Nutritional properties of goat milk vs cow's milk

Three glass pitchers of fresh milk are elegantly arranged on a rustic wooden surface with a stack of creamy, crumbly cheese.

Property: fat (lipid) content

• Goat milk is higher in total fat.

• Goat milk is much higher in medium chain triglycerides (MCT), associated with numerous health benefits.

• Goat milk has a smaller fat globule size that enhances digestibility.

• Goat milk fat does not clump together, keeping it more homogenized and also aiding digestibility.

 Property: protein content

• Goat milk contains more protein per serving.

• Goat milk contains higher levels of essential amino acids.

• Goat milk contains a percentage of proteins with different structures than cow's milk proteins.

These differences enhance the digestibility of goat milk protein, and cause fewer allergenic reactions.

• Goat milk contains a percentage of proteins with different structures than cow's milk proteins.

 These differences enhance the digestibility of goat milk protein, and cause fewer allergenic reactions.

• Goat milk does not contain agglutinin like cow's milk. Agglutinin is what makes the fat in cow's milk separate from the other components.

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• Goat milk contains much lower values, and in some cases, none, of the protein alpha-s1-casein.

This protein promotes the formation of a hard curd from the milk, slowing digestibility. It is also a major allergen in cow's milk.

Property: carbohydrates

• Goat milk has a lower carbohydrate level, almost all of which is due to less lactose in the milk. The inability to digest lactose is a common condition, and milk with less lactose is helpful for those individuals.

Property: vitamins

• Goat milk supplies more vitamin A. Vitamin A in goat milk is not in the form of beta-carotene as it is for cow's milk. This different form of vitamin A is what makes goat milk whiter in color than cow's milk.

• Goat milk supplies substantially more niacin (B3) and B6.

• Goat milk is lower in folic acid (B9) and B12.

• Goat milk has comparable amounts of the other vitamins.

Property: minerals

• Goat milk is higher in calcium.

• Goat milk is higher in phosphorous.

• Goat milk has substantially more potassium.

• Goat milk has more iron and copper.

• Goat milk has more magnesium.

• Goat milk has substantially more manganese.

• Selenium in goat milk has been shown to have more antioxidant activity.

• Goat milk has comparable levels of zinc and sodium.

So, don't be put off by a higher price tag at the grocery store. In comparing goats milk vs cows milk, you can see that you're actually getting more!