Does Goat Milk have Any Trans-Fat? Looking to make the switch!

[SleepTime]

I LOVE my Horizon Whole Milk (fortified with DHA Omega-3s)... I don't have the lactose milk-sugar intolerance or any other kind of allergic reaction to cow milk (alpha S1 casein protein), but I'm wondering if Goat milk is healthier.

I've read Goat milk might be a good alternative to cow milk (despite it's lower beta-carotene, Vitamin-B folic/b12 content),  because of it's higher Calcium, selenium, converted carotene (Vit-A) and potentially lower added hormones, less processing/homogenization.  I know closer to raw is always good, but brucellosis scares me!

They say goat milk is less acidic, I'm not sure how cow milk can be acidic.. since if you've ever had 'acid reflux' or GERD, a common remedy is regular ol' cow milk, which is acting as a neutralizing base.

Be that as it may, I think the tipping point for me might be the healthy trans fat.   Does goat milk contain any of the natural trans fat that milk has (trans-palmitoleic acid (TPA), etc)?     I found a site comparing Medium Chain Fatty Acids, but no mention of Trans fats or CLAs.

http://www.goatworld.com/articles/whygoatmilk.shtml

BTW, looks like most of the world uses either the low-fat Saanen Goat, or the high-fat Nubian goat.    But in the states it's hard to find milk from anything other than the Toggenburg or LaMancha goats.  Which is a bummer to someone wanting to find the best tasting!

[Bantams]

A couple things...

Goats can also contract brucellosis.  But it's not common and can be vaccinated for.  Same with cows - virtually every heifer (female calf) is vaccinated at 6 months for brucellosis, and it's usually only found in herds in close proximity to wild bison.

I believe all raw dairies are required by law to vaccinate or test for it.

Saanens, Lamanchas and Alpines are the most commonly milked goat breeds in the US.  Nubians are also very popular.  So you shouldn't have any problem finding various breeds to try milk from.  Lamanchas are said to have the best tasting milk. 

I read that all ruminants (cows, goats, sheep, etc) have natural trans fats in their fat and milk makeup, in varying amounts.  It would depend mostly on the animals' diet - a cow on grass has far more CLA/etc vs commercial cows in a drylot setup (Horizon), and a goat at a large commercial dairy feeding hay and grain would have less than a goat browsing naturally on shrubs, grasses, blackberries, etc, as they should. 

Goats (and Ayrshire cows) cannot convert Vit A to beta carotene, hence the white color.  Whereas cows (particularly Jerseys and Guernseys) have wonderfully golden milk due to the high levels of converted Vit A (beta carotene).

Goat milk is good - especially raw or minimally processed milk from free-range goats, and grassfed cow milk (preferably raw) is also excellent.  It depends more on personal preference and availability.

Hope this helps!

[SleepTime]

Thanks for the trans fat info.. but just to clarify..

According to:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/cheese/why-is-goat-cheese-white-the-cheesemonger-122255

http://www.indepthinfo.com/nutrition/beta-carotene.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beta-Carotene

http://www.vitamins-supplements.org/vitamin-A.php

 

It's beta-carotene that gets converted to Vitamin-A..   And Goats have a higher amount of Vitamin-A (i.e. CONVERTED alpha/beta-carotene) than do Cows.. which have higher amounts of beta-carotene (i.e. pre-Vitamin-A, also called pro-vitamin-A) than Goats.

Not trying to nit-pick, but just want to make sure the post is accurate in case anyone else is reading..

[Bantams]

Sorry!  Thanks for the correction!  I was really tired and I guess my brain wasn't working...

So, yes, goat milk (and Ayrshire cow milk) would have the highest levels of Vit A.

[BubblingBrooks]

Just a guess, but if the milk is processed, then you will have a problem with those trans fats, but if its raw, then your body will not suffer from them.

The chances of you coming across Bruc. are so low, that you should not worry about it, except to make sure the dairy you choose is clean and tests for disease as required.

[SleepTime]

Update:

I tried the Meyenberg goat milk (available at Stater Bros, etc)  and could not get used to the taste...   I was going to give up on this, but then tried the Summerhill brand goat milk (Trader Joe's, etc), and it tastes identical to regular cow's milk!   I'm hooked!

Also, while I haven't seen any scientific analysis of trans-palmitoleic acid between goat and bovine milk, it's looking like at least in regards to lactoferrins protein concentration, goat milk may not be ideal ( 125 µg/ml )... best still to go with raw camel or buffalo milk for that one.

http://books.google.com/books?id=VFpG2doYN7IC&pg=PA168&lpg=PA168&dq=lactoferrin+raw+buffalo+goat+milk+ug/ml&source=bl&ots=YRUbil0xQs&sig=d_9r-pOloV9v3BtDc6ocRsqZnyo&hl=en&ei=aU9ZTrnSHIXhiALEp-W1CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

[1love4ever]

We drink raw goats milk, not sure of the kind of goat that it comes from, but we really like it and have never gotten sick from it, and our milk comes from a private supplier with only a few goats on a tiny farm out of town.  I wanted to share this video with you, although it is talking about cows milk and not goats, it is very informative  http://nourishedkitchen.com/mark-mcafee-raw-milk-interview/ 

And here is some info and nutrient analysis of goats milk, I love this site for health and food info!!  http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=131 

Goats milk is also higher in protien and phosphorus than cows milk.  BTW, only milk that has not been exposed to heat contains phosphorus, if your milk is pasturized it does not contain phosphorus and is depleted of many other nutrients and benefical enzymes as well.   I have read that homogenization makes you unable to absorb the fat in the milk which can be especially bad for kids, we all need fat. I need to do more research on that particular topic though.

