If you’re in the autism biomed community, you have probably heard other parents raving about camel milk. It has been beneficial for many kids and helped reduce some of their symptoms of autism. Sounds interesting, right?
Camel milk is substantially different than cow’s milk. It’s actually much closer in composition to human breast milk. Both camel milk and breast milk do not contain lactoglobulins, which is the most allergenic part of cow’s milk. So if someone has a cow milk allergy they can generally tolerate camel milk.
Camel milk is still considered dairy but does not contain the A1 casein as most cow’s milk. Casein is a protein that causes problems for some kids on the spectrum. Some people say camel milk tastes a lot like cow’s milk, but slightly saltier. It also won’t curdle.
But what are the benefits to camel milk for kiddos on the spectrum? Let’s dive into what makes it great:
The protein and fat content of camel milk and breast milk are similar and both contain high amounts of immunoglobulins. Interestingly, though, camel’s milk has substantially more antibodies than human breast milk. A study in 2009, called Are camel milk proteins convenient to the nutrition of cow milk allergic children? by El-Agamy EI, Nawar M, Shamsia SM, Awada S and Haenlein, determined the antimicrobial factors of both camel and human milk and concluded that camel milk is richer in Immunoglobulin (1.54 mg/ml) than human breast milk (1.14mg/ml).
Camel milk is rich in vitamins. It contains three times the vitamin C of cow milk and more Vitamin A, B vitamins, and protein. Camel milk also has higher levels of important minerals including iron, zinc, potassium, copper, sodium, and magnesium. It also contains essential fatty acids like Omega 3s! For kids on the spectrum who are often not getting the daily nutrients they need or who can’t tolerate cow dairy, camel milk packs a huge punch.
A study showed that camel milk can be used as a new protein source for those with food allergies. The study revealed that “when applying camel’s milk protein–specific antisera in immunoblotting analysis, there was no immunologic cross-reactivity between camel and cow’s milk proteins.” That means that kids who love milk but aren’t able to drink it now have a suitable substitute! You can read one study here. There are many more online you can find with a quick search.
A recent study was done to evaluate the effect of camel milk consumption on oxidative stress biomarkers in autistic children, by measuring the plasma levels of glutathione and two crucial enzymes before and 2 weeks after camel milk consumption. All measured parameters exhibited significant increase after camel milk consumption. These findings suggest that camel milk could play an important role in decreasing oxidative stress by alteration of antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic antioxidant molecules levels. WHOA!
Camel milk has been used for people who are managing their diabetes with diet. It helps control the “good” cholesterol, HDL. This is also beneficial for children who are affected by swings in blood sugar, as it helps control glucose with its insulin-like properties. Check out this study for more if you’re interested.
Many parents use camel milk to help fight and control yeast overgrowth (and the behaviors that come with it including hyperactivity, drunken-like giggling, irritability and defiance, and more). These parents don’t just try it, they swear by it.
“Camel milk has the ability to inhibit the growth of pathogens not only because it contains more nutrients compared to cow milk, but because it also has therapeutic and antimicrobial agents (El-Ziney and Al-Turkiy, 2007).”
In addition to the benefits listed here, parents of kids on the spectrum have reported that their kids are experiencing:
- More restful sleep
- Improved expressive language skills
- Increased motor planning abilities
- Improved spatial awareness
- Better eye contact
- Resolution of skin disorders like eczema
- Fewer gastrointestinal problems like constipation and diarrhea.
Maybe it’s time to consider adding camel milk to your child’s diet?
This blog was written by: Healing Hope Tribe