Comparison Between the Compositions of Cow Milk and Human Milk

Breastfeeding their young is something that is particular to mammals only. Calves upon reaching maturity no longer drink milk. Then why do we drink at infancy, adolescence, adulthood, and even at old age?

Let us compare the differences.

1. Human milk has abundance of minerals such as iodine, iron, phosphorus and magnesium which are lacking in cow milk.


2. Human milk also contains two important substances - lecithin, a phosphoric fatty acid, and taurine, an amino acid, which help in the development of the infant's brain. Cow milk does not have them. Cow milk allows the calf to grow doubling its weight every month for the first three months. However, very little and slow growth of the calf's brain is observed. On the other hand, a newborn human baby needs six months to double its weight. However, its brain develops at a fantastic rate - out performing all other living beings.


3. Cow milk contains lactose (milk sugar) and casein (curd) which depend on specific digestive enzymes to break them down. When the infant is about 3-4 years of age, the body stops producing these two digestive agents.


4. The protein in cow milk is largely made of casein (curd) which is huge, hard, dense and difficult to digest. The protein in human milk are simple and small in structure and can be considered a kind of soft curd which can be broken down and digested easily.