Goat milk: A potent nutraceutical food

Abstract

In the current scenario, the rising health awareness has boosted the demand for the nutraceutical foods which confer health benefits beyond providing essential nourishment. Recently goat milk has gained
worldwide popularity due to its good nutritional and therapeutic values which provide both physiological and health benefits to the host. Goat milk contains a large array of utilizable nutrients viz. fat, protein,
lactose, vitamins, enzymes and mineral salts. The peculiar structural characteristics of fat and protein molecules in goat milk enhance its digestibility, absorbability and bioavailability in human gut. Further, it
also exhibits a range of biological activities by virtue of several bioactive components viz. free amino acids, polyamines, medium chain fatty acids, oligosaccharides and trace minerals that influence the digestion
and metabolic responses to absorbed nutrients, growth and development of specific organs, resistance to diseases and immunity in human beings. Currently due to compositional resemblance with human milk
and lesser incidences of allergenic reactions, goat milk has been recommended as an ideal substitute for cow and human milk for human infants. Furthermore, it is considered as a key constituent of high quality
dairy foods and infant formulae.