What are the health benefits of goat cheese?

When compared to cow milk products, goat cheese is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol. It also provides more calcium and fewer carbohydrates than comparable cow milk cheeses. Even though goat cheese has less calories, it has a full, rich and creamy flavor. Pure Prairie’s goat cheeses are all natural and contain no hormones, additives or preservatives.

Why is a lactose intolerant person able to have goat milk products?

Most people who are allergic to cow milk, or who are lactose intolerant can safely use goat dairy products.  The superior digestibility of goat milk products is primarily due to shorter fatty acid chains and smaller fat molecules than those that occur in cow milk.  Forty seven percent of the worldwide human population is allergic to cow milk in one way or another, while only 3% have any allergic reaction to goat milk.  So, most people with cow milk allergies or lactose intolerance can usually tolerate goat milk.  In addition, most goat cheeses are made with a culture that converts the lactose to lactic acid, which is much more easily digested.    

More details...

One of the more significant differences from cow milk is found in the composition and structure of fat in goat milk. The average size of goat milk fat globules is about 2 micrometers, as compared to 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 micrometers for cow milk fat. These smaller sized fat globules provide a better dispersion, and a more homogeneous mixture of fat in the milk. Research indicates that there is more involved to the creaming ability of milk than merely physical size of the fat globules. It appears that their clustering is favored by the presence of an agglutinin in milk which is lacking in goat milk, therefore creating a poor creaming ability, especially at lower temperatures.

The natural homogenization of goat milk is, from a human health standpoint, much better than the mechanically homogenized cow milk product. When fat globules are forcibly broken up by mechanical means, it allows an enzyme associated with milk fat, known as xanthine oxidase to become free and penetrate the intestinal wall. Once xanthine oxidase gets through the intestinal wall and into the bloodstream, it is capable of creating scar damage to the heart and arteries, which in turn may stimulate the body to release cholesterol into the blood in an attempt to lay a protective fatty material on the scarred areas. This can lead to arteriosclerosis. It should be noted that this effect is not a problem with natural (unhomogenized) cow milk. In unhomogenized milk this enzyme is normally excreted from the body without much absorption.

Follow these links to learn even more benefits of goat milk and goat cheese. 

 http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070730100229.htm

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=131