FROM mushroom coffee to celery juice, 2024 has already seen a whole host of bizarre wellness fads – but could horse milk be the next big thing?
Experts say it has a range of health benefits; vitamin C, iron, it can boost the immune system and it’s good for gut health.
It’s also lower in calories than cow’s milk, so it may also promote weight loss.
A new study found that when it was used to make ice cream it contained half the fat of ice cream made using cow’s milk.
Polish researchers also found it was high in phospholipids, which can help tackle stomach complaints, certain fatty acids that ease breathing problems, and lactoferrin, which boosts the immune system.
Although the ice creams melted quickly, they said they were “white-creamy and uniform” and they all had a “pleasant creamy taste”.
The researchers said that there had been a “growing interest” in the use of horse’s milk – and this certainly caught my attention.
I reached out to Frank Shellard, the only producer of horse milk in the UK.
He milks 15 mares a day at his farm in Combe Hay, near Bath in Somerset, and sells his Mares Milk online for £6.50 per 250ml bottle – making it about 15 times more expensive than ordinary cow’s milk.
Shellard is in talks to sell the milk at the trendy celebrity haunt Soho Farmhouse, in the Cotswolds, where he already looks after the riding stables.
Guests there have included the Beckhams, Meghan Markle and Tom Cruise, who presumably won’t baulk at the cost.
He says: “We milk them four or five times a day, then freeze the milk and send it out frozen.
“People are often surprised by how tasty it is.
“We now produce around 40 litres a day and it’s becoming more and more popular.”
WATERY BUT NOT OFFENSIVE
So how does it taste?
I was pretty apprehensive about tasting it knowing it had been pumped from the udder of a horse – and anyone I mentioned this to cringed at the thought of me sipping it.
I’m not a fussy eater though, so I steeled myself and resolved to give it a go.
Poured into a glass, I couldn’t smell anything unusual. There was no whiff as I’d expected.
Horse milk contains higher levels of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per litre than both cow, goat, buffalo and human milk
Dr Jose Costa
It looked very white and thin, certainly less creamy, than cow’s milk.
As soon as I took the first sip, you could taste the difference.
It was quite sweet and very watery – more like skimmed milk but even then with less flavour. There was nothing offensive about it though.
The flavour was very subtle, perhaps with a slight hint of nutmeg.
If you can get over the fact it comes from a horse then it could certainly be a great option for the health conscious.
I’m not surprised it has fewer calories. It’s like a very thin skimmed milk with all of the cream removed.
It’s almost translucent and I’d almost describe it as refreshing.
But is all this enough to make you give it a go?
The price might put you off – and the jury is still out about its health benefits as scientific studies are limited.
BETTER FOR YOU THAN COW’S MILK?
Consultant and allergy expert Dr Jose Costa is confident about its health benefits and says horse milk is good for bones and may even reduce the risk of cancer.
He says: “Horse milk contains higher levels of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per litre than both cow, goat, buffalo and human milk.
“This means it is better for supporting skeletal development in infants.
“It’s also higher in essential and non-essential amino acids compared to cow’s milk and it’s richer in vitamin V, providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
“It’s almost nine times higher in vitamin K than human milk, and this supports the healing of injuries and strengthens bones.
“Horse milk is lower in calories due to the lower fat and protein content and it has a high content of enzymes known as Lysozyme, which give it natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
“This has been shown to decrease the incidence of anti-inflammatory diseases, including cancer.”
'It lowered my cholesterol', says UK mare milker
Frank Shellard, 66, from Bath, Somerset, is the only farmer producing horse's milk in the UK. He claims drinking the milk cut his cholesterol in half after suffering a mini-stroke.
He says: “Years ago a friend of mine went abroad where he saw horse’s being milked.
“I did a bit of research and discovered how incredible horse’s milk can be for your health – Cleopatra used to bathe in it as it’s so good for your skin.
“I decided to give it a go and started milking the horse’s.
“It took quite a while to get it off the ground and then three years ago, I suffered a small stroke.
“This really messed up my metabolism and my cholesterol went through the roof.
“The doctor put me on statins but I struggled with them. I had stomach problems and I felt tired all the time.
“I told the doctor I wanted to come off the statin and that I’d drink the milk.
“In just two months, my cholesterol dropped from 7 back down to 3.5.
“I was drinking 250ml a day every morning and I’d have nothing for an hour afterwards to allow it to get into my system.
“Then I’d have some cereal with the mare’s milk on it.
“The doctor couldn’t believe it but it worked. I wasn’t doing anything differently. It’s just really good at controlling metabolism.
“It’s good for gut health, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.
“It’s sweeter and finer than cow’s milk, with almost a coconut taste to it.
“It’s good for people with allergies too.
“Cows, goats and sheep all have four stomachs. The enzymes in the milk from those animals is different.
“The horse has one stomach the same as us so the enzymes are very similar to ours.
“This means you could be lactose intolerant but drink mare’s milk.
“It’s good for health, but it’s good for the environment too as horse’s don’t produce as much methane as cows.
“It’s not meant to replace cow’s milk necessarily but people would see a whole range of health benefits if they incorporated it into their diets.”
If that isn’t enough to convince you, it could also have a raft of benefits for those with allergies, particularly if people are allergic to dairy or milk products.
Dr Costa, of thechildrensallergy.co.uk, says the proteins in it are more similar to those found in human milk than cow’s milk.
It also contains more whey proteins, around 35 to 50 per cent, compared to the 20 per cent in cow’s milk.
These cause less severe and less prolonged allergic reactions than those in cow’s milk. Whey protein is also better for building muscle.
It’s already drunk in many other countries. In fact, around 30million people worldwide are said to drink it.
A peer-reviewed study suggested that horse’s milk could help to counter the effects of eczema and a few studies in rats have suggested that it could enhance immune responsiveness.
In 2018, researchers at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan, where horse milk is common, found that the drink had a much higher quantity of albumin — a protein easily absorbed by humans — than cow’s milk.
When digested, these proteins can help to regulate blood pressure and have positive antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects.
All good news.
And whilst it was less offensive than I’d predicted, I’m not sure I’m convinced enough to pay £6.50 a bottle just yet.
