One of the major concerns of our society
today is malnutrition, a problem that generally
occurs in children up to their adolescent period.
The primary cause is nutritional deficiency due
to limited intake of the required nutrients. Too
often, the diet of children is one-sided; they may
be eating a reasonable quantity of food but the
quality may not be sufficient to meet their daily
nutrient requirements. Moreover, these children,
once they reach a certain age, tend to replace the
milk they consume with cola and other
commercial drinks that have less or limited
nutritive value.
In addressing malnutrition, introduction o
milk can be one of the best options.
Nutritionally, milk is defined as almost perfect
food. It provides more essential nutrients in
significant amount than any single food. As a
matter of fact, it is the only food that has all the
nutrients that the newly-born infant requires.
And even beyond the suckling period, milk is the
most complete food for human beings and
mammals. It is also the best food supplement
and source of calcium for children and adults.
The buffalo milk or commonly known as
carabao’s milk can be of great help in eradicating
malnutrition. Nutrient-wise, it is better
compared with the array of cola and other
commercial drinks in the market. These liquids,
while designed and packaged in attractive colors
and shapes, do not help provide important
dietary requirements.
In drinking buffalo milk we are not only
getting the needed nutrients for our bodies but
we are also supporting our local dairy industry.
Presently, our country imports 98% of our
milk and other dairy product requirements. For
this, our country spends around US0 million
annually, making milk the top 4th agricultural
import. Supporting the local dairy industry will
help our country in saving precious foreign
exchange being spent for milk and dairy product
importations. There are now provinces and
towns in our country which are into buffaloraising
and producing regular supply of buffalo
milk as a health alternative. One of these is the
province of Nueva Ecija. At present, the dairy
cooperatives in the province produce 1,200 to
1,400 liters of buffalo milk daily.
Why is it better to drink buffalo milk? It is
considered as the finest milk among dairy
animals and almost at par with human milk. Like
any other milk it can be consumed anytime. It is
a totally natural product that can be derived
from the udder of lactating buffalos. Regarding
its acceptability, buffalo milk has already been
consumed around the world for thousands of
years.
Normally, fresh buffalo milk is very white in
color and beautifully smooth. It has a bland,
slightly sweet taste and it can be the best healthy
alternative for the young and adults.
Comparatively, buffalo milk has 58% more
calcium, 40% more protein and 43% less
cholesterol compared with cattle milk.
Significantly, the cholesterol content of buffalo
milk is 0.65 mg/g as compared to the
corresponding value of 3.14 mg/g for cattle
milk.
In drinking 100 grams of buffalo milk and in
eating its milk by-products, the following substance
can be derived as compared with other type of
dairy milk.
Substance | Buffaloes Milk | Cows Milk | Goat's Milk |
| Protein | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.3 |
| Fats(gm) | 6.5 | 4.1 | 4.5 |
| Carbohydrate(gm) | 5 | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| Energy(kcal) | 117 | 67 | 72 |
| Calcium(mg) | 210 | 120 | 170 |
| Phosphorous(mg) | 130 | 90 | 120 |
| Iron(mg) | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.3 |
| Thiamine(mg) | 0.04 | 0.05 | 0.05 |
| Riboflavin(mg) | 0.10 | 0.19 | 0.04 |
| Vitamin C(mg) | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Vitamin B12(mg) | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.05 |
Today, a variety of buffalo milk byproducts are already available to suit even the picky taste of the consumers along with their nutrition, health and convenience demands.
The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) has taught many farmers’ families to add value on the raw buffalo milk by producing different flavors of pastillas de leche (milk candy), fruitflavored milk (lacto juice), chocolate-flavored milk and “green” milk, which has a hint of malunggay flavor.
Many other dairy products such as Gouda cheese, cottage cheeses (ricotta and the traditional kesong puti or white cheese), mozzarella cheese, butter, ice cream and yogurt were also developed and disseminated either through demonstration or training to interested individuals. In fact, the best mozzarella cheese is made out of buffalo milk. For those who are diet-conscious, pasteurized buffalo milk and its milk by-products are also available with low-fat content.
The health benefits of milk, yogurt and cheeses go even beyond bone health. Milk products can reduce the risk of several diseases. It can also contribute to the maintenance of good intestinal health. Other benefits of milk are: it can be an effective aid in reducing risk of heart attack and high-blood pressure. It is also beneficial in fighting cavity and strengthening our teeth. Regular intake of milk can also lower the risk of colon cancer and diabetes. Milk is also one of the best alternatives for the prevention of osteoporosis and kidney stones.