Camel milk – it does a body good [Archives:2007/1027/Last Page]

By: Taiz Bureau
Some travel a long time in search of camel milk as both food and medicine. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization has begun an international campaign promoting camel milk, as it expects a brilliant future for the product due to its high nutritional value. The organization affirms that people worldwide now prefer camel milk to other types of dairy.

In search of camel milk

In a country such as Tunisia, some travel dozens of kilometers for camel milk, while camel shepherds in Ethiopia and Somalia travel 12 hours by train to sell camel milk in Djibouti. In different areas of Yemen, such as Al-Mahrah, Hadramout, Hodeidah, Marib and Al-Jawf, people raise camels and sell their milk. Shepherds move from one area to another by foot, often for long distances, to graze their camels.

Haj Sa'eed Abdu, 65, from Shamir, an area famous for camel raising, usually travels from his village in Shamir to Taiz to sell camel milk, sustaining his family from the profits. He says a few Taiz city residents buy the milk, but the majority don't because they are unaware of its natural health values.

Shepherd killed for allowing camels to drink

Abdu explains, “I have 20 camels and I usually move with them from one area to another in search of grass and water. When I stay in a particular area for nearly a month, the camels graze on tree leaves. However, we sometimes face harassment by landlords in areas where we graze. They force us from their land, but we don't know why they do so.”

He adds, “Three years ago, a camel shepherd was killed in an area between Al-Damna and Maoyah because his camel drank from a well there. Locals in the area said the well belonged to a villager and that the shepherd let his camel drink from it without permission from the owner. The situation led to killing the shepherd.”

Camel milk boosts immunity

Thirty-year-old shepherd Hashim Ahmad believes that the small number of those who buy camel milk understand the product's good nutritional value in addition to believing that it helps treat diabetes, hepatitis, kidney and stomach ailments, as well as boosting the body's immunity.

Ahmad sells between five and 10 liters of camel milk per day at YR 200 a liter. Because he has no other source or income, he mostly depends on camel raising and selling their milk. Like other milkmen, Ahmad leaves his village in the early morning and goes to the city to sell fresh milk to customers. The shepherd enjoys a sound physique thanks to drinking his own product.

In Arabic culture and literature, the camel is called the “Desert Ship” because it moves from place to place in both summer and winter and can tolerate long periods of hunger and thirst. This is why it's respected among Arabs for its patience and endurance.

Three-fold vitamin G

The World Health Organization affirms that camel milk is more salty than that of cows, but it also has more nutritional value than cow's milk. Camel milk is produced in a way that helps calves acclimate to the harsh conditions of the environment. It's rich in vitamin G, which is three times better than the same type of vitamin available in cow's milk, as well as being rich in oil, acids, iron and other vitamins.

Camel milk is used to treat several diseases in many regions. In the Gulf states, the product mostly is used to assist reproduction, whereas in Russia, Kazakhstan and India, doctors often prescribe it as the best thing for those who've just recovered from a disease. In Africa, camel milk is used to treat HIV sufferers.

Medical uses

Camel milk has multiple medical uses, as doctors prescribe it for those suffering asthma, tuberculosis, anemia and hemorrhoids. According to world studies, many hepatitis sufferers have improved after drinking camel milk. Special clinics also have been established to prescribe camel milk for many patients. However, it's been made clear that camel milk causes gastric disorders in those drinking it for the first time.

Some researchers clarify that camel milk helps in losing weight and facilitates digestion, adding that, due to its high nutritional value, the product is recommended for pregnant women, children and the elderly.

Other benefits

It's been made clear to researchers that camel milk's qualitative density is similar to that of cows and sheep. Asked about the specific benefits of camel milk, nutrition specialist Dr. Moneer Al-Basha'an explains that it's rich in protein and provides a substance that resists germs and poison. However, he notes that it's difficult to make cheese from camel milk.

Production hindrances

According to WHO, camel milk isn't meeting the growing demand and its production isn't proceeding in compliance with internationally-recognized standards, which is one problem. Another problem is associated with the producers themselves, who are shepherds and nomadic peoples. Most camel shepherds reserve the milk for their guests and the poor and don't sell it in the markets.

