When we were kids, our mother made us drink milk almost every day, whether we liked it or not. Because she wanted us to become stronger. Thanks to dear moms who took care of us so sincerely that today we have grown into a fit, strong and healthy individuals. It is all because of our dear moms and we should be million times thankful to them.
People in India consume cow milk mainly because it is the most available milk to them. People here hardly know about the other types of milk.
Earlier medicos used to recommend people cow milk owing to its high calcium level. But recently a well renowned Indian Physician Dr. Batra wrote in an article published in Times of India that cow milk is not necessary for a human being, the nutrients derived from it can be obtained from other sources as well. He writes that cow milk has become the reason of growing lactose intolerance cases in India. He writes “higher cases of adulteration and possible contamination of milk with growth hormones and antibiotics (which can lead to hormonal imbalance and drug resistance in our bodies)” are alarming reasons for reconsideration.”
So if according to Dr. Batra, Cow milk is the reason behind growing lactose intolerance cases in India then we should also know its replacement. The first name that may come into your mind may be soy milk, but that is again a troublesome product. Some people are allergic to Soy milk.
Though the below mentioned 9 types of milk cannot be substituted for cow milk in terms of its nutritional value but they have their own unique features.
Scroll down the page to know about these types of milk other than a cow.
Pig milk- As far as the fat content is concerned, the pig milk leads all other types of milk in India, but the limitation is pigs are not easy to milk. You have only 15 seconds to eject milk from the breasts of a pig while as in the case of cow you can take even a half an hour to milk.
In addition to high-fat content which makes it unhealthy for certain people, pig milk contains many essential nutrients similar to cow milk.
Image Source: modernfarmer
Camel: Dr. Batra says that Camel milk is probablyhttps://cdn.modernfarmer.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/pig-milk-hero.jpg the most nutritious milk of the world as it contains vitamin C three times more than cow milk, iron ten times higher, low-fat quantity, high in protein, Vitamin B, minerals and better anti-microbial property. The milk tastes salty and can be consumed either raw or in a fermented form.
According to health experts, camel milk is lactose-free and hence lactose intolerant people can consume it easily.
Limitation: Health benefits of camel are not yet known fully whatever is said has not been proven clinically.
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Goat: Goat is known as poor man’s cow because it thrives in tough conditions where cows fail to survive easily. Health experts say that cow and goat milk are almost similar in composition. “Could be a healthier replacement, low in fat and rich in protein, calcium,” notes Dr. Batra.
The advantage of goat milk over cow milk is that latter is easily digestible and has anti-inflammatory property but the difficulty is lactose content.
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Sheep: Although sheep are known majorly for wool and mutton, but its milk is a rich source of protein and calcium. It also contains Zinc and Vitamin D. Sheep milk is considered a perfect substance for yoghurt and cheese formation.
The only drawback of sheep milk is that it is higher in lactose than cow milk.
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Donkey and Horse milk: You may not have heard about this type of milk before because horses and donkeys have never been reared for meat and milk purpose. They are reared for riding and load carrying purposes only.
The composition of their milk has been found much similar to the human milk. It is very low in fat and high in lactose.
Since it has a lighter texture, horse and donkey milk have been found useful in fighting against our skin problems.
Some studies have shown that children allergic to animal proteins can be given donkey milk as a replacement.
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Buffalo Milk: If the name of Buffalo milk is replaced by Fat milk, it would not be wrong because buffalo milk contains two times more fat than cow milk. Infants are given diluted cow milk, but they fail to digest buffalo milk.
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Yak: In nutrition it beats cow and goat milk as well, but the pinkish colour Yak milk is unpalatable.
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Reindeer: Reindeer milk has less lactose content but high fat content.
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Giraffe: The milk of Giraffe is known for its sweet taste. The milk contains Vitamin A and Vitamin B12.
