Lactose intolerant? Try A2 milk.

Lactose intolerance is a very common ailment in America; I'm sure you know someone that is lactose intolerant, or you are yourself! I have been lactose intolerant since the second grade (I'm a junior in college now, so it has been a while without dairy).

For those of us who can't drink milk but still love the way it tastes over other dairy free alternatives, we may have found the answer to all of our stomach aches!

Lets start from the beginning.

Cow's milk contains different types of proteins, and the most prevalent protein in milk is called beta-casein. Beta-casein has two forms; A1 and A2. Most milk contains a mixture of the two (roughly 60% A2 and 40% A1). Beta-casein is a great source of amino acids, which are essential for our health and well being!

Tens of thousands of years ago, cows only produced the A2 beta-casein protein (from now on, I'm just going to call A2 beta-casein A2). But, around 8,000 years ago, there was a genetic mutation in milk producing cows that resulted in the formation of A1. As milk producers started to breed different types of cows together, this A1 gene became the dominant gene in milk producing cows.

The A1 protein has been associated with increased stomach issues and GI symptoms, which are very similar to the symptoms people with lactose intolerance get after consuming dairy.

So...are people lactose intolerant or A1 beta-casein intolerant?

Published research has shown that some cows only have the A2 protein, meaning their milk contains no A1 protein. This would make it so people who originally thought they were intolerant to lactose could enjoy milk again, symptom free. This is why some people who are lactose intolerant are able to drink goats milk, because goats milk only contains the A2 protein. This means that the inflammation and symptoms caused by A1 wouldn't be an issue!

Studies show that people who think they have lactose intolerance can drink A2 milk with no symptoms.

How cool is that? Dairy lovers rejoice!

A company called a2 milk has hand picked cows that only produce the A2 protein, which means these cows are not genetically altered. They just found cows that naturally produce A2 only, and they have bred them together so the mutant A1 isn't present.

The a2 brand has their milk for sale in grocery stores! The milk is about $1.99 per carton, and there are coupons on their website (https://www.a2milk.com/) that can bring the price down even more! Ellen has found their milk at Stop and Shop and Target!

Would you try A2 milk? Have you thought you were lactose intolerant and missed drinking milk? This could be a way to finally enjoy your favorite drink again!