25/01/2021
WHAT IS THE STORY ABOUT A1A1 and A2A2 MILK?
Cow’s milk that you buy from the supermarket genetically contains both A1 and A2 casein proteins.
BUT WHAT ARE CASEIN PROTEINS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND WHY SHOULD I CARE IF IT IS OF THE A1 OR A2 VARIETY?
Without unnecessarily digging into the biochemistry of the hydrophobic nature of proline amino acids and its micelles as colloidal particles formed by casein aggregates wrapped up in soluble κ-casein molecules... let’s just call it what it is, casein protein is a type of water repelling glue and is rather acidic.
HOW COME IT IS ONLY BECOMING A PROBLEM NOW OR IS THIS ONLY THE NEXT FAD. MY GRAN WASN’T LACTOSE INTOLERANT?
Traditionally, cows only produced milk with A2/A2 beta-casein protein.
As dairy production became more industrial during the last 50 years and farmers selectively bred cows to give more milk daily, somewhere, somehow over time, a mutated A1 gene has worked its way into dairy cattle breeds. Today commercial dairy cows produce almost double the amount of milk they did 50 years ago, but it comes at a price. Roughly half of the milk is A1 and is a type of milk that is relatively new to the human body and is more difficult to digest.
Pasteurized cow’s milk has become the most common food allergen in the world because the human body has difficulty digesting the aforementioned glue.
In milk from newer breeds of cows (A1 cows), there is also an amino acid "proline" that has mutated into another form called "histidine". This histidine results in cows that aren't very good at keeping harmful compounds out of the milk that they give. Harmful amino acids like BCM-7 makes its way into the milk and we absorb it when we drink the milk.
BUT HOW CAN IT BE THAT WE FIND MILK DIFFICULT TO DIGEST? DIDN’T WE GET MILK FROM THE FIRST DAY OF OUR LIVES SINCE WE ARE MAMMALS?
Goat milk, milk from heritage breeds of cows and even human breast milk contain only A2/A2 milk proteins and doesn't contain the glue that we struggle to digest and the cow retains the BCM-7 and it gets expulsed as waste.
If you already have a compromised digestive system, A1 milk can aggravate already present digestive distress. Since your body can’t digest the proteins, it spends more time in your body, allowing more time for different types of fermenting to take place and harmful bacteria to grow, potentially irritating any problems you already have.
SO WHERE DO WE GET A2A2 MILK
Heritage breeds of cows have not been intensively bred and have remained relatively unchanged for centuries. Typical breeds are Galloway, Kerry, Highland and Dexters. Goats also produce only A2A2 milk. Then there is of course milk from yaks, camels, horses, donkeys and sheep, but other than goat, it is almost impossible to find and is an "acquired" taste.
WHERE DO WE GET OUR A2A2 MILK FROM?
We get our A2A2 milk from a small family run dairy near Cullinan that is registered with the Ethical Suppliers Association of South Africa. A herd of 110 Dexter girls live a wonderful grass-fed life and share their milk with us. They are kept in the most ideal conditions that any cow can wish for and are eager to be milked every morning. The rest of their milk they keep for their calves. Unlike most dairy operations who removes the calves from their mothers very early, these calves stay with their moms until 6 months of ages when they are weaned.
IS THE MILK PASTEURIZED?
No, our milk is not pasteurized. There is a definite risk in using "raw" milk as certain pathogens can be transmitted to humans through the milk. The transmission of milk borne pathogens became a major problem a century ago as people moved to cities and city dwellers could not keep a dairy cow in their apartment. As refrigeration was still undeveloped and transport inefficient, the only logical option to cater for urban populations, was to move the cows into the city limits and house them in confinement in warehouse-style barns close to where people lived. As space is always at a premium in cities, cows were kept at very high densities which created ideal conditions for the rapid spread of any pathogen. Inadequate hygiene and poor standards of care aggravated the problem.
Pasteurization solved the problem of potential pathogens but created other problems. Milk is a living thing and by pasteurizing it, all the good organisms that are beneficial to our health, is killed together with any potential bad ones. The proteins in milk gets converted at high temperatures and become more difficult to digest for some people.
Even though there is no way to completely negate the risk of the transmission of certain pathogens through unpasteurized milk, taking good care of the animals and keeping them healthy goes a long way.
IS THE MILK HOMOGENIZED?
Definitely not! Whereas pasteurization potentially serves a purpose, homogenization is purely a commercial response and a symptom of the modern society. Because intensive breeding of cows resulted in higher yielding, but also A1 milk producing cows and because when you heat milk to pasteurize it, the "glue" from the casein proteins separates and forms globules in the milk that the consumer found unappetizing, homogenization became standard practice. Large dairy operations also remove a portion of the milk fats to sell at a higher price as cream and butter and replace the volume with water. Problem is, milk and water do not mix, particularly if of the A1 variety. The solution: force the milk under extremely high pressure through very small holes. This process homogenizes the already pasteurized liquid by breaking up any remaining natural protein strains and creates the substance that we buy in boxes that can stay on the shelf for years.
TH BOTTOM LINE
If you are struggling digesting regular cow’s milk, it is most definitely worth trying type A2 milk! (Should you have serious health issues, please consult with your doctor!)
