Why A2 Milk?
One of our goals is to educate people on why we use A2 milk and how it is beneficial to your health! Regular cows’ milk is mainly composed of 3 things: whey, milk fat, and protein. The protein in milk consists mostly of 2 beta-caseins - the A1 beta-casein and the A2 beta-casein.
The A1 beta-casein is typically only found in cows’ milk. (Interesting fact - it is believed that cow milk did not contain the A1 beta-casein originally, but that it was introduced by a genetic mutation thousands of years ago.) Goat milk, sheep milk and human milk do not contain the A1 beta-casein, therefore they would all be considered A2 milk.
When regular milk that contains the A1 beta-casein reaches the small intestine, it is known to create a bioactive peptide called BCM-7. For some people, this peptide may cause irritation such as bloating, flatulence, and a sore stomach. These symptoms are commonly self diagnosed as lactose intolerance.
If you suffer from these irritations, it does not necessarily mean you are lactose intolerant – you may just be sensitive to the A1 beta-caseins that are typically found in cows’ milk. All milk in its natural state will contain lactose, so we must note that A2 milk will not work for someone who is truly lactose intolerant. Our A2 milk is free of the A1 beta-casein so it will not cause the bad reaction that may come with consuming conventional milk products.
To ensure that our milk is A1 beta-casein free, we have for the past 10 years been breeding our cows in a ‘back to roots’ manner. This means we do not have a purebred Holstein herd but a mixture of at least 5 different breeds. Each breed also comes with their own unique DNA. This has given us a massive genetic pool to choose from and it has also greatly helped to improve the health of our herd. As a bonus, we have been able to breed most of our herd to produce milk free of the A1 beta-casein, i.e. A2 Milk. To ensure that our cows are only producing A2 Milk we run a DNA test on each individual cow. All our A2 cows are kept in separate groups, and their milk is collected in separate tanks!
We take all these steps to ensure that we are providing you with a high-quality yogurt. We pride ourselves on creating a product that is not only tasty but also beneficial to our customers health!
