The compositional features of goat milk give rise to a number of benefits, when compared with cow milk or other milks. These benefits can be summarised as follows:

Natural source of nutrients and bioactives
Goat milk is a natural source of nutrients important to the diets of people of all ages. Goat milk provides high quality protein, fat (including essential fatty acids), carbohyrate (lactose), and various vitamins and minerals (including calcium, phosphorus and iodine).

Goat milk also contains many bioactive compound such as nucleotides, free amino acids and polyamines that have important functions other than just as nutrients.   Research has confirmed that New Zealand produced goat milk naturally contains higher levels of these compounds compared to cow milk.  These same components are often present in goat milk at similar levels to human milk, making goat milk a suitable alternative to cow or soy milk for the production of infant formulae.

Enhanced digestibility
Goat milk offers superior digestibility to cow milk, due to the following factors:

1. Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFAs): Goat milk has more MCFAs than cow milk. Lipases attack the ester linkages of the shorter-chain fatty acids more readily, enabling more rapid digestion. MCFAs are metabolically unique in that they can be absorbed by a simpler mechanism than other fatty acids. MCFAs, which are higher in goat milk than cow milk, have a unique ability to provide energy to the human metabolism, as well as an ability to lower, inhibit and dissolve cholesterol deposits.

2. Curd strength. Goat milk casein forms a softer and more friable curd than the casein of cow milk. Alpha-S1 casein is the main casein in cow milk and this contributes to the firmer curd; goat milk contains low levels of alpha-S1 casein.

3. The reduced level of alpha-s1-casein in goat milk may also assist with the digestion of beta-lactoglobulin in goat milk.  This results in less intact protein remaining in the intestine after ingestion.

Enhanced micronutrient absorption
A number of studies have shown that micronutrients in goat milk can be absorbed more efficiently than cow milk.  In 1999, Murry et al showed that young growing pigs fed goat milk had higher blood levels of iron, magnesium and phosphorus and bone mineral density than those fed cow milk. In 2000, Aliaga et al compared the influence of goat and cow milk on digestion and utilisation of calcium in rats. They found that goat milk enhanced calcium content of femur, sternum and Longissimus dorsi muscle over cow milk and also found a beneficial effect of goat milk on iron uptake. Likewise, Park et al in 1986 and Alferez et al in 2006 showed that goat milk had more bioavailable iron than cow milk when tested in anemic rats.  A series of studies in animals with symptoms of malabsorption have shown increased absorption of calcium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, magnesium and selenium from goat milk compared to cow milk (Barrionuevo et al, 2002; Alferez et al, 2003; Campos et al, 2003; Lopez-Aliaga et al, 2003).

Maintainence of gastro-intestinal health
Research in New Zealand has shown that regular consumption of goat milk helps to maintain gastro-intestinal health.  The gastro-intestinal epithelium peforms an important barrier function to keep micro-organisms from passing in to the blood. Breakdown of this barrier results in an increase in permeability which can lead to various problems. Studies have shown that consumption of goat milk can prevent the loss of intestinal barrier function that follows stress from heat or other sources.

Reduced allergenic burden
Goat milk is widely used by people with digestive problems and sensitivities to cow milk.  However, it is often assumed that goat milk has the same allergenic  burden as cow milk because antibodies in blood of patients sensitised to cow milk proteins react similarly to goat milk proteins.  These tests do not always reflect symptoms observed after milk is consumed.

Studies now suggest the effectiveness of goat milk to reduce sensitivities to cow milk depends on the type of reactions to cow milk.  For instance goat milk can help to reduce delayed or slow-onset reactions to cow milk such as eczema.  However people who react with a severe skin rash or swelling of the face very soon after contacting cow milk, are likely to also react to goat milk.  Therefore individuals who are highly sensitive to cow milk proteins are advised to consult their allergy specialist before consuming goat milk.

Research on goat milk has also highlighted several unique characteristics of goat milk which explain the different reactions to goat compared to cow milk: 

1. Goat milk alpha-s1-casein.
Although goat and cow milk have the same proteins, their amounts are different.  alpha-s1-casein is one of the proteins in milk which can induce allergies.  The level of alpha-s1-casein in New Zealand goat milk is very low and many times less than cow milk.  This means that the allergenic burden imposed by alpha-s1-casein in goat milk is also low.

2. Goat milk beta-lactoglobulin.
Resistance to digestion is a key reason why some proteins cause allergic reactions.  The protein in milk that is most resistant to digestion is beta-lactoglobulin. Goat milk contains similar levels of beta-lactoglobulin to cow milk, but the beta-lactoglobulin present in goat milk is digested more efficiently. This results in less intact beta-lactoglobulin remaining in the intestine.  This means that the allergenic burden imposed by beta-lactoglobulin from goat milk is less than cow milk.

3. Goat milk curd formation
Goat milk from New Zealand, with low levels of alpha-s1-casein produces a soft, fragile casein curd.  It is thought that the softer curd from New Zealand goat milk may help with the digestion of the milk proteins, especially with beta-lactoglobulin.

4. Goat milk bioactives.
Goat milk naturally contains many bioactives, including nucleotides, nucleosides and polyamines. Studies show that nucleotides can modulate the immune system and suppress response to food allergens.  Polyamines also play a role in reducing sensitization to food allergens. 

5. Goat milk and intestinal health
Repeated consumption of goat milk can reduce gut leakiness.  By maintaining a healthy gut, the opportunity for food allergens to pass intact in to the blood stream may be reduced.  This means that goat milk is more likely to reduce the exposure of the immune system to allergens.

These features act togther to make goat milk different from cow milk following consumption.  The improved digestion and better intestinal health reduces exposure of the immune system to allergens iin milk, while the bioactives help to modulate the immune response itself.