The Wonders of Goat Milk and its Usefulness as Anti-Cancer Agent

Dr. BHASKER CHAKRABORTY Professor & HoD Department of Chemistry NBBGC (Sikkim Government College) T

Goat milk is one of the most commonly consumed types of dairy in the world. Nearly three-quarters of the world's population consumes goat milk due to the ease of keeping goats as opposed to cows in developing countries, where goat milk is an important source of calories, protein, and fats. Goat milk is preferred over cow milk in many countries. Goat milk is thicker and creamier than cow milk and has more nutrients that offer health benefits. Daily consumption of goat’s health promotes healthy heart.  Goat milk has therapeutic effects on heart health also. This is because goat milk has high levels of medium-chain fatty acids. These fatty acids provide an energy boost that helps lower cholesterol levels. They also help treat conditions of coronary heart disease and intestinal disorders. Goat milk also helps increase good cholesterol levels while reducing the bad ones. It also has similar properties to olive oil and is recommended for keeping high cholesterol in check.

Goat’s milk has immense health benefits:

It is rich in protein. The milk contains more protein compared to standard cow milk, soya milk, or nut milk. The protein contained in goat milk is more digestible, compared to other milks. Goat milk also contains significantly more protein than almond milk or rice milk. It keeps cholesterol levels in control.   Goat milk helps reduce cholesterol levels in people who have high blood cholesterol. It is believed that oat milk helps reduce cholesterol in the arteries and gall bladder, hence helping people with high cholesterol levels control their cholesterol easily. Goat milk is given high preference than cow milk because research study says many people are found to be intolerant of cow milk because of the proteins present are said to be sensitive. This is A1-casein, found in cow’s milk and many child and adults are unable to digest it. Cow’s milk contains more than 20 different allergens that may cause allergic reactions. But goat milk contains only A2- casein which produces no inflammatory effects. Goat milk is used as the first protein after breastfeeding in “European countries” since it is less allergenic for babies compared to cow milk. Goat milk is a rich source of calcium. It contains about 33 percent of the daily recommended value of the mineral, calcium. Calcium is essential for many aspects of health especially when it comes to bone health. It helps boost bone mass and provides the tissue with its strength to maximize bone strength.

Goat milk has moisturizing qualities that help keep baby skin soft. It also has high levels of vitamin A. Vitamin A in the milk improves your complexion, fights acne and improves overall skin health. Lactic acid in goat milk helps rid your body of dead skin cells and promotes skin smoothness and thickness. It promotes healthy “Iron and Hemoglobin” levels. Important minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous contained in goat's milk get digested more easily than cow’s milk. Because of the bioavailability of the minerals in goat milk, it acts as the best option for the treatment of nutritional deficiencies like anemia and bone demineralization. Regular consumption of goat’s milk enhances the body’s ability to use iron. It also boosts the regeneration of hemoglobin.

Anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial & anti-cancer properties of goat’s milk:

Recent research has shown that goat milk proteins have several health benefits, including immunomodulatory effects, allergy management, anti?inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as antimicrobial and anticancer properties. They have the potential to be used as a treatment for autoimmune diseases (ankylosing spondilytis and many rheumatic arthritis), allergies and other immune system disorders due to their ability to modulate the production of cytokines and other immune system components. Furthermore, their antimicrobial properties can help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria and reduce the risk of infection. Research work is presently going on focusing on the potential of goat milk proteins as a functional food ingredient, their effects on gut health and microbiota and their therapeutic potential for various health conditions. This research may lead to the development of new functional foods that promote health and prevent disease and potentially pave the way for the use of goat milk proteins as a therapeutic agent for various health conditions.

Research studies have suggested that goat milk proteins may have anticancer properties and may be effective in preventing the growth and spread of cancer cells, with applications in conditions such as asthma, osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. The protein profile of goat whey was investigated by Medeiros et al. (Pub-Med Journal: 2018) to assess its potential effects on oxidative stress, bacteria, tumors, and human red blood cells in vitro. The method involved skimming goat whey to obtain a crude protein extract (CPE), which was then subjected to ammonium sulfate precipitation to obtain protein fractions (F). The CPE showed antioxidant properties while the protein fractions did not. In “Cytotoxicity tests” (cancer study) our research group (Prof. Duncan D. Browne group of Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK in collaboration with myself) performed on rat C6 glioma cells, the CPE caused a significant tumor cell death rate of over 70% when used at concentrations of 0.05 and 0.1??g/mL. The results of this study suggest that CPE has the potential to be an effective compound with antioxidant, bacteriostatic and cytotoxic properties against tumor cells, which has been demonstrated for the first time in this study by our research group in 2022. 

Our research group was influence by Meisel and FitzGerald in 2003 at Bristol University, UK where they had suggested that “Casein ophosphopeptides (CPP’s)” present in goat’s milk have cytomodulatory characteristics, either by inhibiting the growth of cancer cells or by enhancing the activity of immune?competent cells. Goat’s milk has also “Anti cariogenic effects”. It is the Calcium?binding properties of CPP’s present in goat’s milk which helps to stop “Dental Caries & Ulcers” and there by helping in preservation of the tooth enamel and stop developing ulcers.

The important Antioxidant property of goat’s milk has been established by Prof. Park and Haenlein in 2017. The peptides they have synthesized as ?s?casein have been shown to scavenge free radicals and protect against lipid degradation. Antidiabetic properties of Goat's milk is due to the presence of casein hydrolyzates, which may help reduce insulin intolerance and make current treatments for type 2 diabetes more effective.  Recent research study on goat’s milk (2023)  reveals that “Baby milk” formula made from goat's milk had a higher relative prevalence of the intestinal microbes like Blautia, Roseburia, Alistites and Muribaculum, according to 16S rRNA analysis. This research adds a new understanding of the gut micro ecology effects of goat's milk?based baby feeds and may lead to their more wider use in the world.