The A2 milk fad and why its irrelevant in India

 

 

 

There’s a lot of #marketing #gimmick going around in the name of #A2milk and #consumers are #misinformed on this topic. Currently, A2 milk is marketed as a #healthier #choice than regular #milk.

After the marketing efforts put in for differentiating their milk, now people have started branding milk from local breed cows (or #desi #cows) as A2 and there is a complete eco-system of testing equipment supplier, certification agencies, etc which has sprung up to support the cause!

These people assert that A2 has several #health #benefits and is easier for people with #milk #intolerance to digest. Which is not #completely #correct. Further, the situation does not affect to a country like #India at all. Let’s look at the facts to understand the real truth:

1.   Difference between A1 & A2 Milk:

#Casein is the largest group of #proteins in milk, making up about 80% of total protein content. There are several types of casein in milk; #Beta-casein is the second most prevalent and exists in around 15 different forms. The two most common forms are:

• A1 beta-casein. Milk from breeds of cows that originated in northern Europe (particularly Western Highlands) is generally high in A1 beta-casein.
• A2 beta-casein. In rest of the cow breeds, A2 beta-casein is higher.

Regular milk contains both A1 and A2 beta-casein.

Now what makes A1 beta-casein the villain?

 It is found that there is susceptibility of A1 β-casein to hydrolysis by digestive enzymes to produce physiologically active Beta-casomorphin-7 (#BCM-7), an opioid #peptide released during the digestion of A1 beta-casein.

2.   Whether A1 milk is bad for health?

Studies have not found BCM-7 in the blood of healthy adults who drink cow’s milk, but a few tests indicate that BCM-7 may be present in infants. While BCM-7 has been extensively researched, its overall health effects remain unclear. (Refer research reports in this regard: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3958290/) 

There are no reports as yet to show that after consuming A1 milk in human, BCM-7 is released in intestine. Secondly, there is no proof that nascent BCM-7 is absorbed intact across the intestine and enters in blood circulation. There is also no evidence to suggest that consumption of A2 type milk would provide protection or sparing effects from particular diseases.

There’s also talk about indigestion issues with A1 milk and #Lactose #intolerance, which is the inability to fully digest milk sugar (lactose). However, the amount of lactose in A1 and A2 milk is the same. In fact, studies indicate that milk components other than lactose may cause digestive discomfort.

3.   What kind of milk is produced in India; is it A1 or A2?

Several surveys have shown that A1 / A2 frequency is not #breed-specific but #area-specific. For example, in North America and North Europe A1 frequency in Holstein Friesen (HF) breed cow is very high (> 90%) but in German HF A2 frequency is high (97 %).

During research, the association of A1 causing gene was found to be stronger in #high #altitude countries, such as North America and North Europe. India is not high altitude and has radically distinct socio-economic attributes. So these results cannot be extrapolated to India and the controversy for us stops there only.

National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR) confirmed that A2 gene frequency in Indian breeds of cattle is around 98 % (almost 100 % in major milk breeds), whereas all the buffalo breeds studied were found to be of A2A2 type. Their further work in screening samples of HF, Jersey and crossbred bulls used in AI program also showed that these were predominantly carrying A2 allele.

Further, we need to understand that import of live animals is not allowed in the country and we have been #cross-breeding #local #breeds of cows with imported semen through a set process and standards as laid down in the breeding policy of the country.

So it is preposterous to brand exotic cows as bad. We also need to understand that, due to genetic improvement over years; there has been significant improvement in yield of these cows, while we have failed as a country even to maintain the #high-yielding cows, forget improving their yields.

For a moment, even if we consider all the claims made by A2 lobby regarding ill-effects of A1 beta-casein; considering the contribution of buffalo, indigenous cows and crossbred population in India’s milk pool and based on the assumption that β-casein is 45% of total protein and that around 25% of the β-casein may be from A1 cows, the average consumption of A1 milk in India would be around 0.24 g / day; an insignificant amount to make any impact. When the average milk consumption per capita itself is so low, let #Indians #drink #milk #first! 

Hope this clarifies the doubts about A2 milk in India and clears many #misconceptions.