[JudiAU]

I personally would not consume Horizon milk with added with Omega 3s. Actually, I would consum Horizon milk at all.

First, I think Horizon is a factory farm that shouldn't be allowed to use the word organic. Totally unethical application of the organic principles and standards.

Second, the milk is usually shipped from mega farms that are far away. It is usually ulltrapasturized which is nasty. I'd choose a local hormone-free milk that is pasturized over this stuff any day.

Third, most research about omega 3s say the source is important and if it comes from an animal source it is more bioavailable if it is processed by the animal. Omega 3 enhanced eggs are the best source for this type of access, because it is in the feed. If you want an Omega 3 enhanced animal product, I recommend eggs. Horizon milk just get Omega 3s added at the end.

Finally, There are many reports of adults and young child handling this addition poorly.

More information here: 

Organic dairy ratings: http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html

About Horizon's Claims: http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/04/largest-organic-milk-bottler-accused-of-misrepresenting-products/

[1love4ever]

Originally Posted by JudiAU 

I personally would not consume Horizon milk with added with Omega 3s. Actually, I would consum Horizon milk at all.

First, I think Horizon is a factory farm that shouldn't be allowed to use the word organic. Totally unethical application of the organic principles and standards.

Second, the milk is usually shipped from mega farms that are far away. It is usually ulltrapasturized which is nasty. I'd choose a local hormone-free milk that is pasturized over this stuff any day.

Third, most research about omega 3s say the source is important and if it comes from an animal source it is more bioavailable if it is processed by the animal. Omega 3 enhanced eggs are the best source for this type of access, because it is in the feed. If you want an Omega 3 enhanced animal product, I recommend eggs. Horizon milk just get Omega 3s added at the end.

Finally, There are many reports of adults and young child handling this addition poorly.

More information here: 

Organic dairy ratings: http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html

About Horizon's Claims: http://www.cornucopia.org/2011/04/largest-organic-milk-bottler-accused-of-misrepresenting-products/

I completely agree, thanks for posting!  I am wondering what the chickens with omega-3 enhanced eggs are fed?  I have always just bought local grass fed eggs.

I am very sad, my raw goats milk source has stopped selling milk because they are breeding their goats, so I will not be able to get milk from them til about April!  I have found someone with a milk cow and am trying to work something out with them so as to get raw milk from them, but if I can not, my next option is buying pasturized, non-homogenized organic cows milk from a co-op 150 miles away which gets the milk from a local dairy.  When we do not have milk, we will just eat raw milk cheese, because I refuse to feed my DD ultra-pasturized organic milk that comes from who-knows-where!  We will miss our goats milk very much:(

[armidasawan]

Originally Posted by 1love4ever 

I completely agree, thanks for posting!  I am wondering what the chickens with omega-3 enhanced eggs are fed?  I have always just bought local grass fed eggs.

I am very sad, my raw goats milk source has stopped selling milk because they are breeding their goats, so I will not be able to get milk from them til about April!  I have found someone with a milk cow and am trying to work something out with them so as to get raw milk from them, but if I can not, my next option is buying pasturized, non-homogenized organic cows milk from a co-op 150 miles away which gets the milk from a local dairy.  When we do not have milk, we will just eat raw milk cheese, because I refuse to feed my DD ultra-pasturized organic milk that comes from who-knows-where!  We will miss our goats milk very much:(

Flax seed is a very common addition to chicken feed in order to get eggs with a higher concentration of omega-3.

I typically drink goats milk.  Sometimes I get it fresh from the farm, raw and mostly free range.  But most of the time I get it from the store.  From my understanding goats milk is naturally homogenized, so it doesn't have to necessarily go through that extra heating process. 

[1love4ever]

I dont think that homogenization is a heating process?  Watch the video and read the link I provided.  The goats milk just does not separate into milk and cream, so no it does not have to be homogenized, but the pasturization is what you have to worry about as far as heat goes, and ultra-pasturized is the worst.  Both ultra and regular pasturization completely destroys the beneficial enzymes and such in the milk, and it lowers the nutrient content significantly, and completely destroys the phosphorus.  I do not drink homogenized milk because it is more highly processed and I have read things about it interfering with normal digestion, causing cancer, not being able to be absorbed by the body, etc.

[armidasawan]

The homogenization process isn't a heating process per se, but it is a process in which extreme pressure and friction is applied.  Extremely high heat can result from the pressure and friction taking the milk through more heating. 

At the end this article describes homogenization as "essentially a second pasteurization process". 

http://www.raw-milk-facts.com/homogenization_T3.html

[1love4ever]

That makes sense!  I did know it was high pressure and friction, I guess it only makes sense that heat would be produced!

[kylie1]

I'm glad to find this! I've been considering making the switch to goat's milk but couldn't find enough information to justify it to DH. Thanks for all the info!