Ecobreves – MEXICO: Sheep Milk Recommended

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Apr 10 2004 (IPS) - Researchers at the Autonomous Metropolitan University of Mexico (UAM) say sheep milk should no longer be neglected, as it is an important source of protein, minerals and vitamins — much richer than goat or cow milk. An adult drinking a half-liter of sheep milk each day obtains 162 percent of the daily recommended amounts of essential amino acids, 121 percent of calcium and 200 percent of riboflavin, according to the experts.

Sheep milk is 7.1 percent fat and 5.8 percent protein, compared to goat milk (4.1 percent and 3.4 percent) and cow milk (3.8 percent and 3.3 percent). Furthermore, sheep milk is much higher in phosphorous, zinc and the vitamin B and C complexes.

Worldwide, cow milk is the most widely produced, representing 85.2 percent of the total, while sheep milk represents just 1.5 percent.