During the evening rush hour in central Karachi, Nadeem Mutloob can barely keep up with demand at his curbside milk bar, a popular stop for workers on their way home. Customers line up for cool bottles of what Mutloob and some medical researchers tout as an unbeatable health supplement: camel milk, or, as the label says, "the world's next superfood."
Mutloob and others believe camel milk can treat a range of ailments, including liver problems, hepatitis and diabetes. But it has other uses, too. "I use it for 'man power,' " quipped Mohammad Ashfaq, a gas station employee, referring to virility.
There may be something to the hype over the nostrum. Camel milk has three times more Vitamin C than cow milk and is a rich source of iron. It is often used by diabetics and hepatitis patients.