A lesser-known milk, behind the fridge staples of cows, soya and goats milk contains a host of health benefits – but at a price. Milk is and has always been billed as a staple part of growing up in Britain. Parents are often told to drink up in order to become “big and strong.”
And while it is true that traditional cow’s milk comes with plenty of nutritional benefits, including supporting bone growth, there is another type of milk that could pack even more of a punch when it comes to our health.
Experts are endorsing camel milk as an unconventional alternative for its myriad of health-boosting benefits. It contains around “five times” the amount of vitamin C as cow’s milk, as well as being rich in B vitamins and powerful antioxidants.
The liquid is also typically allergen free and less likely to trigger a reaction in people who are lactose intolerant. But if this seems too good to be true, that’s because it might be. One expert warned of the drink’s slightly higher salt content, urging caution as a result.
But the cost of it is not as inexpensive as its bovine alternative. Prices of camels milk wildly vary – with an average of £13 per pint. But some experts believe it’s worth shelling out the extra cash for its benefits.
Of course we know the milk itself comes from camels, but certain areas of the globe are responsible for producing most of the world’s supply. In one episode of So Expensive, created by Business Insider, the team explained how the majority of camel milk comes from Africa and the Middle East, with one of the largest camel milk farms in the world being in Dubai.
“Camel milk is an important staple across Africa and the Middle East and some cultures rely on it,” the documentary said. “Somalia and Kenya alone produced 64 percent of the world’s camel milk.
“Camelicious in Dubai has over six thousand camels on its farm and produces four million litres of milk each year.” They also discussed what makes it so expensive.
“Farming camels isn’t exactly easy,” they said. “Camel milk can cost you $30 per litre [£23], compare that to cow’s milk and it’s almost 30 times the price.” According to the documentary, one cow can produce around 50 litres of milk per day whereas a camel can only give between six and seven litres of milk.
Camels are also more costly to feed and keep, they said. There is also currently a supply and demand issue with camel milk where demand from Western countries is starting to outstrip the supply.
What are the health benefits?
One expert spoke exclusively with Express.co.uk to reveal some of the unique health benefits of drinking camel milk. Abbas Kanani, superintendent pharmacist for Chemist Click, said: “Camel’s milk is rich in vitamins including, B1, B2 and C.
“Mineral content is found to be similar to cow’s milk, but studies suggest that vitamin C is three to five times higher than in cow’s milk.
“It has also been found to lack a major protein in cow’s milk that can trigger allergic reactions.” Mr Kanani also said the milk can be digested better and has a higher nutritional value than cow’s milk.
On top of this, it can be stored at room temperature for a longer period than cow’s milk and stay stable for longer when heated too. He added that it could help lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes and improve gut health.
However, he warned that it can have a high salt content – something which can be risky if you have high blood pressure.
“Generally camel’s milk tends to have a slightly higher salt content compared to cow’s milk, but this is impacted by factors such as lactation stage, breed and geographical location,” Mr Kanani said.
He added: “Camel’s milk offers many nutritional benefits as mentioned above and may be an alternative choice for people who have allergies to cow’s milk.
“However it is important, like with any dietary change, that it should be consumed in moderation and as part of a varied and balanced diet.”
You can buy freeze dried camel milk powder for £35.67 for 200g from Distacart. Or a 235ml carton of long life camel milk can be purchased from Asda for £3.25, the ingredients of which are reconstituted.