The composition of milk from dairy cows will vary with breed and diet. The typical composition is 88% water for both cow's and human milk, 3.3 and 1.0% protein for cow's and human milk, 3.4 and 4.4% fat, 4.7 and 6.9% carbohydrate or lactose, and 0.7 and 0.2% minerals and vitamins, respectively. Whole milk sold to consumers has been standardized to contain about 3.25% fat. The greater concentrations of protein and minerals in cow's milk is especially beneficial for humans between ages one and 30 years (S. Patton. 2005. Milk. Transaction Publ., p. 42).
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What is the normal composition of cow's milk, and how does it compare to human milk?
Last Updated: August 29, 2007
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