Oh, this is real and a little scary but! Now we can do something about it. Namely, support small farmers giving us milk and ask the government to please REVISE dairy regulations to common-sense, useful regulations that really do protect the consumer.
Here’s some info from a like-minded blogger:
“However, from a health standpoint, it might be a good idea to get rid of our Holstein dairy cows and replace them with heritage breeds. Why? The Devil in the Milk. Holsteins have milk that has a much higher percentage of casein protein as A1 casein than heritage breeds. Evidence is accumulating that A1 casein may cause or contribute to a variety of health problems. Human milk and goat milk is all A2 casein and heritage breeds have about 90% or more A2 casein in their milk. Holsteins typically have about 50-70% of milk casein as A1.”
Here’s an email I received from Lauren at Chelsea Green Books:
We thought you might be interested in this important new book that outlines the dangers of A1 milk (from cow’s) and supports the movement towards A2 milk (sheep and goat milk).
In Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health, and the Politics of A1 and A2 Milk, Keith Woodford brings together startling evidence from more than 100 scientific papers and population studies to reveal a connection between the consumption of ordinary A1 milk and serious health problems including heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, autism, and schizophrenia. This evidence is linked to an unlikely villain: a tiny protein fragment found in milk that contains A1 beta-casein. This same protein is missing from A2 milk.
This controversial discovery is not just about the health issues surrounding A1 milk, but how scientific evidence can be molded and withheld, and how consumer choices are influenced by the interests of corporate business.
“Devil in the Milk is a monumental study, convincingly laid out, and one that demands our immediate attention. If Woodford is correct, which I have no doubt he is, the effects of drinking milk from A1 cows is a piece of the puzzle that needs to be addressed.” –from the Foreword by Thomas Cowan, MD.
Read an Excerpt from the book regarding Autism
So drink up!
Peace,
Breann
May 9, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Of course even Holsteins can be bred to be fully A2. See The Bovine’s review of Keith Woodford’s book: http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/dairy-science-as-if-people-mattered-devil-in-the-milk-the-a1-a2-factor/
May 9, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Right you are, sir. Any breed of cattle could be bred to A2. Holsteins just usually aren’t grass-fed producers breed of choice. But the breed could be improved upon and has the potential to be the excellent breed of cattle that they once were.
Thanks for your input,
Breann
May 13, 2009 at 1:32 am
Wonder if this A1 milk contributes to lactose intolerance in humans. I can’t drink cow’s milk because of this, and even yogurt is something that I can’t take too much of, and I really love yogurt. *Sigh*
May 13, 2009 at 2:33 am
It absolutely contributes to lactose intolerance, in my personal experience. Humans aren’t able to digest the A1 protein which builds up the lactose sugars, something like that. I don’t understand all the science but I do know that I have been lactose intolerant all my life, like most of Cherokee or Native American descent esp. when mixed with a sensitive Irish stomach, and I can drink A2 milk. I’m drinking it right now as a matter of fact.
But I would only recommend raw, because of the enzyme factor.
-Breann
May 29, 2009 at 12:07 pm
My husband and I have been looking for Raw Milk for a good year now. It is against the law to sell it. That is so upsetting that I would have to break the law to feed my family a healthy milk. So if anyone has the raw unpasteurized milk for sale….let me know.