Know2eat

Sheep milk

Ovis aries

What sheep 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 sheep milk

Milk from dairy sheep, considerably richer in fat, protein and total solids than cow or goat milk. Very little is drunk as milk; almost all of it goes into cheeses such as roquefort, pecorino, manchego and traditional feta.

Also known as Ewe milk, Ovine milk

Muscle & Physical PerformanceBone 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.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Limited evidence

Contains more complete protein per volume than cow milk, including both casein and whey fractions. The muscle evidence is from cow milk and isolated dairy proteins; sheep milk itself has not been tested in that role.

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

2 sources

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

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for sheep milk and bone. It is calcium-dense, but the dairy-and-bone literature is observational and has not examined sheep milk at all.

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

1 source

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

Ask about Sheep milk

Ask about Sheep 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
Calories108 kcal5%
Protein5.98 g12%
Total fat7 g9%
Carbohydrate5.36 g2%
Fibre0 g0%
Water80.7 g—
Fats
Saturated fat4.6 g23%
Monounsaturated fat1.72 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.308 g—
Cholesterol27 mg9%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.181 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A44 µg5%
Vitamin C4.2 mg5%
Thiamin (B1)0.065 mg5%
Riboflavin (B2)0.355 mg27%
Niacin (B3)0.417 mg3%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.407 mg8%
Vitamin B60.06 mg4%
Folate7 µg2%
Vitamin B120.71 µg30%
Minerals
Calcium193 mg15%
Iron0.1 mg1%
Magnesium18 mg4%
Phosphorus158 mg13%
Potassium137 mg3%
Sodium44 mg2%
Zinc0.54 mg5%
Copper0.046 mg5%
Manganese0.018 mg1%
Selenium1.7 µg3%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.96 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, sheep, fluid (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170882).

% 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

    Cross-reactive with cow milk protein

    Sheep milk proteins are structurally similar to cow milk proteins and are not a safe alternative for people with cow milk protein allergy.

  • Too much

    High in fat and energy

    Sheep milk carries roughly twice the fat of cow milk, most of it saturated, along with more protein and lactose per glass. That is what makes it good for cheesemaking and heavy as a drink.

  • Worth knowing

    Raw sheep milk and brucellosis

    Unpasteurised sheep and goat milk are the classic vehicles for Brucella melitensis, still a common cause of human brucellosis in the Mediterranean, Middle East and central Asia. Pasteurisation is the control step.

  • Worth knowing

    More lactose, not less

    Sheep milk contains slightly more lactose per volume than cow milk, so it is a poorer choice for people with lactose intolerance rather than a better one.