Did you know that a majority of the milk that you drink, from the store, is A1 milk. Over the last decade, a lot of information has come about about milk in general. Should you drink it or not? Are you lactose intolerant? However, A2 milk is still rising in terms of common knowledge.
Another level of complexity to add to this, is should you drink raw milk? I’ll go over the facts, my personal experience with raw milk and A2 milk below.
What is the difference between A1 and A2 milk?
When referencing A1 vs A2 milk, the difference is a protein. A1 is a protein found in milk from the highly productive Holstein cows. These cows are favored in America and some in European industrial settings. However, the Guernsey, Jersey and some Asian and African cow breeds, tend to carry the A2 protein.
The proteins are different in their forms of beta-casein. At some point, many years ago, the A2 beta-casein mutated in the A1 in European dairy cows. Eventually made their way to America and now a majority of the American Holstein and some others are A1 beta-casein version. a
According to Boston Children’s Hospital, 30-50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. However, some studies suggest that 1 in 4 Americans who show symptoms of lactose intolerance, could simply be unable to digest the A1 protein. According to Keith Woodford, the author of the book, Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health, and the Politics of A1 and A2 Milk, “We’ve got a huge amount of observational evidence that a lot of people can digest the A2 but not the A1. More than 100 studies suggest links between the A1 protein and a whole range of health conditions.”
So, where does this leave us? You can source A2 milk, from the store at various places. Over the years, it has made it’s way into most stores, even Walmart, in efforts to provide options and keep people drinking pasteurized milk. The question begs though, must it be pasteurized?
Why drink raw milk?
We’ve been raised in a society, that pasteurized is best. And while, I can’t argue that pasteurizing milk can surely help sanitize it removing bacteria, it does heavily reduce milk of it’s natural occurring health benefits, such as vitamins B1, B2, B12, C and folate. Then after pasteurization, they pump vitamin D and A into the milk as added benefits, leaving you with enriched milk. With all that being said, it is my personal preference, to consume my vitamins in their most natural state. For that reason, we consume raw milk. You SHOULD purchase the book, Devil in the Milk, by Keith Woodford, even if you’re going to continue to buy milk at the store. It’s both educational and interesting!
For us, the biggest reason we switched from store bought to raw and A1 to A2, was all personal. Our middle son, seemed to present lactose intolerant issues while switching from breast milk to cows milk. In talking with both a friend and local goat milk farmer, I decided to give goats milk a go before avoiding milk or lactose free milk. Goats are also A2 milk. It seemed to work and eventually regular cows milk didn’t seem to bother him as much. However, we continue to purchase raw A2 milk and it tastes so rich and delicious!
Lastly, do know where it’s coming from. Ask to tour facilities or how they milk and sanitize. Most home dairy cow farmers will be both proud and more than happy to show you what they have going on.
Photo by Charlotte May: https://www.pexels.com/photo/crop-person-pouring-milk-into-glass-on-table-5946720/
