Sheep's milk: Is sheep's milk good for you?

Sheep’s milk is a nutritious liquid produced by the mammary glands of a sheep, a ram, to feed to lambs. Breastfeeding continues, even if the animal is artificially milked, but no longer than 6 months. The product’s color is white or yellowish; the structure is uniform, the taste of sheep’s milk is distinctly sweet, and the taste depends on the type of feed. The product is popular in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Italy, Greece, and the Middle East. Despite its great digestion, whole milk is rarely used because it does not smell enjoyable. But on the other hand, many products are made from it – cheeses and lactic acid drinks.

Properties, nutritional value, and chemical composition of sheep’s milk. Benefits and harms when consumed. Recipes and cooking.

Composition and caloric content of sheep’s milk

The nutritional value of the product is high. Therefore it is not recommended to include it in the diet of those losing weight.

The calorie content of sheep’s milk is 111 kcal per 100 g, of which:

Protein – 5.6 g;
Fat – 7.7 g;
Carbohydrates – 4.8 g;
Ash – 0.9 g;
Water – 80.8 g.
Vitamins per 100 g:
Vitamin A – 50 micrograms;
Retinol – 0.05 mg;
Beta-carotene – 0.01 mg;
Vitamin B1, thiamine – 0.06 mg;
Vitamin B2, riboflavin – 0.35 mg;
vitamin B4, choline – 30 mg;
Vitamin B5, pantothenic acid – 0.41 mg;
Vitamin B9, folate – 2 micrograms;
Vitamin B12, cobalamin – 0.5 mcg;
vitamin C, ascorbic acid – 5 mg;
Vitamin E, alpha-tocopherol – 0.18 mg;
Vitamin H, biotin – 8.1 micrograms;
PP vitamin – 1.5 mg;
Niacin – 0.35 mg

Macronutrients per 100 g:

Potassium, K – 198 mg;
Calcium, Ca – 178 mg;
Magnesium, Mg – 11 mg;
Sodium, Na 26 mg;
Phosphorus, P – 158 mg;
Chlorine, Cl – 76 mg.

Micronutrients per 100 g:

Iron, Fe – 0.092 mg;
Iodine, I – 2 micrograms;
Cobalt, Co – 3 micrograms;
Manganese, Mn – 0.011 mg;
Copper, Cu – 13 micrograms;
Molybdenum, Mo – 8 micrograms;
Selenium, Se – 13 micrograms;
Strontium, Sr – 20 micrograms;
Zinc, Zn – 0.22 mg.

Digestible carbohydrates per 100 g:

Monosaccharides and disaccharides (sugar) – 4.8 g;
Lactose – 4.8 g.

Essential amino acids per 100 g – 2,441 g, mostly isoleucine, leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine + tyrosine complex.

Exchangeable amino acids in goat’s milk are 3,134 g per 100 g, and aspartic acid, proline, and serine are predominant.

Cholesterol – 30 mg per 100 g.
Of the fatty acids, omega-6 is present at – 0.31 g.

Saturated fatty acids per 100 g – 4.6 g:

Butter – 0.23 g;
Nylon – 0.15 g;
Capryl – 0.15 g;
Capricorn – 0.38 g;
Lauric – 0.23 g;
Myristic – 0.64 g;
Palmitic – 1.64 g;
Steric – 0.97 g.

Monounsaturated fatty acids – 2.39 g per 100 g:

Myristoleic – 0.04 g;
Palmitoleic – 0.11 g;
Oleic (omega-9) – 2.23 g.

Polyunsaturated fatty acids – 0.31 g per 100 g:

Linoleic acid – 0.24 g;
Arachidonic – 0.07 g.

The following nutrients provide the beneficial properties of sheep’s milk:

Riboflavin – without it, the skin cracks, hair falls out, vision worsens, insomnia appears, and general deterioration of the condition.
Choline – when the body lacks this substance, liver cirrhosis occurs, memory deteriorates, and the reproductive system’s function deteriorates.
Ascorbic acid – participates in all redox reactions and increases the body’s defenses.
Potassium – with its deficiency, the functioning of the cardiovascular system is disturbed, convulsions appear, and depression develops.
Calcium – if it is not enough, bones become brittle, teeth are destroyed, and atherosclerosis develops.
Phosphorus – when the reserves are depleted, it becomes difficult to move, every change in position causes pain, and the functioning of the urinary system is disturbed.

Zinc is necessary for the skin’s health; without it, convulsive alertness appears, and epilepsy develops.

