Camel milk: nutrition, blood sugar claims and safety

By the Voltra team · Updated 30 September 2026

Per 100 g, camel milk has about 56 kcal, 3.1 g of protein, 3.2 g of fat and 4.3 g of lactose, close to cow's milk, and more vitamin C [1]. In small trials, adding it to usual care lowered HbA1c in people with diabetes, but the trials were weak and it isn't a treatment [2]. Drink it pasteurised or boiled: raw camel milk can carry the MERS virus [3] and brucellosis [4].

Camel milk and cow's milk, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Camel milk	Cow's milk
Calories (kcal)	56	62
Protein (g)	3.1	3.3
Fat (g)	3.2	3.3
Lactose (g)	4.3	4.7
Calcium (mg)	114	112
Iron (mg)	0.2	0.1
Vitamin C (mg)	3.8	1.0

FAO's 2013 review of milk composition [1]. The camel figures are averages of published analyses of dromedary milk, and FAO calculated the camel calories from the protein, fat and lactose.

FAO sums it up: "In overall proximate composition, dromedary camel milk is very similar to cow milk." [1] The clearest difference is vitamin C, and it varies a lot: from 2.5 mg per 100 g in Saudi Majaheem camels to 18.4 mg in a breed from Kazakhstan, and it drops by about 27% when the milk is pasteurised [1]. A 2022 meta-analysis of 79 studies, covering 7,298 samples from 23 countries, found averages of 5.4 mg of vitamin C and 0.45 mg of iron per 100 g [5]. So a 250 g glass gives roughly 10 to 13 mg of vitamin C and 0.5 to 1.1 mg of iron, against about 2.5 mg and 0.25 mg from cow's milk (calculated).

It isn't lactose-free

Camel milk has about 4.3 g of lactose per 100 g, against 4.7 g in cow's milk [1]: about 11 g against 12 g in a 250 g glass (calculated). It isn't a lactose-free milk.

Blood sugar and diabetes

A 2022 meta-analysis pooled 14 randomised trials with 663 people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, published between 2003 and 2021, from India, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya and China [2]. The trials added camel milk to usual diabetes care, mostly 250 to 500 ml a day for 2 to 24 months. On average HbA1c fell by 1.24 percentage points and people needed less insulin, while the fall in fasting blood sugar wasn't statistically significant [2].

That evidence is weak:

The comparison groups got usual care, not a placebo drink, and only 2 trials blinded the participants [2].
Results varied widely from trial to trial (I² of 94% for HbA1c), and the authors call for larger, better-controlled trials [2].
Four of the 14 trials came from the same research group in India [2].

The meta-analysis had no outside funding [2]. None of this makes camel milk a replacement for insulin or diabetes medicines, so don't change yours without your doctor. We found no position on camel milk for diabetes from the SFDA, Saudi Arabia's health ministry or its National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. And the WHO counts diabetes among the conditions that raise the risk of severe MERS; people at higher risk should avoid raw camel milk [3]. Our prediabetes guide covers what does lower blood sugar.

Cow's milk allergy

Camel milk has no measurable β-lactoglobulin, one of the main cow's milk allergens [1], and its proteins are less like cow's milk proteins than goat's or sheep's milk are [6]. In Qatar, 7 of 35 children with cow's milk allergy (20%) had a positive skin-prick test to camel milk; the 28 who tested negative drank it without reactions [7]. In a Mexican crossover trial, 15 children with confirmed cow's milk allergy drank camel milk for two weeks with no adverse effects [8]. But camel milk allergy exists: doctors in Qatar described 9 young patients who reacted to it, 4 with anaphylaxis [9].

The World Allergy Organization's 2010 guideline says: "Camel's milk can be considered a valid substitute for children after 2 years." [6] It adds that in the developed world, other animals' milks should be considered only when a suitable formula can't be used, and weighed case by case [6]. Its committee was supported partly by grants from food companies, including Danone and Nestlé Nutrition [6]. If your child has cow's milk allergy, ask their allergist before trying camel milk.

Raw camel milk: MERS and brucellosis

Camels are the main animal source of the MERS virus, and the WHO says people may also be infected through raw camel products such as milk [3]. Its advice: "Camel meat and camel milk are nutritious products that can be consumed after pasteurization, cooking, or other heat treatments." [3] Saudi Arabia's health ministry tells people to avoid drinking fresh (raw) camel milk, and its awareness video says to boil camel milk before use [10].

Raw milk can also carry brucellosis, Malta fever. Most cases come from unpasteurised milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep [11], but camels pass it on too: in Qatar, 14 members of one family caught it from the milk of an infected camel [4]. The Saudi health ministry says not to eat or drink unpasteurised dairy products, including milk and cheese [11].