Additionally, milking a camel is a difficult process requiring special skills, as some camels don't allow people to milk them. Their calves must be beside camels when they're milked; otherwise, they'll give no milk. Unlike cows, which hold milk in their udders, camels retain a great portion of the milk throughout their body.

In search of camel milk

In a country such as Tunisia, some travel dozens of kilometers for camel milk, while camel shepherds in Ethiopia and Somalia travel 12 hours by train to sell camel milk in Djibouti. In different areas of Yemen, such as Al-Mahrah, Hadramout, Hodeidah, Marib and Al-Jawf, people raise camels and sell their milk. Shepherds move from one area to another by foot, often for long distances, to graze their camels.

Haj Sa'eed Abdu, 65, from Shamir, an area famous for camel raising, usually travels from his village in Shamir to Taiz to sell camel milk, sustaining his family from the profits. He says a few Taiz city residents buy the milk, but the majority don't because they are unaware of its natural health values.

Shepherd killed for allowing camels to drink

Abdu explains, “I have 20 camels and I usually move with them from one area to another in search of grass and water. When I stay in a particular area for nearly a month, the camels graze on tree leaves. However, we sometimes face harassment by landlords in areas where we graze. They force us from their land, but we don't know why they do so.”

He adds, “Three years ago, a camel shepherd was killed in an area between Al-Damna and Maoyah because his camel drank from a well there. Locals in the area said the well belonged to a villager and that the shepherd let his camel drink from it without permission from the owner. The situation led to killing the shepherd.”

Camel milk boosts immunity

Thirty-year-old shepherd Hashim Ahmad believes that the small number of those who buy camel milk understand the product's good nutritional value in addition to believing that it helps treat diabetes, hepatitis, kidney and stomach ailments, as well as boosting the body's immunity.

Ahmad sells between five and 10 liters of camel milk per day at YR 200 a liter. Because he has no other source or income, he mostly depends on camel raising and selling their milk. Like other milkmen, Ahmad leaves his village in the early morning and goes to the city to sell fresh milk to customers. The shepherd enjoys a sound physique thanks to drinking his own product.

In Arabic culture and literature, the camel is called the “Desert Ship” because it moves from place to place in both summer and winter and can tolerate long periods of hunger and thirst. This is why it's respected among Arabs for its patience and endurance.

Three-fold vitamin G

The World Health Organization affirms that camel milk is more salty than that of cows, but it also has more nutritional value than cow's milk. Camel milk is produced in a way that helps calves acclimate to the harsh conditions of the environment. It's rich in vitamin G, which is three times better than the same type of vitamin available in cow's milk, as well as being rich in oil, acids, iron and other vitamins.

Camel milk is used to treat several diseases in many regions. In the Gulf states, the product mostly is used to assist reproduction, whereas in Russia, Kazakhstan and India, doctors often prescribe it as the best thing for those who've just recovered from a disease. In Africa, camel milk is used to treat HIV sufferers.

Medical uses

Camel milk has multiple medical uses, as doctors prescribe it for those suffering asthma, tuberculosis, anemia and hemorrhoids. According to world studies, many hepatitis sufferers have improved after drinking camel milk. Special clinics also have been established to prescribe camel milk for many patients. However, it's been made clear that camel milk causes gastric disorders in those drinking it for the first time.

Some researchers clarify that camel milk helps in losing weight and facilitates digestion, adding that, due to its high nutritional value, the product is recommended for pregnant women, children and the elderly.

Other benefits

It's been made clear to researchers that camel milk's qualitative density is similar to that of cows and sheep. Asked about the specific benefits of camel milk, nutrition specialist Dr. Moneer Al-Basha'an explains that it's rich in protein and provides a substance that resists germs and poison. However, he notes that it's difficult to make cheese from camel milk.

Production hindrances

According to WHO, camel milk isn't meeting the growing demand and its production isn't proceeding in compliance with internationally-recognized standards, which is one problem. Another problem is associated with the producers themselves, who are shepherds and nomadic peoples. Most camel shepherds reserve the milk for their guests and the poor and don't sell it in the markets.

Additionally, milking a camel is a difficult process requiring special skills, as some camels don't allow people to milk them. Their calves must be beside camels when they're milked; otherwise, they'll give no milk. Unlike cows, which hold milk in their udders, camels retain a great portion of the milk throughout their body.
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