Is sheep milk the answer to digestive woes?

In what may be a world first, AgResearch is about to begin a clinical trial to test the benefits of sheep milk for human digestion.

Screening for the study is now under way in Auckland, with scientists at AgResearch and Auckland University looking for women aged 18-35 who have trouble digesting cow milk to take part.

Sheep milk is a relatively minor industry in New Zealand although one that is growing strongly, AgResearch says.

The country now has more than 20,000 dairy sheep at 16 different producers and investment is picking up.

According to Spring Sheep Milk Co, which is also involved in the study, sheep milk nutritionally out-performs goat and cow milk in almost all areas, containing 44 per cent more energy than cow’s milk; 45 per cent more protein; 38 per cent more calcium; and higher levels of iron and vitamins A, D, E and C.

It is ease of digestion that is the focus of the new study, though.

AgResearch senior scientist Dr Linda Samuelsson says the trial is expected to start this month and results should be available early next year.

‘‘We will be working with people who say they have some difficulty digesting milk.

‘‘They will be asked to consume a specified amount, and we’ll be looking at how they feel after drinking, and measuring their digestion using blood and breath tests.

‘‘Based on the literature we have seen, there has been no human clinical trial like this before measuring the digestibility of sheep milk,’’ she says.

‘‘The aim is to provide information for consumers who may struggle with their digestion, and to provide solid evidence of the benefits of sheep milk to support New Zealand exports.’’

It is believed the fat composition in sheep milk is what makes it easier to digest, with its fat globules being smaller than those in cow’s milk.

The higher proportion of short- and medium-chain fatty acids found sheep milk also has health benefits, advocates says, citing, for instance, how shortchain fatty acids have little effect on cholesterol levels.

The higher solids content in sheep milk makes it especially suitable for cheese production; sheep milk typically yields 18-25 per cent cheese, compared with 9-10 per cent for goat and cow milk.

However, as dairy intolerance rises, demand for an alternative to cow’s milk is especially acute among people who want something gentler on the stomach when it comes to breakfast, baking or coffee.

Gareth Lyness, marketing and supply chain manager at Blue River Dairy, says if the Auckland study shows sheep milk to be a suitable alternative, it will reinforce what is already widely known in many of the producers’ target export markets in Asia.

‘‘Asian consumers express their benefits in terms of much ‘heat’ the milk brings to our bodies,’’ he says.

‘‘Sheep milk is understood to create less ‘inner heat’ than other milks, meaning it is gentler on the digestive system.’’

Sheep milk is the focus on a new study by scientists at AgResearch and Auckland University’s Liggins Institute, who are hoping to find evidence to support claims the milk is the gentlest dairy option for sensitive stomachs.