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Monday, November 02, 2009

Many "Milks" Comparison

What even larger than galore? I ask because a mere couple of weeks ago, I posted "Milks" Galore: Soy, Rice, Almond, and Hemp, about a Los Angeles Times comparison of different milk alternatives, along with cow's milk itself.

That apparently set off a trans-Atlantic one-upsmanship contest. The UK Daily Mail has a comparison of, deep breath now, whole cow's milk, 1% fat cow's milk, raw milk, goat's milk, sheep's milk, buffalo milk, and soy, almond, oat, and rice "milks."

And after the idiocy shown in the post I made about the firm who claimed that goat's milk had smaller lactose molecules, a chemical and physical impossibility, this article correctly points out that it is the "fat globules" in goat's milk that are smaller. Obviously, globules can be of various sizes. Molecules of lactose can't. You can tell the quacks instantly by their scientific illiteracy.

Unfortunately, the article goes on to give this statement:

This helps to avoid symptoms that can occur with cow's milk intolerance such as bloating and discomfort.

You can easily find claims by goat milk enthusiasts that the smaller fat globules make goat milk more digestible and that somehow helps people with lactose intolerance. What I can't find is a single claim that has any references to actual medical or scientific evidence for this. I also can't find any such articles in the medical literature.

Even the most honest admit that they don't know what this should be so, although that doesn't keep them from making the claim anyway.

"Raise a Glass of Nature's Goodness."
Goat’s milk contains less lactose than cow’s milk and therefore is easier to digest for those suffering from lactose intolerance. Now the interesting aspect to consider is that goat’s milk isn’t much lower than cow’s milk (contains about 10% less than cow’s milk) and yet, countless lactose intolerant patients are able to thrive on goat’s milk. Although the answer for this is unclear, it has been hypothesized that since goat’s milk is digested and absorbed in a superior manner, there is no “leftover” lactose that remains undigested which causes the painful and uncomfortable effects of lactose intolerance.

The Daily Mail article also hits a bump when it comes to the part on sheep's milk.
Like goat's milk, it has small fat globules that are easily digested by the body. ... Unsuitable for the lactose intolerant and babies.

But if it's the small fat globules that make goat's milk more easily digested, then...

I've learned never to expect consistency in claims by proponents of anything. Milk is just a particular bad example.

On the plus side, the information on the milk alternatives doesn't have these obvious faults.

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