Take camel milk for better health

I never imagined the day would come when I would advise others to drink milk! But, it has, and I advise drinking camel milk. On December 2, 2016, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) added camel milk to its list of animal products that may be sold for human consumption. Sahjeevan, an Organisation that works to protect camels and pastoral ranchers, persistently lobbied for this decision to be made. Yet, because the FSSAI is ultimately controlled by government bureaucracy, they are unable to take any action without making serious errors. According to a worthy (read: moron) Food Standards Bureau employee, camel milk must meet a 3.0% fat level.

This is impractical since camels are open-grazed in India and their milk has 1.5–2.5% fat. When a research by a reliable organization tests the fat in camel milk in India, the FSSAI has been informed of this disparity and has agreed to alter the criteria.

Camel milk is beneficial for three things.

1. The camels will be saved. There is a sharp drop of camels. From 10 lakh in 2008, there were just 4 lakh in 2012. They are now less than a lakh. These may be found in the five states of Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh. Of these, the Raika group of pastoralists is chiefly responsible for breeding 80% of them in Rajasthan. In India, there are 9 recognized camel breeds, 7 of which are found in Rajasthan. There are 2 crore camels in the globe, and India is the only nation where their numbers are falling as pastoralists find it more and more difficult to maintain them. Their traditional way of life has been threatened by parasite diseases, mechanized farming, and dwindling grazing pastures. The Raikas are also having a hard time surviving since people are actively hostile to their nomadic habits.

The number of Raika herders in Rajasthan has decreased by more than 70% during the 1990s. The number of camels has decreased so significantly over the last 30 years that the Rajasthan government decided to make it the state animal in 2014 in an effort to provide it more protection.

Camels are increasingly being sold for meat illegally as draught needs are being replaced by motorized choices. Over 100 camels are carried out of Rajasthan every day to be chopped in Mewat, Baghpat, Meerut, or shipped to Bangladesh, despite Rajasthani legislation prohibiting the export of camels. If humanity could consume camel milk, the herders would be able to make thousands of dollars each month and would be motivated to retain the animals.

2. Unlike cow and buffalo milk, camel milk cannot be harvested in the same brutal manner. The camels are grazing freely. They just won't supply milk, so they can't be imprisoned and their male offspring sold to butchers. The thirteen-month gestation cycle of the female camel must end with a live delivery and subsequent nursing; otherwise, the female camel will cease producing milk. A camel may share her milk with the farmer and her calf for twelve to eighteen months, as opposed to a dairy cow, which is split from her calf after it is born and then delivers milk for six to nine months. Thus, pastoralists will serve as the primary suppliers.

3. Camels provide milk that is much healthier for you than cows or buffalo. It is a diabetic superfood. India has the biggest number of diabetics in the world, at 67 million. Camel milk helps control blood sugar levels and provides your body with the insulin it needs in the most natural form. It contains 52 units of insulin per litre, or 60% of the usual amount of external insulin treatment required for type 1 diabetics. A research that included camel milk, routine exercise, and a regular diet and included 24 individuals with Type 1 Diabetes found that "After consuming camel milk for six months, the microalbuminuria significantly improved. The mean insulin dosage required to achieve glycemic control was significantly decreased." Camel milk has been shown to benefit diabetic nephropathy.

The inability of diabetics' pancreases to convert sugar into its energy components is one of the main issues they experience. Camel milk enhances the body's pancreatic activity, facilitating normal blood sugar breakdown and absorption. Three months were spent comparing the effects of camel's milk and cow's milk on a group of individuals with and without diabetes. When diabetics were fed camel's milk, their blood sugar levels both before and after meals decreased. Their HbA1c average blood sugar levels decreased as well.

The greater likelihood of bacterial infections as a result of delayed wound healing is one of the major consequences of diabetes. According to a research, camel whey proteins help diabetic wounds heal faster by boosting the immune response of the tissue cells that are injured.

According to nutritionists at The Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center and in the journal Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, studies have revealed that camel milk may be beneficial for patients with autism, Type 1 diabetes, food allergies, hepatitis B, and other autoimmune illnesses. According to studies, consuming camel milk boosts the body's synthesis of antioxidant enzymes, which reduces oxidative stress in the body.

Contrary to breed cows like Holstein or Friesian, which produce milk with A1 beta casein, camel's milk includes A2 beta casein. In the breakdown of A1 beta casein, a peptide known as beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) is produced. BCM-7 inhibits the immune system, inflames the gastrointestinal tract, and has been linked to the onset of Type 1 diabetes.

It seems to benefit kids with autism as well. Anecdotal evidence of improvements in young autistic patients who converted from cow to camel milk was used in a research that was published in the 2005 issue of the International Journal of Human Development. According to a research conducted by the Baba Farid Centre for Special Children (BFCSC), National Research Centre on Camel (NRCC), and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, camel milk is good for children with autism. Intestinal issues, dietary intolerances, and allergies are often present in autism. The allergen found in ruminant milk, beta lactoglobulin, is absent from camel milk.

Camel milk is comparable to cow milk in terms of protein content but lower in total fat and saturated fat. It has five times as much vitamin C and 10 times as much iron as cow's milk. A cup of camel milk has 5.4 grams of protein, 293 milligrams of calcium (more than any other milk), and around 107 calories. It contains more magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, copper, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin c, vitamin b1, vitamin b2, and vitamin e. Less fat, whey protein, lactose, and zinc are combined with immune-stimulating lysozome and lactoferrin (antimicrobial agents). Compared to cow or goat milk, camel milk has less cholesterol. Children who are allergic to cow's milk are thought to be safe with it. Camel milk is often given to infants who are malnourished in many nations.

Is camel milk a novel concept? Global output of camel milk exceeds 18,40,201 tons annually, with Somalia producing the highest. In 2006, the UN designated camel milk as a superfood due to its potential medicinal benefits.
However, camels only produce 4-5 liters per day, as opposed to the 40 liters that cows are engineered to produce, since they have not been genetically altered or given hormones and antibiotics as cows and buffaloes have. As a result, it is more costly and available in fewer.

The benefit is that it is entirely organic and free of harmful chemicals like oxytocin, which is present in every liter of cow or buffalo milk in India and causes diseases like cancer, TB, and other illnesses.
Where can you purchase milk from camels? It is available from the National Research Institute on Camels in Bikaner. The first microdairy for camel milk in India was established in 2016 by LPPS, an Organisation that collaborates with Raika camel breeders. The Kumbhalgarh Camel Dairy manufactures pasteurized camel milk and cheese products and supplies Delhi from its headquarters at the LPPS Camel Conservation Center in Sadri, Rajasthan.
You can buy it online from Camelicious, a Dubai-based business that just debuted its line of camel milk products for online sale in India, including camel milk powder, camel milk ghee, and camel milk cheese.

You might also ask your neighborhood store to buy it. There will always be a supply if there is a demand. Camels provide superior milk for the environment than any other animal.

It has always sustained pastoral communities. While transporting camels across great distances to graze in desert regions, herders must only live on milk. In arid areas of the globe where raising cattle for milk requires a lot of water and power, it serves as an alternative to cow dairy production. According to UNESCO, camels really help to de-desertify areas. Camels are a viable alternative for food security in challenging situations since they can last 21 days without drinking water and still produce milk when fed low-quality forage.