I’ve come to discover the wonders of camel milk. You read that right. It’s pretty cool, so I knew I had to talk about it.
The thing is, I get a lot of fitness and nutrition magazines. OK, to be fair, I get some fitness and nutrition magazines. Bree gets the rest, and I read them. She makes it easy since she, unlike me, still gets the print versions. I’m too lazy for print and enjoy the digital copies – harder to share, though. A while back I was leafing through one of Bree’s magazines and I saw an article on camel milk.
Camel Milk is Exactly What You Think
At first, the title drew me because, to be frank, it sounded pretty gross. I have nothing against camels, but I don’t tend to think of them and sanitation in the same light. Then again, cows don’t exactly strike me as sparkly-clean, either, so you can see why that argument didn’t take me very far.
Yes, camel milk is exactly what you think it is. It’s milk produced by and taken from a camel – those huge, slow-moving creatures you see in movies set in the desert and that are known for spitting and for their stink.
Why People are Drinking Camel’s Milk
Outside of areas where there are sandy deserts, for example, here in the United States, there isn’t really much of a tradition of drinking camel’s milk. That seems to be changing. If you think it’s just the latest fad, I thought the same thing. Then I read more about why people are starting to drink it.
Assuming you can get your hands on it – and believe me, it’s not easy – it has a lot of benefits over cow’s milk. Camel’s milk tastes very close to cow’s milk, believe it or not. That said, it is also much easier for people to drink when they are lactose intolerant. For people who aren’t lactose intolerant, many people prefer their milk from a camel because they are avoiding hormones.
Avoiding Hormones
Dairies are notorious for giving their cows with hormones to improve their output. This makes the dairies more financially successful because they have more product to sell. However, many people would prefer not to consume products that contain those added bovine hormones.
Did I get my hands on camel’s milk? I did! It took a while and it wasn’t easy – or cheap. It definitely tastes more like cow’s milk than goat or almond. It contained far more iron and protein than nut or even cow’s milk. It’s way higher in calories, though. Would I try it again? Yes. Will it replace the milks I currently buy: not until the price comes way down and it’s easier to find.