http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4930094.stm

... ..The next latest thing?????

Camel milk magic - myth or marvel?

Anti-infection, anti-cancer, anti-diabetes: these are bold claims to make about any substance, but scientific and commercial interest is growing in such claims that have long been made about the milk of camels. Camels are kept in over a hundred countries, and from Mongolia to Morocco there are traditional sayings or practices in which the alleged healing properties of camel milk and milk products are shared and passed from generation to generation. But are the healing properties of camel milk all myth, or can they be proved and provide a bright future for camel dairying?
http://www.new-agri.co.uk/05-1/focuson/focuson5.html

The United Nations is calling for the milk, which is rich in vitamins B and C and has 10 times more iron than cow's milk, to be sold to the West.

Camels' milk, which is slightly saltier than traditional milk, is drunk widely across the Arab world and is well suited to cheese production.

Harrods and Fortnum & Mason are said to be interested in the product.


The potential is massive. Milk is money
Anthony Bennett
UN Food and Agriculture Organisation

As well as its high mineral and vitamin content, research has suggested that antibodies in camels' milk can help fight diseases like cancer, HIV/Aids Alzheimer's and hepatitis C.

And work is on-going to see whether it can have a role in reducing the effects of diabetes and heart disease.

The UN's food arm, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), wants producers in countries from Mauritania to Kazakhstan to start selling camels' milk to the West.

It hopes donors and investors will help develop the market.

'Humps in production'

Meat and dairy expert at the FAO Anthony Bennett said: "The potential is massive. Milk is money."

He said there were 200 million potential customers in the Arab world and tens of millions more in Europe, the Americas and Africa.

He suggested the market could be worth at least £5.6 billion although improvements are needed along the supply chain.

"No one's suggesting intensive camel dairy farming, but just with improved feed, husbandry and veterinary care daily yields could rise to 20 litres," he added.

And since fresh camel milk fetches roughly a dollar a litre on African markets it would mean serious money for the nomadic herders who now have few other sources of revenue, he added.

Camel
Camels' milk is thought of as nectar in many Arab countries

Tapping the market for camel milk, however, involves resolving a series of humps in production, manufacturing and marketing, the FAO said.

One problem lies in the milk itself, which has so far not proved to be compatible with the UHT (Ultra High Temperature) treatment needed to make it long-lasting.

But the main challenge stems from the fact that the producers involved are, overwhelmingly, nomads.

A spokeswoman for the British Nutrition Foundation said: "Camels' milk could be a useful addition to the diet as it contains calcium and B vitamins and is lower in saturated fat than cow's milk.

"However, it is more expensive than cows' milk and does have quite an acquired taste that some people may not like."

Characteristics of camel milk

Close analysis of camel milk does show some medicinal potential. The milk protein lactoferrin, which is present in large quantities in camel milk (ten times higher than in cow milk), does have some anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties. Fermented camel milk is high in lactic bacteria, which have been shown to be effective against pathogens including Bacillus, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and Escherichia. And vitamin C content in camel milk is generally double that in cow's milk. In Russia, Kazakhstan and India there are many examples of camel milk - as much as a litre a day - being prescribed to hospital patients to aid recovery from tuberculosis, Crohn's disease and diabetes.

A natural component of cow and human milk, lactoferrin is also found throughout the human body; it occurs in all secretions that bathe mucous membranes, such as saliva, tears, bronchial and nasal secretions, hepatic bile and pancreatic fluids. Exactly how lactoferrin functions is not entirely clear, but it is known to enhance the immune response, both directly and indirectly (passively,) in reaction to a wide range of immune challenges, and is an essential factor in the immune response in humans.

The health-promoting properties of camel milk are a strong boost for sales and, in certain regions such as the Middle East, they are the driver for intensification of camel dairying. According to Ulrich Wernery of the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory in Dubai, it is time for the camel to be managed in some of the ways now well established and successful with milk cows. "I'm convinced that where there's money, such as in the United Arab Emirates, there will be dairy camel operations in the future, just like the world has now with dairy cows. Maybe there will even be high-tech rotary milking parlours," says Wernery. Trials are also proceeding to increase milk yields through intensification and breeding. "We are looking at solar systems to power small-scale milk units. And, we're looking at the genetic potential of the animal too because, in two generations, we will design and breed a camel to suit an automatic system," he claims.
Unique immunoglobulin

Will this system be able to produce the quantities of camel milk required - especially if a potentially large new customer appears on the scene? There has been longstanding interest in the potential to harness the power of lactoferrin in treatments for certain illnesses, but now a whole new constituent of camel milk is under scrutiny. "The medical sector is very interested in the immunoglobulin of camel milk. This is the substance that contributes to immunity against infection. The immunoglobulin of camels is quite unique in the animal world," says Faye. If successful, the research could lead to the development of a whole new family of vaccinations against some of the biggest killer diseases of our time, such as cancer. Not surprisingly, a leading pharmaceutical company has camel milk on its agenda of research.

