Camel Milk: Are There Health Benefits?
Although you might think camels are exclusively used for transportation, people in Middle Eastern, Asian, and African cultures have drunk camel milk for centuries. In fact, it’s highly sought after.
About 5.3 million tons of the stuff is produced worldwide each year, mostly coming out of Somalia.
Unlike other kinds of milk, camel milk has low levels of sugar and cholesterol and high amounts of vitamins and minerals, such as:
Nutrition Information
Camel milk is high in antioxidants, which help prevent damage to your cells, leading to serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart diseases.
It’s also high in several vitamins and minerals, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Calcium
- Kalium
One cup of camel milk contains
- 107 calories
- 5.4 grams of protein
- 4.6 grams of fat
- 3 grams of saturated fat
- 11 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of sugar
Potential Health Benefits of Camel Milk
Camel milk is the closest natural substance to a human mother’s milk. Just like breast milk protects newborn babies from various health issues, camel milk can provide several health benefits, including:
Safety from milk allergy. If you have one, camel milk could be a safe alternative. This is likely because camel milk contains a different protein than other dairy products, triggering an immune response. Camel milk can help with other food allergies in children, as well.
Lower chances of diabetes. Researchers studied a community in India that has zero cases of diabetes and concluded that it was likely due to their regular consumption of camel milk.
Camel milk protects against diabetes and improves its symptoms by:
- Controlling blood sugar levels
- Reducing fasting blood sugar
- Decreasing insulin resistance
- Lowering cholesterol
Potential Risks of Camel Milk
Camel milk is costly. It can cost between $16 and $18 a pint. This is because camels produce a lot less milk than a cow does.
If you do purchase it, make sure that what you get is pasteurized. Otherwise, you run the risk of your camel milk making you sick.
Camel is an important component of the desert ecosystem. Due to its unique biophysical characteristics, it has become a symbol of the adaptability of living in the contrasts of arid and semi-arid regions. This animal, popularly known as the ‘ship of the desert, has made its mark by showing its indispensability in the field of transport and cargo. In addition to this, a camel has many utilities affected by continuous social and economic changes. Camels have played an important role in civil law and order, defense, and warfare from ancient times to today. The then world-famous Ganga Resale of Bikaner got a place in the royal army, and these camels also participated in the First and Second World Wars. Camels helped the engineers a lot during the construction of the Indira Gandhi Canal in the western part of Rajasthan. The Camel Corps is an important part of the Border Security Force under the Indian Para Military Force.
Realizing the importance of camels in the socio-economic development of arid and semi-arid regions, the Government of India established the Directorate of Camel Projects at Bikaner under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on July 5, 1984. This center is located at a distance of about 10 km from Bikaner in the Jobir area, upgraded on 20th September 1995 and named National Research Center for Camel.
The number of humpback camels in India is about 5 lakhs, mainly found in the marginal states of north-western arid and semi-arid parts of India, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana. National Camel Research Center is focusing on basic and applied research on one-humped camels and two-humped camels found in the cold desert of Nubra Valley of Ladakh.
Initially, this center was engaged in developing infrastructure facilities and conservation of camel and its present species and gathering scientific and technical information. With state-of-the-art laboratories and infrastructure facilities in the last 24 years, it has become a leading institute globally for research on camels. Bikaneri, Jaisalmer, Kachhi, and Mewari are breeds by the selected breeding system. A cluster of 350 excellent camels has been developed. The genetic variations within the same breed and between different breeds have been detected by the scientists of Kendra using the molecular characterization method. Characteristics of major indigenous camel breeds have been determined. Semen has been successfully frozen, and artificial insemination technology is being standardized. The amount of reproductive hormones has been detected in various somatic stages. The embryo transplantation technique has been successfully used in the center. Month wise annual calendar has been prepared by the center in which information about the management methods of camels and prevention of diseases through proper maintenance has been given. PCR techniques have been standardized to confirm the diagnosis of Sarra disease.
A detailed study is being done to evaluate the performance of different breeds of camels. The dietary requirements of camels at different stages of lactation, gestation, and physical labor have been assessed. The available fodder and feeds from local sources have also been evaluated.
