Milk sheep: useful properties and caloric content. Products from sheep's milk

Sheep were bred for milk for thousands of years. Perhaps, even before people began milking cows. In today's world, the breeding of dairy sheep is concentrated in Europe and countries near the Mediterranean Sea.

Milk sheep are very nutritious and more rich in vitamins A, B and E, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium than cow's. It also contains a higher proportion of small and medium chain fatty acids that are considered healthy. For example, some of them have little effect on the level of cholesterol in humans. In addition, they help the milk to be more easily absorbed.

How is it used?

Milk sheep can be frozen and stored until the required amount for the sale or production of cheese is typed. Freezing does not affect the cheese-making qualities of the product.

Sheep's milk has a higher solids content than goat or cow's milk. As a result, more cheese can be obtained from its liter, compared to the product obtained from the same goat or cow product unit. Sheep's milk yields 18 to 25 percent of cheese, while goat and cow have yields of 9 to 10 percent.

While sheep tend to produce less produce than goats, and much less than cows, sheep's milk is sold at a much higher price per liter. In farm stores it is almost four times as expensive as a cow's.

Cheese from sheep's milk

The main product that is made from sheep's milk is cheese. The most famous types of this product are: feta (Greece, Italy and France), ricotta and pecorino romano (Italy), roquefort (France). The international well-known product is also cheese of brynza. Yoghurt and ice cream are also made from sheep's milk.

How is it produced?

Despite the fact that during lactation of sheep of any breed can be milked (as well as other types of livestock), there are specialized breeds of dairy animals. All over the world, there are more than a dozen dairy breeds that can produce from 200 to 600 liters during lactation, while the production of the product from conventional sheep is only 50 to 100 liters in the same period. Caloric content is approximately the same at the level of 108 kcal per 100 g of product.

Worldwide, most sheep are milked by hand. This is because many dairy breeds are grown on small farms in remote areas, where the technical equipment remains very modest. Modern farms where sheep are bred use sophisticated mechanisms for milking: appliances, pipelines, bulk tanks, etc. Do this once or twice a day.

The maximum yield of milk will be obtained if lambs are removed from their pens within 24 hours after birth and will subsequently be grown on an artificial milk substitute.

Sheep milk: benefit and harm

This milk is rich in calcium and a mineral such as zinc. Their content is very high, compared with the dairy products of other animals. It is always worth remembering that lacto-calcium is much more easily absorbed than calcium carbonate (which is a marble). In combination with lactose and vitamin D, calcium is vital in the fight against osteoporosis. This trace element in sheep's milk is almost twice as much as in the cow's milk.

Calcium is also necessary after any debilitating illness. Zinc, in turn, is needed to maintain skin health, and is also recommended for various long-term illnesses, including anorexia.

At the same time, sheep milk has a very high fat content. This can have a negative impact. Unsaturated fats can increase the level of cholesterol in the body, so it is better not to abuse the product.

Vitamins

Vitamins, mainly B-complex, as well as A, D and E, are necessary for maintaining health, and most often it is recommended to take them as a supplement to nutrition. Why worry about it when they are all present in sheep's milk? Especially a lot of it contains folic acid and B12, which are often offered in the form of synthetic vitamin complexes.

Fats

Many people are scared off by the high level of fat contained in sheep's milk. However, we must remember that the so-called "fats" contain three fat-soluble vitamins, without which the body begins to suffer from serious illnesses. These vitamins A, D and E - milk sheep contains them significantly more than cow or goat. The vitamin D content is 0.18 g / 100 grams, compared to summer cow's milk with a proportion of 0.04 g / 100 g. Sheep's milk also contains a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids, and it is believed that this results in a higher absorption of lactose In cases of its poor tolerance.

Another important point is that 45% of the fatty acids contained in the product are mono- or polyunsaturated. This means that with the use of such milk it lasts for a very long time in the body. Physicians even recommend drinking yogurt from sheep's milk three hours before the planned feast. This method works better than the well-known olive oil. No one will argue with the fact that the consequences of the feast are better to prevent than to fight it later.

But remember that unsaturated fats can increase the level of cholesterol in the body, so everything should be in moderation!

Protein

The protein, which is contained in milk and does not enter the cheese, remains in the serum. The content of this element in sheep's milk is three times higher than in cow or goat. Thanks to this, the whole product is easier to digest, and whey, in turn, is also recommended for use.

Lactose

Even if people are severely affected by lactose intolerance, they can eat products from sheep's milk without risking their health. In the production of yogurt from it, milk sugar is oxidized. In addition, most of the lactose leaves with the whey when preparing cheeses. There is also evidence that lactose in sheep's milk is more easily tolerated than in other types of this product, so always try it personally and see for yourself.

Remember that any disease and the use of antibiotics badly affect your immune system. In addition, even the best drugs usually kill useful bacteria along with harmful ones. Yogurt from sheep's milk and cheese from the cheese helps to fix it and restore the flora of the intestines.

Be healthy!