Assalamu Alaikum Ya Nessan!

Humans are living longer than ever before. With advances in medical science, our life expectancy could reach 100 years on average, very soon. Therefore adults need to continue nourishing their bodies well into adulthood to remain healthy. Milk is a great source of nourishment giving us a whole host of vitamins and minerals and especially Calcium, which our bodies need to, keep our bones, teeth and brain healthy.

The type of camel known as the "dromedary" or single humped camel is best for milk.

Cow’s milk is great for children, but its high Lactose content makes it unsuitable for adults because humans become Lactose intolerant as they age. Adults stop producing an enzyme called Lactase in their digestive system which breaks down Lactose contained in milk and makes this fat available to the body. Therefore drinking cow’s milk can cause mild discomfort at best, and can get as bad as all out diarrhea for some adults.

Camel’s milk is low in Lactose and other short chained fats, known as the bad fats. Although its fat content is higher than cow’s milk, much of the fat is in long chained unsaturated fats, known as the good fats. This makes camel’s milk ideal for adults. Not only can it be ingested without a negative reaction, it is also low in saturated fat, helping adults to maintain a healthy body weight, while containing all the Vitamins, Minerals and trace nutrients as cow’s milk. Many of us are familiar with brands like Bonlac, Anchor Non-Fat, and Anlene, which are processed cow’s milk, modified to contain less fat. Since camel’s milk is naturally low in fat it will be a great natural alternative to these processed milk products.

Camel’s milk has been part of the Middle Eastern, Central Asian and North Indian diet for millennia, and consumed by children and adults alike. It is higher in Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron and other minerals when compared to cow’s milk, and therefore ideal for a healthy adult body. Many Hadith describe how Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) made a meal consisting only camel’s milk and dates, a testament to its nourishing capabilities.

What makes camel’s milk more interesting than milk of other animals is that it contains something called immunoglobulin. These proteins mimic proteins within our immune system. For this reason camel’s milk has been prescribed as a medicine for common illnesses in the Hadith, and within Indian Ayurvedha, to boost the immune system and fight disease. Modern scientific research has pointed out that consuming camel’s milk regularly does boost the immune system in a measurable way.

Further, camel’s milk also contains insulin, and is currently under study as an insulin supplement, for mild diabetics. Getting insulin from a food source, even for non-diabetics, can reduce the demand we place on our Pancreas, and therefore can prevent the onset of diabetes, which is caused by the Pancreas being over worked, and ultimately malfunctioning.

In 2010, the deputy minister of the Ministry of Livestock Development, Honorable H.R. Mithripala, launched a project to import a pilot stock of camels from Pakistan, to study the feasibility of rearing camels in Sri Lanka. Adding camel’s to our livestock has many benefits including diversifying our livestock, making use of the Dry Zone for livestock cultivation, and producing milk and meat to supplement our diet. Ibn Serendib is unaware of how this project faired, but thinks that it is something the Saracen should be keen on, and pursue with the government.