A medical breakthrough could bring about a huge leap in the respect shown for camels and those who keep them. But could it bring riches to camel owners? Faye has his doubts. "Of course it could be a solution for camel development, but there is also a risk that the pharmaceutical industry could isolate the molecule they are interested in and synthesise it artificially. Then it would be: 'Thank you camel but now you can go back to where you belong.'"

http://www.new-agri.co.uk/05-1/focuson/focuson5.html

Israeli professor: Camel milk can help prevent African famine

"And nomadic tribes, or pastoralists, that keep camels usually survive times of disease and famine because they can subsist on camel's milk.

Since drought areas are inevitably also areas where there are millions of camels, he asks, why fly in food from abroad during famines, when the solution is right there -- with an estimated surplus of 65,000 gallons of camel's milk per day?

"There's such a lot of surplus camel milk in these areas that there's enough to supply good healthy food for the kids. It's better than flying in food that most of the kids cannot digest."

It was while Yagil was running courses in Africa on the proper breeding of camels that he hit on the idea of setting up camel-milking farms. The idea is to get the nomads to bring the milk to camel farms that would serve as milking and distribution stations.

And, suggests Yagil, the camels can be fed fodder that can be grown easily in areas under permanent drought conditions -- "sabra" cactus, acacias, salt bush -- all of which camels like. "You can feed them fodder that will also earn income: If it's cacti they can sell the fruit. If it's peanut hay they can sell the peanuts."

Local experts in Africa were skeptical at first. "Nomads are here today and <30 miles> away tomorrow," they argued. "How are you going to get them to bring in the milk?"

So Yagil went to the nomads themselves and asked if they would be willing to bring their milk to a certain place every day if offered one cent for every 2 1/2 gallons.

"They did a quick calculation," recalls Yagil. "A herder has 100 camels, and if he's getting five and a half gallons of milk a day per camel, and he gets a cent for every two and a half gallons, that's what an average Kenyan will earn in about six months. 'Okay,' he says. 'No problem. I'll load the milk on my camels every day. When can I start?'"

A model dairy farm for camels has now been set up in Isiolo in Kenya."


http://www.jewishsf.com/content/2-0-/modul...splaystory.html

That's neat, maybe it will be in our supermarkets soon. YUMMAY!

I bet it has a high fat content. Good for starving kids but bad for us fat Americans.

http://www.dairyreporter.com/search/search...all&inner=1


Al Ain Dairy said it had launched the first camel milk ice cream in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), positioning the product as a healthy alternative to other ice cream products.

Camel's milk has long been considered healthy in the Arab world, but discussion on its commercial potential has increased in recent years.

Al Ain, which has set up a camel farm and processing facility, said its new ice cream would be available in supermarkets and petrol stations in chocolate, caramel and strawberry flavours.

The group has targetted weight watchers by highlighting that camel milk ice cream contains only 2.5 per cent fat, compared to between six and nine per cent for standard ice creams.

It added that camel milk ice cream was safe for consumers with lactose intolerance, and contained three times more vitamin C than cow's milk.

One would still get much more vitamin C from fruit and vegetables, but it is health benefits like this that have seen camel's milk capture more attention in dairy circles.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said recently that camel's milk had strong potential with millions of consumers across Africa, Europe and the Americas.

The FAO was instrumental in developing the first camel milk cheese, dubbed 'camelbert', in 1992. Since then, camel milk chocolate has appeared, while an Israeli scientist, professor Reuven Yagil, reportedly developed a camel milk ice cream in 1999.

Low fat dairy, such as semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, has taken market share off full fat products in several western markets.

This trend has been particularly visible for ice cream in Europe over the last few months, with three large firms, including Unilever and ingredients group Danisco, announcing new low fat products.

Camel's milk, as well as being low in fat, also contains vitamin B, iron and unsaturated fatty acids.

