Evaluating the Effects of Camel Milk and Cow Milk on the Management and Control of Glycemia and Lipid Profile in Animals with Induced Diabetes

Controlling diabetes as a widespread metabolic disease and the cause of death of millions of people around the world, with effective alternative therapies, is now a topic of concern. In recent years, strong evidence based on the beneficial effects of camel milk on the control and treatment of type 1 and type 2 diabetes has been found in both human and animal models. In this article, we reviewed studies that have evaluated the effects of camel milk on glucose, plasma insulin, and lipid profiles (total cholesterol and triglycerides) in animals with type 2 induced diabetes. The present article includes 8 studies in animal phase, two of which were performed on alloxan-induced type 2 diabetic dogs and one on alloxan-induced type 2 diabetic rabbits, and the rest were on Streptozotocin-induced (STZ) type 2 diabetic rats. Except one study, all studies showed that camel milk was about 40 to 50 percent effective in controlling blood sugar and insulin sensitivity, as well as a 20 to 35 percent improvement in lipid profile in diabetic animals treated with camel milk compared with controls or feeding groups with cow milk or untreated diabetic groups. In addition, the use of drugs such as Rosiglitazone Maleate and Glibenclamide along with camel milk play a significant role in the improvement and better management of type 2 diabetes. The studies have also shown that consuming cow's milk in animals with type 2 diabetes not only does not improve glucose levels and lipid profiles, but also increases blood glucose levels by about 20 to 30 percent.