Pasteurised camel milk is safe: the SFDA says pasteurising kills the germs that cause gut infections without changing the milk's nutrients, and advises avoiding raw milk [12]. On milk in general, it says pasteurising costs well under 10% of the thiamin, folate, vitamin B12 and riboflavin, and that locally it stopped the spread of Malta fever [13]. Kuwait's dietary guidelines add: "Always boil unpasteurized milk to kill pathogenic bacteria." [14] Pasteurised camel milk is made in the Gulf: the Abu Dhabi Media Office says the UAE produces more than 7,000 tonnes a year, and that the Codex Alimentarius Commission has approved a UAE proposal for the first international standard for it [15].

In Voltra

Voltra has no built-in camel milk entry. In the Eat tab, search for it, scan the barcode on packaged camel milk, or tap Describe and type what you drank, for example camel milk, one glass, 250 ml.

Frequently asked

Is camel milk healthier than cow's milk?

They're close. Per 100 g, camel milk has about 56 kcal and 3.1 g of protein, against 62 kcal and 3.3 g in cow's milk. Camel milk has more vitamin C, 3.8 mg against 1.0 mg, and a little more iron.

Does camel milk lower blood sugar?

In small trials, adding it to usual care lowered HbA1c in people with diabetes, but most trials were small and unblinded, and results varied widely. It isn't a replacement for insulin or diabetes medicines.

Is raw camel milk safe to drink?

No. It can carry the MERS virus and brucellosis. Saudi Arabia's health ministry says to avoid drinking it raw, and the WHO says camel milk can be drunk after pasteurisation or other heat treatment.

Can children with cow's milk allergy drink camel milk?

Some can, but check with an allergist first. In small studies most tolerated it, but 1 in 5 children in a Qatari study had a positive skin test, and camel milk allergy exists. The World Allergy Organization's 2010 guideline considers it an option after age 2.

Sources

Wijesinha-Bettoni R, Burlingame B (2013). Milk and dairy product composition. In: Muehlhoff E, Bennett A, McMahon D, eds. Milk and dairy products in human nutrition, chapter 3. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Tables 3.1 to 3.5, pp. 45–50, and the camel milk section, pp. 55–57.
AlKurd R, Hanash N, Khalid N, et al. (2022). Effect of camel milk on glucose homeostasis in patients with diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutrients 14(6):1245. 14 randomised trials; no external funding.
World Health Organization (2025). Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV): fact sheet. Updated 11 December 2025. Transmission, treatment and prevention.
Garcell HG, Garcia EG, Pueyo PV, et al. (2016). Outbreaks of brucellosis related to the consumption of unpasteurized camel milk. J Infect Public Health 9(4):523–7. Abstract. A family outbreak in Qatar.
Alhaj OA, Altooq NJ, Alenezi AF, et al. (2022). Camel milk composition by breed, season, publication year, and country: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf 21(3):2520–2559. Abstract.
Fiocchi A, Brozek J, Schünemann H, et al. (2010). World Allergy Organization (WAO) Diagnosis and Rationale for Action against Cow's Milk Allergy (DRACMA) guidelines. World Allergy Organ J 3(4):57–161. Section on other mammals' milks. The WAO food allergy committee was supported by unrestricted grants from charities and food companies, including Danone, Heinz and Nestlé Nutrition.
Ehlayel MS, Hazeima KA, Al-Mesaifri F, Bener A (2011). Camel milk: an alternative for cow's milk allergy in children. Allergy Asthma Proc 32(3):255–8. Abstract.
Navarrete-Rodríguez EM, Ríos-Villalobos LA, Alcocer-Arreguín CR, et al. (2018). Cross-over clinical trial for evaluating the safety of camel's milk intake in patients who are allergic to cow's milk protein. Allergol Immunopathol (Madr) 46(2):149–154. Abstract.
Ehlayel M, Bener A (2018). Camel's milk allergy. Allergy Asthma Proc 39(5):384–388. Abstract.
Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Introduction, and the awareness video on boiling camel milk.
Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia. Malta fever (brucellosis). Transmission and prevention.
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (2024). حليب الإبل المبستر يحتوي على الميكروبات المُمرضة (rumour and reply: pasteurised camel milk). In Arabic. Rumour and reply, 14 July 2024.
Saudi Food and Drug Authority (2019). الحليب المبستر (pasteurised milk, awareness article). In Arabic. Awareness article, 9 April 2019.
Public Authority for Food and Nutrition, Kuwait (2023). Kuwait Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. Printed p. 32, food preparation tips.
Abu Dhabi Media Office (2026). Codex Alimentarius Commission approves UAE-led initiative to develop 1st international standard for pasteurised camel milk (3 February 2026). Production figure attributed to sector data.

Sources checked on 30 September 2026.

Log your food and training with Voltra. Free to download; the yearly plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Works fully in English and Arabic.