Know2eat

Goat milk

Capra hircus

What goat milk has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

  • 1 Limited
  • 1 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About goat milk

Milk from domestic goats, with smaller fat globules than cow milk and a higher proportion of short- and medium-chain fatty acids. It is the most widely drunk milk worldwide after cow milk.

Also known as Caprine milk, Chèvre milk

Bone HealthGut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Limited evidence

Supplies calcium, phosphorus and complete protein in amounts comparable to cow milk, and the dairy-and-bone association is largely observational. No bone research has used goat milk specifically.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for goat milk being easier to digest than cow milk. The proposed explanations — smaller fat globules, a different casein profile, a softer curd — are plausible and measurable in the laboratory, but the human comparisons are few, small and not consistent.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

3 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Ask about Goat milk

Ask about Goat milk

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories69 kcal3%
Protein3.56 g7%
Total fat4.14 g5%
Carbohydrate4.45 g2%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars4.45 g—
Water87 g—
Fats
Saturated fat2.67 g13%
Monounsaturated fat1.11 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.149 g—
Cholesterol11 mg4%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.109 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A57 µg6%
Vitamin C1.3 mg1%
Vitamin D1.3 µg7%
Vitamin E0.07 mg0%
Vitamin K0.3 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.048 mg4%
Riboflavin (B2)0.138 mg11%
Niacin (B3)0.277 mg2%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.31 mg6%
Vitamin B60.046 mg3%
Folate1 µg0%
Vitamin B120.07 µg3%
Choline16 mg3%
Minerals
Calcium134 mg10%
Iron0.05 mg0%
Magnesium14 mg3%
Phosphorus111 mg9%
Potassium204 mg4%
Sodium50 mg2%
Zinc0.3 mg3%
Copper0.046 mg5%
Manganese0.018 mg1%
Selenium1.4 µg3%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene7 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.82 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Milk, goat, fluid, with added vitamin D (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171278).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Allergy

    Not a substitute in cow milk allergy

    Goat and cow caseins are close enough that most people with cow milk protein allergy react to goat milk as well. It is sometimes recommended informally as an alternative; allergy guidelines advise against that.

  • Worth knowing

    Raw goat milk

    Unpasteurised goat milk carries the same pathogen risks as raw cow milk, including Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli, and has additionally been linked to brucellosis and tick-borne encephalitis in some regions.

  • Worth knowing

    Low folate, and unsuitable for infants

    Goat milk is naturally low in folate and vitamin B12 relative to requirements. Unmodified goat milk has caused megaloblastic anaemia in infants fed it as a formula substitute, which is why only fortified goat-milk-based infant formula is appropriate under one year.

  • Worth knowing

    Lactose is comparable to cow milk

    Goat milk is not a low-lactose product. People with lactose intolerance react to it in much the same way.