The What and Why of A2 Milk: Digestion, Inflammation, and My Personal Experience

There is compelling evidence that A2 milk can make a difference for the better in people's lives. Today we'll look at what A2 milk is and why you might consider trying it in place of regular dairy milk. Heidi shares information from a Good Housekeeping article, an Ancient Nutrition article, and a Lara Briden article. 

Take Aways

• A2 milk is milk that contains only the A2 beta-casein protein.
• Most cow's milk in the United States contains both A2 and A1 beta-casein.
•  "The difference between A1 and A2 beta-casein is a single amino acid. This small variation influences how the protein is digested." -LaGrange (in Good Housekeeping) 
•  "Some people report that A2 milk causes less bloating, gas, or digestive discomfort than regular milk." Good Housekeeping
• 4 benefits according to Ancient Nutrition: Easier on digestion for some people, potential cardiovascular benefits, support for gut health, and features key nutrients, like protein. 
• Lara Briden states, "A1 beta-casein from normal cow’s dairy can be inflammatory, but only in people with the enzyme that cleaves it to the inflammatory peptide beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM7)."
• Heidi uses A2 milk instead of normal dairy milk. 
• She no longer needs to supplement with Lactaid for meals containing dairy.
• Her stomach feels good after a glass of A2 milk... that wasn't a thing for her with regular milk.

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Transcript

Episode 78: The What and Why of A2 Milk: Digestion, Inflammation, and My Personal Experience

[00:00:00] Hello, this is the Living Well with PMDD podcast. I'm your host, Heidi Bradford, certified life coach, mom of five and PMDD Survivor. Happy to have you here. This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only, and should not be considered health advice.

Hello. Thanks for joining me on the What and Why of A Two Milk. So maybe you have heard about A2 Milk, um, and its popularity is growing, or at least people's knowledge of it is growing, and I wanted to talk about that for you today , as it can help with various health issues including PMDD, weight and inflammation issues.

Before we jump in, happy Halloween. It's coming right up. And, happy [00:01:00] birthday to my youngest tomorrow. We're just so happy to have him in our family.

What is A2 milk, first off, and then why would you perhaps try it. I am gonna be referencing three different online articles.

I wanna read from you, read to you from the Good Housekeeping article.

It's titled. What is A2 milk? The truth around its growing popularity, at first glance, A2 milk looks just like regular milk with the same creamy texture and familiar taste. But under the surface, there's a key difference that could potentially influence how your body processes it.

For some people, it could make all the difference when it comes to digestion. While milk contains several proteins, it is most abundant in casein. Within that there are two types of beta-casein: A1 and [00:02:00] A2.

Veronique LaGrange, who is an MS, and a PhD director of the California Dairy Innovation Center, she says A2 milk refers to cow's milk that contains only the A2 type of beta-casein: protein, rather than a mix of a one and a two Proteins that are usually found in regular milk.

She adds that the difference comes down to the genetics of the cows. Certain breeds, like Guernsey and jersey, naturally produce more A2 protein while Holstein and Friesian cows common in the US tend to produce more A1 protein. A registered dietician, Francis Large Roth. Her contribution to this article, she says that A2 milk is made by selectively breeding cows that produce only the A2 protein. Farmers test cows through hair, blood, or [00:03:00] tissue samples to determine which proteins they produce.

So why, try A2 milk? And again, I'm gonna read from this article, some people report that A2 milk causes less bloating, gas, or digestive discomfort than regular milk. That may be because of how the A1 protein behaves during digestion.

According to Largeman-Roth, when A2 beta-casein is broken down in the body, it can release a compound called BCM-7 (beta-casomorphin-7). BCM-7 may contribute to digestive symptoms like gas and cramping. She explains A2 protein doesn't produce BCM-7, which may make it easier to digest for some people.

LaGrange also notes that the difference between A1 and A2 beta-casein is a single amino acid. This small variation influences how the protein [00:04:00] is digested. She says.

Okay, let me get back to the article. An alarm went off on my phone. She notes that the, uh, variation influences how the protein is digested, and some research researchers believe that difference could help explain why A2 milk might be better tolerated by certain individuals.

However, the evidence isn't definitive yet. The positive results seen in animal studies haven't always translated into human trials. And then she talks about some different studies and then they clarify. Is A2 milk lactose free? No, lactose is a naturally occurring sugar in milk and A2 milk contains it just like regular milk.

How does A2 milk compare nutritionally, it's essentially the same as regular milk. It has the same amount of protein, calcium, vitamins, and essential nutrients. The only difference is the type of beta-casein protein it [00:05:00] contains. Both A2 milk and regular milk offer about eight grams of high quality protein per cup.

Which qualifies them as a good source of protein according to the FDA guidelines.

This one is from ancient nutrition. A2 milk refers to cow's milk that contains only the A2 beta-casein protein rather than both A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins.

Most milk on the market contains both proteins, but some research suggests that A2 protein may be easier to digest for certain individuals.

Uh, a little bit further here, the primary difference between A1 and A2 milk lies in the structure of the beta-casein proteins. A1 milk contains the A1 beta-casein protein, which differs from A2 protein by one amino acid, while seemingly minor for some people, this small difference can affect how the body processes the protein during [00:06:00] digestion.

A2 milk only has the A2 protein, and at some point, dairy cows started producing both the A1 and the A2, protein., the primary difference about a one versus a two, being , the structure of the beta-casein protein.

