Berkswell Cheese and Milk, sheeps milk, sheeps cheese, sheep milk, sheep cheese

MICRONUTRIENTS AND BIO-PEPTIDE

Sheep’s milk is richer in calcium than any other milk.
Sheep’s milk contains about 40% more calcium than cow’s milk (on average to account for seasonal differences).
We can get more calcium from sheep’s milk as it’s in the form of lacto-calcium which is much easier for our bodies to absorb. Other dairy milks have it in the form of calcium carbonate.
Sheep’s milk contains the ideal ratio of calcium to phosphorous – this is important as we need one to absorb the other; no doubt another reason why we’re able to absorb calcium from sheep milk so well.
Sheep’s milk contains more Zinc than other dairy milk.

Why do we need Calcium?

Bone density is laid down in teenage years with the maximum being reached by 18 years old. After age 35 we lose calcium at a rate of 10 mcg daily (up to 40 mcg in menopausal women) As calcium can be hard to absorb from foods, sheep’s milk provides a valuable source.
Currently in the UK, 19% of girls 11-18 years have calcium intakes below the lowest recommended daily amount.
Calcium-rich foods are important in children for dental health and bone structure, teenagers for good bone density and over 35 year olds, especially women, to maintain bone strength and therefore help to prevent Osteoporosis.
It’s interesting to note that Rickets (soft bones) in children is currently increasing.

Why do we need Zinc?

Zinc is needed for a healthy immune system, skin and by almost every enzyme in our body.
Zinc is hard to absorb from plants (like calcium and iron) and so dairy and meat is a valuable source.
Both the the Asthma Research Council and the National Eczema Society recommend sheep or goat milk may be valuable alternatives to cow’s milk.
Higher Zinc in sheep milk and also its biopeptides may help to protect against allergy.

B Vitamins

Sheep milk contains many B Vitamins. B Vitamins help us extract energy from our food and are especially important for the functioning of the nervous system.
Sheep milk contains more Vitamin B12 than other dairy milks. Vitamin B12 is harder to absorb over 65 years of age so Sheep milk provides a very good source.
Sheep milk contains more Vitamin B2 than other dairy milks. 1 x 250 ml glass of Sheep milk provides almost half our recommended daily intake of Vitamin B2 which helps us to absorb iron from our food.

Vitamin A

Sheep milk contains almost twice as much Vitamin A as cow or goat milk.
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and the unique even distribution of fats throughout sheep milk (naturally homogenised so nice and creamy!) help to ensure we absorb it.
Vitamin A is important for a well-regulated immune system, especially in the gut and airways.
Vitamin A is also important for health vision.

Biopeptides

Biopeptides are biologically active micro-proteins with many health-giving properties. Dairy in general can provide these but sheep’s milk is known to be rich in these peptides which have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory functions. In particular, they have a role in regulating our immune system and may well be important in controlling allergy. As anti-oxidants, they also have a role repairing every day cell damage - the trigger for some cancers and other chronic disease.

References:

National Diet and Nutrition Survey. Results from years 5 and 6 (combined) of the rolling programme (2012/2013–2013/14). Public Heal Engl. 2016. doi:10.1017/CBO9781107415324.004

Uday, S,. Högler, W., (2018). Prevention of rickets and osteomalacia in the UK: political action overdue Archives of Disease in Childhood;103:901-906

McCance, R. A., Widdowson, E. M., et al (2015) McCance and Widdowson's the composition of foods. 7th Ed. Institute of Food Research (Great Britain), Public Health England, & Royal Society of Chemistry (Great Britain).

Balthazar, C. F., Pimentel, T. C., et al (2017). Sheep Milk: Physicochemical Characteristics and Relevance for Functional Food Development. Comprehensive reviews in food science and food safety, 16(2), 247–262. https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.12250

Flis, Z., & Molik, E. (2021). Importance of Bioactive Substances in Sheep’s Milk in Human Health. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(9), 4364. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22094364