Milk Around the World

Producing milk to feed their young is a defining trait of all mammals. Feeding on milk into adulthood is a trait unique to the human mammal and seems to be found world-wide.

Goat Milk

The sweet and sometimes salty flavor of goat milk is a favorite of 70% of the worlds dairy consuming population. The fat molecules in goat milk are 1/5 the size of that found in cow milk so there is no separation of milk and cream, it is naturally homogenized.

It is very similar to human milk, good for the young and the frail, asthmatics, those with allergies or liver damage and having certain immunological properties. Though the nutritional value is slightly less than that of cow milk, it is no loss when the other health benefits of goat milk are considered.

Goat milk is more easily digested and an excellent food for children above the age of two. Females of the age 10-12 have been found to have greater bone density when goat dairy products are included in their diet. There is a 65% - 70% decreased risk of breast cancer for pre-menopausal women with the highest intake of goat milk and cheese, over those with the least, while post-menopausal women still receive a benefit of a 45% reduced risk of cancer.

#1 Favorite

Still the number one, thumbs up, favorite milk for infants all around the world is human milk. Above and beyond the perfect nutritional balance and anti-cancer characteristics, human milk imparts an array of immunological benefits to the infant. These outweigh any affects of the pesticides, heavy metals, and other organic pollutants too often found in human breast milk.

These three familiar milks are the ones most commonly consumed but by no means the only, other milks are more familiar to people around the globe.

Milk Around the World

Water buffalo supplies the dairy needs for maybe half the population of India and the Philippines. Sheep milk is a favorite of populations in Spain and Italy; as milk, cheese and other dairy products. Other than the new chocolate bar made with camel milk, Bedouins have enjoyed camel milk as a staple for millennia.

Fat Content

Cow milk is most commonly consumed in the United States and is something of a standard for milks. With a fat content of 4% it is an excellent food for infants and children below the age of two.

Fat content is what defines the different varieties of cows milk with whole at about 4% and reduced fat having 2% fat. There is also low fat 1% and skim or no fat having no more than 0.5% fat content.

Reindeer milk, popular in arctic regions, has a rich 22% fat content that seems almost like skim milk compared to a dolphins 33% or the 53% fat content of the fur seal milk.

Milk-Like Products

The lacto-milks include buttermilk, acidophiles, and the yogurty, fermented Kefir with 1% alcohol. Fermented horse milk, called Kumiss, is another lacto-milk with about 2.5% alcohol.

Rice milk is naturally sweet from an enzymatic process that turns some of the abundant carbohydrates into glucose. Soy milk, unlike rice milk, must be sweetened or can be salted as they enjoy it in China. 90% of soy beans are genetically modified and contain high levels of pesticide contamination.

Age of Consumption

In most mammalian species drinking milk is confined to infancy and the developmental stage of growth but in humans we have continued to consume the milk of other species throughout our lives. Wherever humans are found they will be domesticating some other mammal to use the milk for yogurts, cheeses and, of course, for drinking.