Some of the most important health benefits of camel milk includes its ability to prevent diabetes, improve the immune system, stimulate circulation, treat autism, lessen allergic reactions, promote growth and development, protect against certain autoimmune diseases and boost heart health.
Camel milk has been the primary type of milk consumed by many Bedouin cultures for generations. Although it is not in nearly as high supply as cow milk, it has a number of clear advantages over that more common form, including more powerful nutrients and better chemical compounds. Camel milk is a more environmentally friendly way of obtaining milk, as camels do not need the massive amounts of grazing area like goats and cows, thereby leaving the world a bit greener, and filled with less methane gas.
It is the closest form of milk that we have access to besides human milk, which means that it gives us an ideal nutritive mixture, with far better benefits for our body than our more common alternatives. It includes far higher levels of iron, vitamin C, and protein, as well as less fat!
Camel milk tastes similar to cow’s milk but is free from Beta-lactoglobulin, the main allergen in cow’s milk. It has more Vitamin C, B6, Iron, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium than cow’s milk. The natural antibiotics in camel milk keeps the milk fresher for a longer period. Camel milk is easy to digest and improves the immune system by fighting off bacteria and infections. Research has investigated the benefits for those who suffer from autism, diabetes, tuberculosis, cancer and stomach ulcers.
Camel milk has a wealth of nutrients, including insulin, which is an essential component of human health. Insulin and glucose balance is very important for the prevention of diabetes, making it a potential natural solution for diabetes, eliminating the need for insulin injections if a steady stream of camel milk is included in the diet. If used as a preventative measure, it can also prevent you from developing the disease in the first place.
There is a surprisingly high level of proteins and other organic compounds in camel milk, some of which have powerful antimicrobial abilities. This means that it can help to boost the immune system and keep us healthy from the inside out.
The high level of animal proteins found in camel milk, many of which are not found in goat and cow milk, can help to stimulate proper growth and development of bones and organ systems. Protein is one of the most basic building blocks of life, and camel milk provides a lot of it. In fact, in many cultures, camel milk is given to malnourished infants and children, as it can improve health and wellness so dramatically. Camel milk was first used as a way to prolong journeys through the desert, when food and other chances for liquid were limited.
The high iron content found in camel milk makes it ideal for preventing anemia. Iron is a crucial component of red blood cells, which means that camel milk can increase circulation of the blood and oxygenation of the body’s organ systems and extremities. Following childbirth, injury, or period of malnutrition, camel milk can significantly help maintain health.
Camel milk has been connected to reducing allergic reactions in those who regularly consume it. Furthermore, camel milk does not cause the same sorts of lactose intolerance reactions of cow milk, as it has a significantly different chemical makeup.
With such a healthy and comprehensive set of fatty acids, camel milk can greatly improve the balance of cholesterol in the body. By reducing “bad” cholesterol in the body, camel milk helps to reduce atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes, and even lowers blood pressure in regular users.
For many Somalis, the camel is a gift from nature, source of milk, meat and hide, a beast of burden in the desert and insurance in times of crisis.
It is also used in agricultural work.
The camel is celebrated in songs and folklore as a symbol of status and prosperity and exchange in marriages, religious events, burials, conflict resolution and beauty shows.
Camels are important to Somali culture because one is considered wealthy or can rise in social status by the number of animals he has.
According to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, Kenya has approximately 3,338,757 camels, having the fourth largest camel population in the world after Chad, Somalia and Sudan.
Nationwide, Mandera leads with 1,016,970 followed by Turkana at 832,462 and Wajir, 533,651.
Kenya is the second largest producer of camel milk in the world after Somalia, having produced 876,224 tonnes of milk in 2017, according to Food and Agricultural Organization.
According Livestock and Agriculture executive Yusuf Abdi Gedi, camel milk and meat are good source of nutrients, especially in the arid and urban areas of Wajir county.
“Camel milk has low cholesterol, high minerals (sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc and magnesium) and high vitamin C when compared to other ruminant milk," Gedi says.
Dr Antony Ngugi, principal of Livestock Training Institute at Griftu in Wajir, says that the medicinal properties of camel milk can be attributed to the presence of protective proteins.
The proteins may possibly play a pivotal role for the enhancement of immune defence mechanism.
Apart from camel milk, Dr Ngugi says that camel meat is also a functional food for cures and remedy for many ailments such as seasonal fever, sciatica, shoulder pain and asthma.
Camels produce more milk of high nutritional quality and for a longer period of time than other species in an environment that may be rightly termed as hostile in terms of extreme temperature, drought and lack of pasture.
In 2016, a study reviewed the medicinal values of camel milk by focusing on its chemical composition which reveals that camel’s milk has generally an opaque white colour and has a faint sweetish odour and sharp taste.
The values of trace minerals were also significantly higher in camel milk as compared to cow milk. The concentration of vitamin C in camel milk is two to three times higher as compared to cow’s milk.
Julius Mwangi, a livestock production officer, says that camel meat is healthier because the carcass contains less fat and has lower levels of cholesterol.
“This is an important factor in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is related to saturated fat consumption," Mwangi says.
"Camel meat is also used for remedial purposes for diseases such as hyperacidity, hypertension, pneumonia and respiratory disease."
On the other hand, camel meat varies in composition according to breed type, age, sex, body condition and site of the carcass.
Water content differs only slightly between species, while differences in the fat content are more marked.
Camel meat contains 70 to 77 per cent moisture. It is also a good source of protein containing about 20 to 23 per cent.
Also, like other red meats, it contains high levels of potassium followed by phosphorus, sodium, magnesium and calcium, plus smaller percentages of other trace elements.
Calcium content of camel meat is higher than that of beef which may partly explain the tight structure of some cuts of camel meat.
Several epidemiological studies linked health problems such as obesity and high saturated fat and cholesterol intake to increased consumption of animal products.
This has led to concern that total dietary fat intake should be restricted by consuming smaller portions less frequently or replacing red meat consumption with white meat.
“The growing evidence of low cholesterol and fat content in camel meat could potentially support its healthiness as a better alternative to the high fat and cholesterol meats such as mutton and beef,” Mwangi says.
(edited by Amol Awuor)