Nutritional specificities of milk
[E1]
[F1] [F2]
[I1] [D1]
In nature,
milk (produced by the secretion
of the mammary glands of mammals after delivery) is the food for the
growth of
mammal babies, and the milk of a particular species is just for that
kind of
species. This is evident from the different composition of the various
kinds of
milk.
The milk of
all mammals
contains, melted in water, sugar (lactose), protein, fat, vitamins and
enzymes.
Of course there are the antibodies characteristic of that particular
species.
But the composition of milk is different in each species of mammal, as
shown in
the table.
|
Mammal
|
Proteins
|
Lactose
|
Fats
|
Water
|
|
Woman
|
0.9
|
7.2
|
3.5
|
88
|
|
Mare
|
2.2
|
5.9
|
1.5
|
90
|
|
She-ass
|
1.5
|
6.2
|
1.5
|
90
|
|
Cow
|
3.6
|
4.9
|
3.5
|
87
|
|
Goat
|
4
|
4.5
|
4.3
|
86
|
|
Sheep
|
6
|
4.5
|
7.5
|
81
|
|
Cow-buffalo
|
4.8
|
4.7
|
7.5
|
82
|
|
Sow
|
6
|
5.4
|
6
|
82
|
|
She-cat
|
9
|
5
|
5
|
80
|
|
Rat
|
8
|
2.6
|
10.3
|
79
|
|
Doe-rabbit
|
13.5
|
1.8
|
12
|
70
|
|
Whale
|
10
|
0.8
|
35
|
54
|
Composition of different mammal’s milk
(g/100g of milk)
The
differences are considerable. What can
we say about those differences? The most recent research reveals a
justification in the mother-child relationship, and this relationship
is
considered in a large table in which we can see two groups of mammals.
On the one
hand we have the primates. Here
the baby is completely dependent on the mother, with whom it is in
continuous
contact. The milk of this species is relatively watery and poor in
protein and
fats. The baby sucks milk very frequently but in very small quantities.
In this
case the baby does not require any reserves.
On the other
hand there are all the other
mammals which, after the delivery, hide the babies in nests or
shelters. They
spend their time looking for food, returning to their nests at
intervals. In
that situation nursing is discontinuous and the baby needs a very
nutritious
milk (not too watery) that can be digested slowly (a high fat content).
In this
species the baby sucks very quickly and is satisfied in a few minutes.
The
babies of sea mammals also need milk with the above-mentioned
characteristics.
The
species-specific milk contains not
only all the nutrients in the right proportions for growth, but also
the
enzymatic substances and the antibodies to develop the baby’s immune
system.
If we
consider man, the consumption of the
milk of another species (of the cow in particular), right from the
first years
of life, is physiological and recommendable, even if the composition of
cow’s
milk, intended for the growth of the calf, is very different from
woman’s milk.
In fact:
o
it contains
too much protein: 36g/L compared with 9g/L (four times more);
o
it
contains very different protein proportions: casein/milk protein 4.5:1
compared
with 0.4:1;
o
it
contains little lactose: 49g/L compared with 70g/L;
o
the
proportion of saturated fats and unsaturated fats is unfavourable;
o
it
contains an over-high percentage of calcium: 1170mg/L compared with
340mg/L;
o
the
proportion of calcium to phosphorus is unfavourable;
o
it
contains too many mineral salts: 7g/L compared with 2g/L.