The benefits and harms of sheep’s milk are determined by the content of essential and essential amino acids, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated acids. They improve digestibility, increase performance, positively affect memory function, and speed up impulse conduction. But at the same time, accumulation in the body contributes to obesity. It increases the amount of harmful cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol plaques cause blood vessels to narrow and increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, and coronary heart disease.

The quality product has a pH (acidity level) of 6.25-6.28 units. It is due to the high protein content. If the indicator rises, clogging accelerates – the technology of preparing fermented milk products is broken. To slow acidification, rennet elements are used.

Is sheep’s milk good for you?

The product in its natural form is used to treat many diseases. The healers of the Far East noticed its healing effects.

The benefits of sheep milk:

It strengthens the skeleton and prevents the development of osteoporosis and degenerative diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
It improves the skin and hair conditions and reduces the symptoms of chronic skin diseases – eczema and psoriasis.
Restores bone mass, suppresses rickets in children, and helps get rid of anorexia and anemia.
Introducing patients’ diet with diffusion helps restore the condition quickly.
Replenishes reserves of vitamins and minerals.
It has an antioxidant effect, isolates free radicals traveling in the intestines, cleanses the liver, and accelerates detoxification after antibiotic and chemotherapy treatments.
Improves oxygen conductivity.
It stops the activity of the central nervous system in general, and the brain, in particular, has a positive effect on memory function and accelerates the conduction of nerve impulses.
It helps quickly cope with insomnia and irritability and prevents the development of depression.
Improves eyesight.

The quick digestibility of the drink is ensured by the ideal combination of components – calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium. People regularly consume sheep’s milk products; the reproductive system keeps functioning longer.

If you include this drink in your diet during rehabilitation after illness, your body will recover quickly. Allergies rarely occur; we can safely use them for asthma, conjunctivitis, and rhinitis, which appear due to seasonal hay fever.

Sheep’s milk has many more valuable properties: it protects the mucous membrane of the digestive tract, reduces the absorption of alcohol, and protects the liver from the decay of products of ethyl alcohol. If you drink half a glass of sheep’s milk before the holiday, you can keep a “sober” head, and in the morning, you will not have to suffer from a hangover. Of course, if the alcohol dose is “shocked,” more than 0.5 liters of vodka, drunk within 20 minutes, will not help milk.

Contraindications and harm of sheep’s milk

There are very few people who drink the drink in its pure form. But this is not explained by organic properties. Still, mood rejection causes a smell and an unusual greasy taste on the lips if you try it for the first time.

Allergic reactions can occur with individual intolerance. It also happens that you have consumed sheep’s milk products all your life, and then unpleasant symptoms appear. It can be explained by the fact that the animal ate grass, which causes human allergies.

Sheep’s milk can cause liver failure, cholecystitis, chronic pancreatitis, and gallstone disease. It is due to the high-fat content.

Obese people should also avoid eating this type of food. It will cause even more weight gain.

However, suppose an obese patient has a history of heart disease, lung disease, or frequent allergies. In that case, you should not give up nature’s medicine. It would help if you only observed the dosage – no more than 150 g per day.

Sheep’s milk recipes

It is tough to milk a sheep. To collect a sufficient amount of raw materials, they begin to order in advance, within 2-3 days. If you add the previous flow to improve quality, which sometimes hurts the final product, you can safely use the freezer. Frozen milk fully retains all its beneficial properties. Cheese is most often made from this product.

Sheep’s milk recipes:

Greek pickled cheese “Feta”… Heat milk, 4 liters, slowly, to a temperature of 34-35 ° C, stirring constantly so that the heating becomes uniform. 4 ml of calcium chloride is poured from the lid. Remove the container from the heat, spray the thermos sourdough from the country on the tip of a knife, let it stand for 3 minutes, and then stir a little. Cover tightly with a lid, and let stand for 1 hour at room temperature. The jelly, a quarter of a teaspoon, is dissolved in water, everything is mixed, and the pan is set aside for 1 more hour. By this time, should curdle the milk entirely. Next, you need to monitor the reception of cheese grains – experienced cheesemakers determine the sorting time by eye. The cream is left for a while to thicken. It takes up to 2.5 hours to cook the cheese. Then the cheese is cut into cubes with edges of about 1.5 cm and stirred, and the whey is separated. If the temperature is kept constant at 34-35 ° C, the grain will settle within 20 minutes.

