with fat globules is large and digestion and absorption are fast.

3. Sugar

Most of the sugars in milk are lactose, accounting for 4.9% of the weight of milk; in addition to lactose, milk also contains small amounts of glucose, galactose and other sugars. The sugars in goat milk are also mainly lactose and galactose. However, it is worth noting that because the lactose particles in goat milk are relatively small, and goat milk contains a large amount of adenosine triphosphate, which can fully decompose the lactose in goat milk, drinking goat milk is far less likely to cause lactose intolerance than cow milk. Small.

4. Vitamins

Both cow's milk and goat's milk are rich in vitamins (such as vitamins A, B1, B2, C, and D). The content of vitamins A and D per 100g of goat's milk is 3-4 times that of cow's milk, but the folic acid content in goat's milk is less, which is 1/5 of that of cow's milk.

5. Minerals

The mineral content in cow's milk and goat's milk is similar, with the total content being 0.7% and 0.72% respectively, while the total content in breast milk is only 0.3%. The calcium and phosphorus content in goat's milk are higher than that of cow's milk and breast milk.

6. Acidity and alkalinity

Cow's milk is acidic and goat's milk is alkaline.

From the comparison of the above data, it can be seen that fresh goat milk has its nutritional advantages compared with fresh cow's milk and is closer to breast milk. So, fresh goat milk has nutritional advantages over fresh cow milk. Is formula goat milk also better than formula milk? Nutrition experts believe the answer is yes. Goat milk is close to breast milk, easy to absorb, and not prone to allergies, making it the best choice for infants and young children as complementary foods. As a rising star, goat milk has been able to break the situation of "one cow dominates" in just a few years and has become the "new favorite" of mothers due to its superior nutritional value.