1 June is World Milk Day. This day recognizes the importance of milk as a global food providing valuable nutrition to hundreds of millions of people around the world. In a series of posts we explore some of the unique benefits of camel milk.

Most people think camel milk is something that only nomadic desert inhabitants consume, but this is not the reality!

Camel milk is called “white gold”, and for very good reasons.

Camel milk is becoming more well-know outside of the Middle East and Asia due to its smooth, pleasant taste and its superior nutritional benefits that can improve health.

Many people are unaware of the health benefits of camel milk. Did you know that camel milk contains prebiotics and probiotics and includes minerals that may aid gut health?

Gut Benefits of Camel Milk

Lactoferrin

Camel milk contains Lactoferrin, an iron-binding protein that can fight bacterial growth (1). It is so effective that it can stop intestinal Escherichia coli.

Lysozyme

It contains the Lysozyme enzyme that kills bacteria by disrupting their membranes; it may also aid in the maintenance of healthy gut flora in breastfed babies (2).

Prebiotics

Camel milk contains prebiotics in the form of oligosaccharides (3). Prebiotics play a key role in feeding healthy bacteria and supporting their growth in the digestive system, resulting in improved health. Oligosaccharides promote the growth of healthy bacteria while inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria in the colon.

Probiotics

Camel milk also contains several probiotics that make the gut healthy, like Enterococcus durans, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus lactis, and Lactobacillus pentosus (4). It has been proven that E. lactis can stop the growth of certain hazardous bacteria. L. pentosus may prevent infection by inhibiting Helicobacter pylori and aid better gut health (5).

Selenium and Zinc

Camel milk also contains minerals (selenium and zinc) that may support a healthy gut. Selenium and zinc help reduce Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease (6). Selenium and zinc help regulate the microflora and boost the diversity of bacteria in the intestines and gastrointestinal tracts.

You can improve your gut health by drinking camel milk. A healthy gut makes the whole body healthier. With a healthy gut, food digestion is better and more nutrients are absorbed from food more effectively. Also, your body produces Vitamin K2 and B vitamins. and there’s less likelihood that you'll get sick from stomach bugs because your gut has strong and healthy bacteria to prevent the growth of disease-causing bacteria.

References:

1. Science Direct: Lactoferrin – Clinical Respiratory Medicine, 2012

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/lactoferrin

2. Science Direct: Lysozyme – Antibiotic Resistance, 2016

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/lysozyme

3. Fukuda K, Yamamoto A, Ganzorig K, et al. Chemical characterization of the oligosaccharides in Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus) milk and colostrum. J Dairy Sci. 2010;93(12):5572-87. PMID: 21094729

4.Davati N, Tabatabaee Yazdi F, Zibaee S, Shahidi F, Edalatian MR. Study of Lactic Acid Bacteria Community From Raw Milk of Iranian One Humped Camel and Evaluation of Their Probiotic Properties. Jundishapur Journal of Microbiology. 2015;8(5):e16750. doi:10.5812/jjm.8(5)2015.167505.

5.Zheng PX, Fang HY, Yang HB, Tien NY, Wang MC, Wu JJ. Lactobacillus pentosus strain LPS16 produces lactic acid, inhibiting multidrug-resistant Helicobacter pylori. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2016;49(2):168-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2014.04.014

6.Kudva AK, Shay AE, Prabhu KS. Selenium and inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2015;309(2):G71-7. PMID: 26045617