For those craving a healthier twist on their summer scoop, horse’s milk ice cream might be the answer. A recent study suggests that ice cream made from mare’s milk is not only a viable alternative to the traditional cow’s milk version but may also offer enhanced digestive benefits due to its rich probiotic content.
The findings, published in the journal PLoS ONE, reveal that mare’s milk is structurally more akin to human milk than cow’s milk. This is due to its low casein-to-whey protein ratio, lower mineral content, and higher levels of lactose and polyunsaturated fatty acids—elements known for promoting gut health and reducing inflammation.
Researchers from the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Poland, explored the potential of mare’s milk by creating four varieties of ice cream. These milks were pasteurized and then inoculated with different strains of bacteria, primarily from the Lactobacillales order.
The variations included:
Milk mixed with Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii.
Milk inoculated with inulin, a prebiotic that supports bacterial growth.
Milk containing Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus and inulin.
Milk combined with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum and inulin.
All four versions underwent fermentation, cooling, blending, and freezing to create the final ice creams. While the melting rates, protein, and fat levels were similar across the varieties, differences in acidity were noted. The first ice cream, which lacked inulin, exhibited the highest acidity, indicating that inulin may help regulate acidity levels.
The sensory quality of all the ice creams was rated highly, and the Lactobacillales bacteria thrived particularly well in the inulin-enhanced samples, reaching levels above the therapeutic threshold. This suggests that inulin is crucial for ensuring the probiotic benefits of mare’s milk.
The researchers believe that with these probiotic advantages secured, mare’s milk ice cream could soon become a popular choice, even making its way into ice cream trucks across the Western world.
“Obtained products seem to be good candidates to introduce mare’s milk to the diet of western consumers, which are not familiar with this milk type,” the study’s authors concluded.
