Ontario Goat Milk Producers' Association

Ontario Goat Milk Producers' Association

Founded October 1989 ~ Incorporated January 1997

 

 

Asked and Answered
Nutritious, refreshing Goat Milk -the good milk
Goat Milk Questions



       The information presented is for educational purpose and not as medical advice.
        Confirm any information from Internet Sources with a professional in that field. 

Does Oprah really drink Goat Milk?
The Oprah and her Dr. Oz presented information on the benefits of goat milk on a show dealing with ways to live longer, but neither admitted a preference. Read More of the Health Benefits of Nature's Milk and it's use as a heart healthy alternative.

               Lower your cholesterol,
                              watch your fat intake   and
                                                    pay attention to fewer calories.



What's the Difference between Goat Milk & Cow Milk?

It depends somewhat on who you are, your age and what you may want to avoid:
       allergies, stomach issues or fat and calories.

  Read more on this Ontario Goat Milk Producers' Association site Why Switch to Goat Milk
                 Food Allergies, Anaphylaxis or Lactose Intolerance?
                 Life Style Health Benefits, Cooking with Goat Milk Products
                 Why goat milk is good milk for seniors and weight lifter.
           Read the analysis of both sources of Milk in the Goodness of Goat Milk
           Goat milk is a good source Calcium/a>, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamins C, B1, (Riboflavin) B2, and B3, in addition to tasting great and being easier to digest.

            Then try the good, goat milk yourself and wonder why everyone
            hasn't made the smart switch to Goat Milk.

Will Goat Milk Reduce My Cholesterol Levels?
The Answer is yes Goat Milk will lower your cholesterol level. BUT it may not do that quickly enough to prevent heart damage, if your levels are too high.

Your cholesterol levels are determined by your diet and your genes. The easiest way to lower high cholesterol levels is through medication, like Lipitor or Crestor. The problem is most of these can cause serious side effects. Modifying your diet is a slower, more natural approach to prevent problems from high cholesterol. A heart healthy diet includes reducing the amount of bad fats in what your eat. This means looking at food labels for fat content as well as Cholesterol. Some 2% Goat Milk products have zero levels of cholesterol, so yes, drinking goat milk lowers your cholesterol levels. Increasing digestible fibre in the foods also helps in removing plaque from your blood system. Increasing foods containing Omega-3 or taking fish oil supplements is another part of the improvement methods for decreasing cholesterol levels such as LCL and increasing HDL and the cholesterol ratios. 
           More on Benefits of Goat Milk - On Site Like Goat Milk has 3 times the amount of Niacin, that is a natural way of reducing the need for such meds as Lipitor and Crestor.
Is Goat Milk good for a baby's formula?
At present, there aren't any commercial baby formulations made in Ontario with goat milk as the major ingredient. Goat milk does have a lot of good things things in it, plus it is easier to digest than other milks. For optimum infant development goat milk would require supplementing the milk with folic acid and iron. So goat milk is better left for older kids and adults who can enjoy the refreshing taste and take advantage of its many health benefits.

Where Can I buy Raw Milk?
Raw or unpasteurized milk has not been legally available in Canada for many years.
An Ontario Farmer selling their milk to anyone other than licensed milk brokers can face fines, jail time and a life long removal of their shipper's license. So the answer - you can not legally buy raw milk on Ontario.
            More Information on Raw Milk -On Site
            So what's so bad about raw milk, some Canadian families have been drinking milk straight from the cow or the goat for years with no ill effects. Milk from any source naturally contain bacteria and some of these are not beneficial at all. The harmful bacteria as well as the good bacteria and vitamins are killed by the heating process or pasteurization. The decision to take a chance on drinking unpasteurized milk is left to individual and their health care professionals.

Where Can I buy a Goat?
Milking goats are available on the open market or through livestock actions. Whether you can keep your goat on your property is subject to local bylaws. Housing and care is regulated by a number of provincial and federal regulation and statutes. The safety of milk collection may be questionable. If you want a pet goat, you might think about it but exercise extreme care if you are looking for a milk source.

Most of the major Ontario Supermarkets carry Goat Milk, that has been pasteurized and processed for your safety. Talk to your local store manager or dairy manager about carrying goat milk and delicious goat milk products that are safe for you and your family.
Why is goat milk so expensive in the stores?
Looking at marketing trends in Ontario, many of the things that are healthy and nutritious are initially priced higher than regular commodities. Over time consumer demand and impluse buying tend to lower prices. It is hard to make a comparison, since most retailers raised prices on many grocery items, using the economy as an excuse.

When Vegetarians first started buying veggie burgers, the meatless soy patties were far higher priced than beef hamburger meat. In 2009, it is no longer an economic disadvantage to buy meatless products. In some cases these are now cheaper than meat, as they should have been all along.
Take a look at bread. Whole grain breads are better for your health, but until a few months ago these types were much higher than white bread.

Similar examples are found in low fat, low sugar or low salt foods. All are generally priced higher; often they are never on sale. Merchandiser know that demand has a great effect on the prices and reach to set the bar as high as they can to maximize profits.

Make a comparison with all the other types of milk in the dairy case and you will find that goat milk is not much of difference in terms of price. Look beyond the 2% and skim at to the 'designer's milks' triple filtered, organic which are normally sold by the litre. If you are near a dairy, it may be worth the drive to stock up, checking the Best Before dates

Hewitt's Dairy processes fluid goat milk in whole (minimum 3.25% milk fat and higher)
and 2% in both 4 litre milk bags and 1 litre cartons. We also manufacture all-natural
plain and fruit bottom yogourts, in addition to all-natural ice cream. Skim milk powder
and unsalted butter are produced specially for Hewitt's distribution.

Do Goat Produce more Milk than Cows?

Laurie Llewellyn South of Sunderland, Ont., president of the Ontario Goat Milk Producers Association, says the average dairy goat produces three litres a day of milk. “Good goats can produce as much as eight or nine litres per day at peak. A cow averages 25 litres a day, with exceptional cows producing 50 litres.” So, if CW might crunch those numbers, it takes about eight average goats to produce as much milk as the average cow.
 
Ms. Llewellyn South adds: “The feed ratio is about eight to one; that is, a cow eats eight times as much as a goat.” She says goats generally get slightly better production in terms of feed in the summer, “but not in cold Canadian winters, when a large portion of their feed is used to maintain body heat.”  Source: Globe and Mail June 2009

Is there enough Niacin in Goat Milk to reduce my Cholesterol?

As mentioned in a previous answer, Goat Milk has more niacin, about 350% more than cow milk, about 0.42 mg.
Don't stop taking prescribed Cholesterol medications, (Lipitor, Crestor, Plavix, etc) just because you started drinking goat milk. Blood tests are needed to determine the several levels of cholesterol

You still may need to take Niacin supplements to have an effect on your HDL Cholesterol levels. HDL is the 'good' cholesterol number. Niacin supplements are inexpensive compared to other over the counter remedies. If it's indicated, ease into 2000 mg daily of a 'no flush' preparation. Some people may experience a reaction to the cheaper form of niacin, experiencing hot flashes, redness.

As always check with your health care professional and get regular blood tests to confirm, HDL and LDL totals, the ratio of the two and triglycerides levels. 

 
Most of the major Ontario Supermarkets carry Goat Milk, that has been pasteurized and processed for your safety. Talk to your local store manager or dairy manager about carrying goat milk and delicious goat milk products that are safe for you and your family. As demand for these products increase, retailers will start to think about putting them on sale or lowering the everyday prices.

Do the research, taste the good milk --Goat milk and reap the health benefits as well.