Minerals in Sheep Milk

Sheep milk presents an attractive nutritional and health-promoting food source due to its high- mineral and -protein contents compared to milk from other lactating species such as cow and goat. The macrominerals Ca, P, Na, and Mg are reported to be present in sheep milk at much higher levels compared to cow and goat milks. In particular, sheep milk contains approximately 36% more calcium than cow milk and 31% more than goat milk. However, the mineral content of sheep milk exhibits considerable variation depending on factors such as breed, geographical location, diet, stage of lactation, parity, and farming practices. Sheep milk is commonly processed into cheese and yogurt and can be frozen or dried to powder for storage. Sheep milk therefore represents a dense food source high in minerals that is attracting increasing interest and leading to expansion of this species dairy industry. Considerable opportunity exists to fully explore the health-promoting effects of the minerals in sheep milk for human health and well-being.