The Role of Bovine and Non-Bovine Milk in Cardiometabolic Health: Should We Raise the “Baa”?

Abstract

Although causality is yet to be confirmed, a considerable volume of research has explored the relationships between cow milk consumption, type II diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Contrastingly, it has not been comprehensively examined whether milk of non-bovine origin can provide cardiometabolic protection. This narrative review outlines the marked differences in macronutrient composition, particularly protein and lipid content, and discusses how whole milk product (and individual milk ingredients) from different species could impact cardiometabolic health. There is some data, although primarily from compositional analyses, animal studies, and acute clinical trials, that non-bovine milk (notably sheep and goat milk) could be a viable substitute to cow milk for the maintenance, or enhancement, of cardiometabolic health. With a high content of medium-chain triglycerides, conjugated linoleic acid, leucine, and essential minerals, sheep milk could assist in the prevention of metabolic-related disorders. Similarly, albeit with a lower content of such functional compounds relative to sheep milk, goat and buffalo milk could be plausible counterparts to cow milk. However, the evidence required to generate nutritional recommendations for ‘non-bovine milk’ is currently lacking. Longer-term randomised controlled trials must assess how the bioactive ingredients of different species’ milks collectively influence biomarkers of, and subsequently incidence of, cardiometabolic health.

Goat and cow milk differ in altering the microbiota composition and neurotransmitter levels in insomnia mouse models

“…Cow milk and goat milk are the most common animal milk sources in daily life, providing humans and animals with rich and comprehensive nutrition. 24 This study highlights that little is known about goat milk improving insomnia in mice more than cow milk by increasing the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a multilevel approach has been used to compare the difference in sleep improvement between cow milk and goat milk in mice.…”

Scoary2:Rapid association of phenotypic multi-omics data with microbial pan-genomes

“…Even though humans can synthesize L-carnitine endogenously from the essential amino acids L-methionine and L-lysine, 75% is obtained through diet [55], which is why it has been termed a "conditionally essential nutrient". One of the richest sources of carnitine is red meat, but bovine milk (about 169 µmol/L [56]) and milk products also contain carnitine [57]. Humans require L-carnitine to transport long-to short-chain fatty acids in and out of the mitochondrion [44].…”

Functional ingredient taurine: adequate and clinically effective doses

“…Содержание таурина в молоке млекопитающих следующее (по убывающей): в овечьем -140 мкмоль/л, в кобыльем -30 мкмоль/л, в коровьем -10 мкмоль/л [7].…”

“…Потребность в таурине у младенцев обеспечивается за счет поступления через плаценту или грудное молоко от материи [5]. Таурин является второй по распространенности свободной аминокислотой в грудном молоке и содержится в количестве 34-80 мг/л (250- 640 мкмоль/л) на всех стадиях лактации [4,[6][7][8].…”