While more studies need to be conducted, several studies suggest that individuals who experienced discomfort after consuming regular milk may feel better when switching to A2 Milk. One study even found that participants who drank A2 milk experienced significantly less occasional bloating, gas and abdominal discomfort compared to those who consumed A1 milk.

So the benefits of A2 milk, according to this article in ancient nutrition is one, it's easier on digestion for some people. Two, it's potential cardiovascular benefits. [00:07:00] There's emerging evidence suggesting that BCM-7 from A1 milk may have negative impacts on the cardiovascular system.

Although research is still ongoing, some studies indicate that A2 milk, which doesn't produce BCM could be a better alternative for supporting cardiovascular health. A third benefit: support for gut health. A two milk might contribute to overall gut health by being more compatible with the digestive system.

Research into A2 milk and gut microbiota is ongoing, but some of the current findings suggest that it may be less likely to disrupt digestion. A fourth benefit, it features some key nutrients, including protein.

In an article that Lara Briden published titled The Inflammation from A1 Milk is Mind Boggling.

Before I go on, I should tell you just a little bit about Lara Briden.

She is a naturopathic doctor and a [00:08:00] bestselling author. She has 30 years of experience in women's health and she sees patients in Christchurch, New Zealand currently. She treats women with PCOS and any number of, uh, women's health issues, just so you know why I am referring to her in all of this.

I'm gonna read you a bit of this. A1 beta-casein from normal cow's dairy can be inflammatory, but only for people with the enzyme that cleaves it to the inflammatory peptide beta-casomorphin-7 or (BCM7). A2 casein from goat, sheep and A2 cow Dairy is usually fine. Not all cows produce A1 beta-casein. It comes from Holstein and Friesian cows, who are the dominant breeds in Western Europe, north America, and Australia. Dairy cows in Africa, Asia, Iceland, and Southern Europe make milk [00:09:00] with mostly A2 casein.

Those countries have a lower incidence of the conditions discussed below. Milk that has predominantly or exclusively A2 casein is fine for most people. And then she says, I find this in my clinic again and again. Goat's milk is A2 and so is milk from jersey cows. Dairy products that are mostly fat, such as butter are also fine.

And then, um, she outlines some conditions that are affected by A1 casein and dairy products. The A1 beta casein is potentially a trigger for type one diabetes. It is also highly implicated in coronary. Art, sorry. Coronary artery disease and autoimmune disease, A1 beta casein may also play a role in autism and schizophrenia.

In fact, casomorphin is more damaging to the brain than the gliadorphin from gluten. Casomorphin’s drug-like effect explains why it [00:10:00] worsens anxiety and mood disorders and causes cravings for dairy and sugar. Okay, so if you're like me and you have PMDD or premenstrual exacerbation of some other underlying disorder or disease, this could be a game changer for you.

For real. It really, really could. She also says that the inflammation from A1 beta-casein can cause lymphatic congestion, metabolic suppression, and weight gain. It can also worsen acne, eczema, upper respiratory infections, asthma and allergies. Finally, A1 beta-casein can stimulate mast cells in the gut and cause digestive problems and lactose intolerance.

A2 milk is usually fine. She says, I've made the clinical observation that A1 casein can drive or worsen endometriosis, and I believe it does so because of its inflammatory [00:11:00] immune disrupting effect. Um, and she goes on to talk about some people are fine with dairy and that's because they do not have the enzyme that forms, beta-casomorphin-7.

There's no blood test and it's not an allergy. Instead, you just have to try avoiding A1 dairy and see how you feel.

I wanna give you, in closing, my personal experience with this. About a year ago, I heard from Lara Brighton about A2 milk. I was at the time using lactaid with meals that contained a lot of dairy like noodles with Alfredo sauce or, mashed potatoes. We use a lot of butter and milk in our mashed potatoes. So I would just take a lactaid with it. Now, I don't have a lactaid intolerance, but I had found that sometimes I get the runs after having dairy [00:12:00] and it would happen on trips.

And I finally connected the dots that we would get a milkshake at a restaurant and then I would need to go to the bathroom really bad and. Not just pee. So, you know, not, not very nice to do on the side of the road. It was very, very urgent. And because my son had started using lactaid tablets because of some digestive issues, I thought maybe I should just try that. And so I was trying that and it seemed to help. But then I heard about A2 milk, and I started trying that.

What it does for me is when I use A2 milk for, cereal in the morning,

if I did that, then I could still have some cheese and I could still have butter on toast and those type of things, as long as I didn't have too [00:13:00] much of the regular dairy. I was fine.

Then I started drinking a glass of A2 milk with lunch or sometimes with dinner, and it gave my, my stomach such a calming effect. It just made my, stomach feel so good.

What I can tell you from my experience is that it allows me to still have other dairy products because I'm not overdoing the regular dairy products that have both A1 and A2. At least that's how I interpret it. Um, or decrease my frequency. I can have a little bit every day or I can go a day or two without, and then have kind of a lot on one day and just eliminating the A1, the normal dairy milk itself seems to provide whatever my body [00:14:00] needs to not create that, negative effect of digestive issues, and needing to go to the bathroom a lot.

And then it just feels so good in my stomach.

I'm haven't been a big milk drinker, but I'll have a glass or two, um, per week. So I don't, I don't drink it every day. I do have it on cereal a few times a week as well.

Thanks for joining me.

Thanks so much for listening to the Living Well with PMDD podcast. To learn more about life coaching with me, visit my website Heidi, H-E-I-D-I, bradford coaching.com. Until next time, keep hoping, keep loving, and remember that you are not alone.