ASINA MILK
A mythical but also extraordinarily contemporary product. To make it rediscover is its "resemblance" to breast milk. This makes it very useful in the treatment of some diseases, like allergies to cow's milk proteins in infants who can not be breast-fed by their mothers. In fact the donkey milk, which already combines the properties of the maternal and the vaccine, has the advantage of being tolerated from 90% of the children in the age of development. Perdipiù brings a lot of football and vitamin D which are important for the proper development of the skeleton. It is therefore an excellent solution to ensure that essential nutrients are not lacking growth and is also considered useful for countering other disorders, such aseczema atopic child. Even for adults, donkey milk has its own because: despite the low content of fat, it is very rich in alpha-linolenic acid, precursor of Omega 3 fatty acids. Moreover, being low in calories and with few saturated fats, it is also perfect in low-calorie diets. Its limit is the cost: since an ass provides only one liter of milk a day, the price remains high and availability limited because in Italy there are few farms. Thin and sweet, donkey milk comes used also to produce probiotics, chocolate, ice cream, yogurt and sweets. For its skin relaxing effects, due also to the high content of lysozyme, donkey milk is also in great demand in cosmetics. Poppea docet.

CAMEL MILK
Soon you will not need to embark on exotic trips into Middle East or in Africa to have breakfast with the camel milk since the first ones were born in Europe (including Itaila) farms of these animals. His strong point is his profile nutritive: has five times more kick and three times more C vitamin compared to cow's milk, it contains more protein but also the 50% fat in less. It also has little casein, few sugars (and therefore little lactose) and is high in fat polyunsaturated. It is a good source of vitamin A and also has a high content of vitamin D. This combination makes it a highly digestible food and therefore perfect for people intolerant with cow's milk. With an added advantage: the affordable cost. Thanks to the productivity of these animals, from which 10 liters of milk per day are obtained (against the daily 30 liters of a cow), the milk of camel costs half of that of donkey. Slightly salty and with a particular taste, the milk of camel is very versatile: as well as beverage, is used as an ingredient for cosmetic products and as medicine. And since a couple of years it has become the prized ingredient of a luxury chocolate, produced in the United Arab Emirates and exported all over the world.

GOAT MILK
Until a few years ago it was difficult to find it on the market, while now it is sold in all the big ones supermarkets. Characteristics contributed to its rediscovery positive of this product that have been highlighted by recent scientific studies. In addition, the discovery of goat's milk is also due to those looking for "alternative" milks and those who must live with them food intolerance. In fact goat milk has a mineral content (such as calcium and iron) and sugars comparable to those of cow's milk but it differs in the quality of the protein (which contain less casein) but above all in the structure of fats. His blood cells of the fat are smaller: an aspect that makes it more digestible and determines its sweet taste and acidulous. An advantage in terms of production because this is not necessary to add sugars to make it more pleasant, as happens in many "milks" vegetable. It is also rich in vitamin A and is a good source of riboflavin and a high antioxidant capacity, also attributable to the best digestibility and high content of taurine. The vitamin D content is aligned with that of cow's milk. There limited availability of products (since in Italy the farms are not numerous and are mainly found along thealpine arch and partly from the central-southern Apennines), the seasonality of the production and the low productivity of the goats justify the price, which is three times higher than cow's milk, but is still lower than the vegetable drinks.

SHEEP'S MILK
A rarity even for a country like Italy where sheep breeding is rather widespread. Yet sheep's milk "starts" well: it is very rich in minerals (especially calcium), vitamin C, riboflavin and proteins, and for this wealth nutritional it makes you feel full longer. The sheep's milk is similar to the vaccine due to the presence of sugars (like lactose) while it differs in quality and quantity of fats e protein. The sheep's milk has almost the double the fat (from 6 to 10% depending on the breed, the lactation period and feeding) and a higher content of protein: this is why it is mainly used to make cheese. At tasting it does not disappoint because it has a flavor similar to that of cow (but much more intense), a beautiful white porcelain color, opalescent, and a rather "viscous" consistency.

BUFALA MILK
Rappresena lil 13% of the worldwide production of milk and has been growing for years also in Italy: second Assolatte, in a decade it has increased by 132%, also thanks to the birth of new breedings, even in the regions northern. Yet just over 1% of buffalo milk produced in Italy is destined for food human. Almost all is used to produce dairy products, butter and cheeses, starting from the famous mozzarella cheese. After all, its characteristics make it ideal for cheese making, because it has an exceptional yield: from a quintal of buffalo milk you get well 24 Kg of mozzarella against the 14 obtainable with cow's milk. Merit of the high percentage of fat (8.5%) and protein (4.5%) and the particular composition of fatty acids (where oleic acid and palmitic acid prevail). But also as a drink the buffalo milk has its own value: it has a sweet taste and a very characteristic aroma and, on the nutritional level, is characterized by the high concentration of football (198 mg), of phosphorus (121 mg) of vitamin A and of vitamin B6, and for the low lactose content. From the studies conducted by the Federico II University of Naples an interesting fact has also emerged: only from the proteins of the buffalo milk, after the digestion, a particular peptide is released and developed, which regenerates the epithelium intestinal and that, therefore, could be useful in treating irritable bowel and Crohn.

HORSE MILK
It is typical of Asia where it is at the base of a fermented milk acid-alcohol of long tradition, the kumys, with excellent nutritional and nutraceutical characteristics. In Europe it is less common (except in Germany) and also in Italy it is historically not widespread. But it is being rediscovered so much that it is now produced in the province of Brescia, from a farm that collaborates with two cooperatives social, which milks it, bottles it fresh and freezes it, then places it in sale. Turning the spotlight on the mare's milk are its properties: it is an antibacterial and a antifiammatorio natural, a very good one supplement, a tonic and a rebalancing of the metabolism during convalescence and a product suitable also for those suffering from gastro-intestinal disorders, such as ulcers. And above all it is an excellent substitute for breast milk for Baby with digestive problems, intolerances and allergies. To make milk interesting mare in particular, the high digestibility, the high content of enzymes acting antibacterial and his virtuous profile lipid: it has few fats and more, together with the milk of she-ass, boasts the highest content in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Thanks to its high content of two precursors of the Omega 3, mare's milk is a valuable food for those who do not take sufficient quantities of Omega 3, for example because it does not consume fish. The mare's milk is characterized by the strong sweetness, due to the high concentration of lactose, which makes it a lot pleasant on the palate. The limits are the fact that it can not be neither pasteurized nor boiled, but only frozen or freeze-dried, and the high price.

Manuela Soressi
February 2019