It has a high nutritional value, providing more protein, vitamins, and minerals than cow’s milk. Buffalo milk has 100% more fat content than cow's milk, which makes it creamier and thicker. Buffalo milk has lower cholesterol but more calories and fat compared with cow's milk. Plus, it contains beneficial compounds that may provide antioxidant protection and improved bone and heart health.
Buffalo milks also has more vitamins and minerals. It provides 41% of the DV for phosphorus, 32% of the DV for calcium, 19% of the DV for magnesium, and 14% of the DV for vitamin A, compared with 29%, 21%, 6%, and 12% in cow’s milk, respectively. The density of buffalo milk at 20°C is about 1.0341kgl-1, which decreases to 1.0272 and 1.0263kgl-1 at 27 and 29°C, respectively.
The milk is rich in fat, which is what makes it so creamy and thick. It also preserves longer than other milk varieties, and is more heat resistant. Buffalo milk products are also high yielding, so although buffalo produce less milk, each liter goes much further in the kitchen. The fat globules in buffalo milk are bigger, with an average volume of 4.15–4.6 μm compared to 3.36–4.15 μm for bovine milk. Buffalo fat globule membrane has an average lipid content of 38.5% compared to 35.7% in bovine milk.
Buffalo milk produces thick and creamy dairy products suitable for the manufacture of traditional (indigenous Indian) milk products like khoa, dahi, paneer, kheer, payasam, malai, kulfi and ghee.
Buffalo milk provides high amounts of calcium, a mineral needed for bone development. It’s also a source of casein-derived peptides that may promote bone health and reduce the risk of osteoporosis, a disease characterized by bone weakening and increased risk of fractures.
Buffalo milk