Then the grains are placed in a mold with a slotted spoon and left to ripen – you can put oppression. This raw cheese needs to be turned in regularly. Ripening takes place at room temperature. When the cheese becomes thick, the brine is diluted: 500 g of salt, 0.85 liters of cold water, an ampoule of calcium chloride, and half a teaspoon of vinegar—salt in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. Then they are dried and, if necessary, again placed in salt water. You can add olives, vegetable oils, and herbs to improve the taste. Allow the cheese to dry before eating—half a teaspoon of vinegar. You salted them in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. Then they are dried and, if necessary, again placed in salt water. You can add olives, vegetable oils, and herbs to improve the taste. Allow the cheese to dry before eating—half a teaspoon of vinegar. You salted them in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours. Then they are dried and, if necessary, again placed in salt water. You can add olives, vegetable oils, and herbs to improve the taste. Allow the cheese to dry before eating.
Cheese “Caciotta”… The mesophilic starter culture is store-bought. First, 1.8 l of water is taken in a container, heated to almost 100 ° C, and 0.5 tbsp is dissolved. l. calcium chloride, add 450 g of salt, not iodized. Saffron is poured into sheep’s milk, 3.8 liters, and heated to 32 ° C; SourdoughSourdough is added and left for 5 minutes. Then everything is mixed, the saffron removed. Stir from top to bottom, pour in the liquid and leave for 40-45 minutes at a constant temperature. Cheese is cut into cubes, constantly stirring so as not to stick together. Then, increase the heat by 2 ° C and discard the cheese grains in a sieve. Should do adhesion after separating the whey, under pressure. The weight of the oppression of the resulting cheese is 4-6 hours. The cheese with the separated whey is turned several times. The cheesecloth is removed, the cheese soaked in the brine for 4 hours, and left to mature for 8 hours, depending on every 2 hours. Use a refrigerator shelf for ripening.

The most famous cheeses are made from sheep’s milk. These are the famous “Roquefort,” Provencal “Picodon,” and “Brus-du-Rov,” white feta cheese.

Sheep milk drinks:

Matsoni … SourdoughSourdough, sour cream, kefir or yogurt, 1 tbsp. l, diluted with warm milk, 200 ml, and the rest of the ingredients are heated almost to boiling; the SourdoughSourdough is poured in, cooled to 50 ° C, constantly stirred, and left in the oven so that it does not cool down. The drink is ready after 8-12 hours.
Ayran … For 1 liter of raw material, 1.5 g of lipase and 100 ml of thermophilic streptococci are processed. Lipase is diluted with warm water, 4 tbsp. l. Milk is fermented at the pasteurization stage and left to stand friendly until a homogeneous structure is obtained. Drink chilled. You can pour okroshka, used for kneading dough.

If cottage cheese is made from sheep’s milk, it is advisable to stir in chopped herbs or spices after the whey has been decanted. If this is not done, it is unlikely that you will be able to enjoy a fermented milk product.

Interesting facts about sheep’s milk

In ancient America, dairy sheep were bred in the southern part of the country and made cheeses, cottage cheese, and even sour cream from it. Such products were considered medicine. Now the preparation of dishes from sheep’s milk is practiced only in the Caucasus, in the republics of Central Asia, and rarely in the Crimea.

The number of sheep in the CIS decreased during the Great Patriotic War and was restored. In the eighties, sold milk for export to European countries; the livestock was estimated at 400 thousand. But after the explosion at the nuclear power plant in Chornobyl, where the radioactive materials were for a long time in the fur of animals, they got rid of them. The agricultural sector has started to wake up a little now.

Sheep’s milk is expensive, but it is more profitable to make cheese from it than from other ingredients. The yield is 18-25%, from cow’s or goat’s milk-9-12%.

In New Zealand sheep farmers’ territories, industrial complexes are being built which produce powdered milk, cheese, and even ice cream. 80% of the final product is sold to other countries, and 20% is left for its own needs.

The best dairy sheep breeds:

Ostfrieskaya – Can obtain 600 liters of milk from such a sheep per year;
Tsigai – these animals have a lower milk yield, up to 160 liters per year;
Lakayune – cultivated thanks to the selection, up to 400 liters per year;
Awassi – 300 liters per year;
Assaf – up to 450 liters per year.

Conclusion

Sheep’s milk is introduced into the nutrition of weakened children. They quickly gain weight and overtake their stronger peers thanks to mixtures with these components. But adults should limit themselves to cottage cheese and cheese, as they cannot assimilate milk or formulas.

Sheep’s milk: Is sheep’s milk good for you?