Its nutritional value has led to a range of health claims. One small study, released by the Camel Applied Research and Development Network, found camel's milk could help treat Type 1 diabetes.

Some doctors and researchers have also said camel's milk may help treat a range of other illnesses, including ulcers, tuberculosis and even breast cancer.

More studies will be needed, however, to bring some of these claims out of regional folklore.

...I wonder if we could by our World Vision kids a camel for Christmas?????

It could solve some of their problems... the extra milk could be sold... or marketed as cheese etc...

http://www.somalilandtimes.net/sl/2006/257/73.shtml

"abat, Tunisia, December 20, 2006 – IN Tunisia, people will travel hundreds of kilometers to get hold of some. Herdswomen from Ethiopia and Somalia think nothing of riding a train for 12 hours to sell it in Djibouti, where prices are high. In N’Djamena, Chad, milk bars are mushrooming all over town.

Half way round the globe, people consider it a powerful tonic against many diseases. The Gulf Arabs believe it is an aphrodisiac. From the Western Sahara to Mongolia demand is booming for camel milk. But there just isn’t enough to go round. State-of-the art camel rearing is rudimentary, and much of the 5.4 million tones of milk produced every year by the world population of some 20 million camels is guzzled by young camels themselves.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) thus sees bright prospects for camel dairy products, which could not only provide more food to people in arid and semi-arid areas, but also give nomadic herders a rich source of income. FAO is hoping financing will come forward from donors and investors to develop the sector not only at local level but help camel milk move into lucrative markets in the Middle East and the West.

“The potential is massive,” says FAO’s Dairy and Meat expert Anthony Bennett. “Milk is money”.

Nutrition"

To devotees, camel milk is pure nectar. While slightly saltier than cows’ milk, it is very good for you. After all, nature designed it to help baby camels grow up in some of the world’s roughest environments – deserts and steppes. That helps explain why it is three times as rich in Vitamin C as cow’s milk. In Russia, Kazakhstan and India doctors often prescribe it to convalescing patients while in Africa it may be recommended for people living with AIDS.

here's some interesting trivia!!!!

Did you know that it is thought that Arabs discovered butter? According to legend it was a delicious accident...

Long ago, many people who lived in the Arabian desert traveled by camel. They used pouches made from animal skins to transport liquids on long journeys. On one journey, they put milk in the leather bags, and loaded them onto their packs on the camel. As the camel walked across the desert, the rolling back-and-forth movement of their gait churned the milk into butter! They were very surprised to find butter instead of milk when they arrived at their destination.


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"Many superstitions and beliefs have evolved around camel milk and milking. Only specific members of the family can graze the animals (Hartley, 1979) and the milk is considered as having medicinal as well as mystical properties.

The Bedouin of the Sinai Peninsula and the Tourag nomads (Gast et al., 1969) make a dry cheese called “Afig�. These are balls of cheese that are made from butter milk, after the butter has been made, as mentioned previously. The Afig cheese balls are placed on the sides of the tents to dry out. No other kinds of cheeses are made. The reason for this is said to be that the camel spoke to the Prophet Mohammed and it was agreed that no cheeses would be made from her milk and that her wool would not be dyed. Thus, there is a prohibition against making cheeses from camel milk, except following the making of butter.

By French standards the nutritional value of camel milk is considered to be the lowest after the ewe, goat and cow milk (Gast et al., 1969). But it is also stated that 4–5 kg of milk and milk products are enough to cover all the requirements for a man so far as calories, lipids, proteins and calcium are concerned.

No mention is made of the fact that in times of drought the ewe, goat and cow have difficulty in surviving, while the camel goes on producing; in addition, the water in the milk is an invaluable source of liquid for man; yet the camel is neglected despite the fact that it is an invaluable source of food for man in arid and semi-arid areas. Better techniques, adapted to local conditions, are required to increase the quantity and improve the quality of products obtained from camel milk.

Butter milk that is left over following churning is also used to make soup (Gast et al., 1969). Dates, pepper, water and other ingredients are added to make a tasty meal. This cold soup is prepared just before it is eaten and it is highly nutritious.


http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/X6528E/X6528E04.htm

And i think it was the greeks who discovered cheese by carrying their milk in pouches made of sheep stomach. It was the process of the left over acid in the lining of the stomach and the movement from the journey which created cheese.....
gives you a different insight in eating cheese doesnt it!

Hmm camels milk...i dont think it sounds tempting, but who knows!

They are good for couple's too ! increase sex drive