The Webb Road property, located halfway between Kyabram and Girgarre, is operated by Megan and Chris Williams.
They established the business in 2014 and now have 150 camels on the property.
More than one million Australians are living with type 2 diabetes, which impacts the body’s ability to produce insulin, and there is potential for the progression of type 2 diabetes to be slowed through changes to diet and physical activity.
University of Melbourne researcher Dr Kristy DiGiacomo said the results of the new study were promising.
“Camel milk contains insulin and insulin-like peptides, and there is increasing evidence that consuming camel milk may have benefits for humans with type 2 diabetes,” Dr DiGiacomo said.
“Nutritionally, camel milk has greater vitamin C concentrations, which are 2-3 times higher, and is higher in protein concentrations, including insulin and insulin-like compounds, compared to cow’s milk.
“Early research in animals and humans shows that consuming camel milk can reduce glucose concentrations in the blood, which could reduce the need for insulin in diabetics,” Dr DiGiacomo said.
The CSIRO has also been exploring the benefits of camel milk and says the initial study should pave the way for further research.
“CSIRO has partnered with the camel milk industry to conduct research on the properties and functionality of camel milk.
“The research has yielded some interesting results that warrant more research to be completed for validation of this work.”
The early research also found camel milk could assist people who suffer from allergies.
Mother of four, Belinda Guerra, introduced camel milk into her family’s diet several years ago and hasn’t looked back.
“We felt comfortable introducing camel milk to our kids as it is not highly processed from the time it leaves the camel to when our kids drink it, plus the nutritional information we have found shows it is good for them too,” she said.
“I first started giving my eldest son camel milk about five years ago. He was constantly getting sick, and we quickly found the camel milk boosted his immune system. We also found that he is able to be more focused in class, and that is a bonus.
“We are about to start trialling it again regularly with our 3-year-old to see if drinking it will help with his skin irritation.”
