While milk is all great in itself, there’s a reason why healthy eaters prefer cow’s milk over buffalo milk and vice versa when someone wants to make a dessert. Milk obtained from different sources have slightly different nutritional values. And while they are all healthy, they just serve different purposes. There’s a new milk source that is doing the rounds. Goat milk. It is known to have strong prebiotic and anti-infection properties. This could be very beneficial for infants to protect them from gastrointestinal infections. This was suggested by a recent research study. The study also looked at oligosaccharides, a type of prebiotic that can boost the growth of beneficial bacteria and protect against harmful bacteria in the gut.
The research, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, found 14 naturally-occurring prebiotic oligosaccharides in the goat milk formula. Five of these are also found in human breast milk.
According to the team of researchers, the study was believed to be the first to reveal the diversity of oligosaccharides in goat’s milk-based infant formula and their similarity to human milk.
“The study indicates the prebiotic oligosaccharides in goat milk formula are effective at selectively promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. While these laboratory results are promising, further research including clinical trials will help us to confirm these benefits for infants,” explained Harsharn Gill, lead investigator of the study.
When breastfeeding is not possible or insufficient, infant formulas are commonly used as an alternative but there is limited information available about the oligosaccharides they may contain or their likely health benefits.
The new study examined the presence of naturally occurring oligosaccharides in two goat milk formulas (Oli6 Stage 1 for babies aged 0-6 months and Oli6 Stage 2 for babies aged 6-12 months) and their prebiotic and anti-infection properties.
While cow milk formula is the most widely used alternative to breastfeeding, goat milk is considered to be closer to human milk in some respects, especially oligosaccharides.
The study found the natural prebiotic oligosaccharides in the goat milk formula were effective in promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria (bifidobacteria) and inhibiting the ability of harmful bacteria such as pathogenic E. coli to attach to human intestinal cells.
“Fucosylated are the most abundant oligosaccharides in human milk and are the focus of significant commercial and regulatory interest. These oligosaccharides have been shown to play a significant role in anti-infection properties of breast milk” Gill asserted.