The center is trying to establish the camel as a milch animal. Keeping in view the increasing demand for camel milk and its products, a state-of-the-art camel dairy has been established in the center premises. This step of the center will motivate the camel farmers towards the dairy business and prove to have far-reaching consequences for raising the socio-economic status of the rural people. Research work is being done on systematic research on camel milk and milk production from its different breeds.
Extensive research work is being done on the normal temperature of camel milk and its medicinal utility. Value-added camel milk products like ice cream, flavored milk, and curd have been developed by the Centre. The center sells these products through milk parlors on its premises. The Centre has manufactured a camel milk-made beauty cream. New products are being developed by mixing camel bones in place of ivory and hair mixed with wool. The traditional two-wheeled camel carriages have been electrified by the centers, which reduces the chances of road accidents occurring during nighttime.
With the objective of the multi-dimensional utility of camels, a unit ‘Agriculture Processing and Power Generation by Camel Force’ has been established. The bio-energy produced by camels is new and free from environmental side effects. Due to its availability in various household and agricultural works of rural life, using it will definitely provide economic self-reliance.
Q. Is camel milk salty?
A: Yes, milk is slightly salty but acceptable taste. This saltiness may be due to the type of plants eaten in the desert by camels.
Q. Is camel milk having a short shelf-life?
A: No, camel milk can be kept for a longer duration at room temperature than other milk. Scientists have reported that fresh camel milk can be kept for 8 hr. at 30°C, pasteurized camel milk can last for more than 10 days at 4ºC, and when the lactoperoxidase system is activated, fresh milk can be stored at 30ºC for about 20 hr.
Q. Is camel milk thicker than other milk?
A: No, camel milk is thinner and less viscous than the milk of cow, buffalo, sheep, goat, yak, etc., but when milk is shaken, it becomes frothy and looks thicker.
Q. Is consumption of camel milk causes diarrhea?
A: No, consumption of camel milk does not cause diarrhea in human subjects, but it exerts some purgative action and helps in emptying blow.
Q. Curd can’t be made from camel milk; why?
A: During the curd manufacturing process, fermentation takes place in camel milk, and it takes some longer time than other milk. As we get from other milk, the texture of the curd is not achieved in camel milk. This may be due to various reasons such as the meager amount of k-casein in camel milk, close binding of fat with protein molecules, and also may be due to high salt content.
Q. Is camel milk having higher fat content?
A: No, the fat percentage in camel milk ranges between 1.5 to 3.5, lower than cattle and buffalo milk.
Q. Is camel milk having higher insulin content than other milk?
A: Yes, Scientists have reported that camel milk contains insulin in higher concentrations (about 40 µIU/ml).
Q. Can milk products be made from camel milk or not?
A: Yes, various indigenous and western dairy products have been prepared by the center, such as Tea, Coffee, Flavored milk, Fermented milk, Pasteurized milk, Kulfi, Cheese, Paneer, Mawa, Gulabjamun, Barfi, Rasgulla, Peda, and milk powder, etc.
Q. Is unpasteurized camel milk consumption necessary to cure certain disease conditions in human beings?
A: As we know, due to heat treatment, every food product loses some of its nutrients, and denaturation of protein and other ingredients also takes place, and therefore there may be a decrease in its functional value. But, as milk is a carrier for different pathogens while production, handling, and transport due to unhygienic conditions, we never suggest consumption of unpasteurized milk.
Q. does camel milk have therapeutic value for human beings?
A: Yes, researchers have reported that due to the high content of insulin in camel milk, its consumption plays an effective role in managing Type-I diabetes in human beings. It has also been reported to be effective in the health management of different types of tuberculosis in humans.
Q. Is camel milk safe for children allergic to bovine milk?
A: Yes, camel milk protein compositions are very close to human milk, and it does not produce allergies in children.
Q. Is camel milk safe for people having lactose intolerance?
A: Yes, Lactose intolerance is not reported in human beings upon consumption of camel milk.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352769532_The_unique_effects_of_camel_milk_as_adjunctive_super_food_on_the_health [accessed Jul 14 2021].
For more details, please refer to the published article of Prof. Dr. Taherah Mohammadabadi
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