FACT 1
Calcium and minerals like zinc. These are high in sheep milk
compared with other milks (see table) and remember that Lacto-calcium
is much more easily absorbed than Calcium carbonate which
is, after all, marble. Together with lactose and Vitamin D,
(almost twice as much as cows milk) the calcium in sheep milk
is vital in the fight against Osteoporosis, the scourge in
both the UK and USA. Bone density is laid down in adolescence
and it is vitally important for children going on into their
teens to drink milk.
Most soft drinks, so popular among the young, actually destroy
bone density. Calcium is also needed after any debilitating
illness. Zinc is essential for the maintenance of healthy
skin and is much recommended for many more things besides
a good sex life including anorexia. Also for those who understand
these things the calcium : phosphorus ratio is as nearly perfect
as possible, i.e. the one cannot be digested without the other.
FACT 2
The Vitamins, mainly the B complex as well as A, D and E are
all essential to good health and are most often recommended
to be taken as a supplement. Why bother, when they are all
in sheep milk. The milk is particularly well endowed with
both Folic acid and B 12 both sold as expensive supplements
in every chemist and Health food shop.
FACT 3
The Fats. Pople are often put off by the high fat level quoted
for sheep milk. There are a number of things to understand
before condemning the milk to be skimmed to be acceptable.
Remember that the so called "fats" are three fat
soluble vitamins, i.e. incorporated within the fat, without
which you could be very ill if not dead. These are A, D and
E. Sheep milk contains considerably more of these three vitamins
than cow or goat milk. The vitamin D load is 0.18 g/ 100g
against summer cow milk at 0.04 g/ 100g (British Nutritional
Foundation). Sheep milk also contains a higher proportion
of medium/short chain saturated fatty acids and it is believed
that this leads to a higher lactose absorption of benefit
to the mildly lactose intolerant. The other point is that
sheep milk is not as high in saturated fatty acids as other
milks, 45% of the fatty acids are either Mono or Polyunsaturated.
Another thing is if you or any of your friends ever go on
another binge, like the one most of us went on over the New
Year,
called "the longest party season in history" then
drink a glass of high fat sheep milk three hours before you
go out and it will line your stomach. Even such notorious
drinkers as Keith Floyd recommend drinking "lassi"
before going out on the town and that is just yoghurt and
water mixed and tastes much better than the much vaunted olive
oil remedy. The thing is to prevent the hangover rather than
having to cure it.
FACT 4
The whey proteins, are the really easily digested form of
protein found in milk which does not get incorporated in cheese,
but slips out in the whey. Sheep milk is three times higher
in this form of protein than cow or goat milk making the whole
milk easier to digest.
FACT 5
The proteins. These come last because little work has really
been done on them in sheep. Lamb is often the most recommended
meat for people with intolerance's to meat and without a sheep
cheese, made of the main protein, casein, is acceptable to
almost all who cannot tolerate cow or goat milk products.
FACT 6
The lactose. Even if people are severely lactose intolerant,
the lactose will have been converted into lactic acid if they
take their sheep milk in the form of yoghurt and much of the
lactose goes out with the whey in hard cheese making. There
is also evidence that the lactose in sheep milk is more tolerated
than from other milk and certainly worth a try.
Remember that any illness or any cause for the use of antibiotics
reduces your immune system, however wonderful antibiotics
may be, they usually kill the good bugs along with the bad.
Yoghurt, especially Acidolphus yoghurt, helps to redress this
and restore the gut flora back to its original load, all working
to prevent.
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