As I talk to other people, I hear of more and more people that seem to be getting away from dairy for one reason or another. Two of my siblings in their adult lives have had to step away from cow milk and its many forms because they seem to have developed real intolerances of the classic go-to for pouring over a bowl of cold cereal.

I have heard enough about goat milk and its benefits that I have started purchasing goat milk kefir from Trader Joe’s to add to smoothies in our family and we are really enjoying it.

Before that, the only type of goat milk I had had was goat cheese, which is quite tangy, but delicious. I would say that goat milk is also a tangier version of cow milk or yogurt, but it definitely has a ton of great health benefits that you should learn about when considering switching away from traditional dairy products.

It is Good For Your Cholesterol

Goat milk is high in medium-chain fatty acids, which is awesome because these are not stored as body fat and actually provide an energy boost! These medium-chain fatty acids are linked to the prevention of heart disease and the treatment of many intestinal conditions while also lowering your cholesterol and increasing levels of good cholesterol.

Helps Nutrient Absorption

Goat’s milk actually helps absorb important nutrients from other foods. While on the other hand, cow’s milk is well known to interfere with the absorption of key minerals like iron, copper, magnesium and phosphorus when consumed in the same meal.

Goat milk contains high levels of zinc and selenium which can help prevent neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

It is Easier to Digest

One of the main reasons people choose to switch from cow’s milk is caused by lactose, the natural sugar found in milk, which can be hard for the tummy to digest. We lose our ability to fully digest cow’s milk properly as we age. Goat milk, on the other hand, has about 12% less lactose than cow’s milk so that might be an option you want to try if you’d rather try another animal milk before switching to a plant-based “milk”. When goat’s milk is cultured into yogurt, it has even less lactose so is even more gently on the stomach.

Contains Helpful Prebiotics

*Another great thing that goat milk has that cow milk does not is that it has a higher presence of “prebiotic” carbohydrates, which help nourish the good bacteria living in our gut ecosystem. These carbohydrates are called oligosaccharides, which are actually the same carbs found in human breast milk and are there to help support the good bacteria in a baby’s digestive tract.

Great for Skin Too

Goat milk has a similar pH level to humans, so therefore it can be absorbed into the skin with less irritation while also keeping bacteria at bay. It also contains high levels of vitamin A which will improve overall skin health and fight acne. The high levels of lactic acid will help get rid of skin cells and brighten your complexion. Try using goat milk yogurt as a face mask once or twice a week for a great boost for your skin.

It Contains Fewer Allergens

Cow’s milk actually contains 20 different allergens and is one of the most common food allergies among children. Goat milk doesn’t contain the protein that is responsible for most of the bed allergic reactions. Instead it actually contains A2 casein, which doesn’t cause inflammation and makes goat milk the closest to human breast milk.

Would you consider making the switch to goat milk? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.