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A2 Milk is a trademark of the A2 Corporation. The A2 Corporation licenses milk producers + distributors to apply the trademarked A2 Milk label to their milk. Only companies with cows that produce A2, -casein protein, not A1, are given a license to use the trademarked label. A1 -casein protein is the most common protein type found in cow's milk in Europe (excluding France), the USA, Australia and New Zealand. A1 and A2 -casein are categories of proteins with different chemical structures. The A2 Corporation believes that the difference in structures is important, and has commissioned studies[1] that attempt to confirm a link between casomorphin BCM7 (produced when A1 -casein is digested) and common human illnesses, including heart disease. A genetic test, developed by the A2 Corporation, determines whether a cow produces A2 or A1 protein in its milk. The test uses hair from the cow's tail to determine this. The test allows the A2 Corporation to give licenses to milk producers once these producers prove their cows produce A2 -casein protein. A2 Milk is currently available in New Zealand, Australia and (to a much lesser extent) in the United States.
A2 Corporation on A2 milk Keith Woodford, in the book 'Devil in the milk', writes: Some thousands of years ago a genetically different strain of milk appeared, now known as 'A1' milk. The original 'A2' milk is generally produced by cattle in Africa, Asia, France and Guernsey. Goat and camel milk is also 'A2'. Cattle in other countries generally produce mainly 'A1' milk. There is only one genetic difference between A1 and A2 milk, being the amino acid at position 67 in the chain of 209 amino acids that make up beta-casein protein in milk. In the case of A1 beta-casein the amino acid at position 67 is histidine, whereas with A2 beta-casein it is the amino acid proline... However this small difference results in the milk having quite a different chemical - and perhaps physiological - effect. This is because the proline forms a strong bond with the amino acids in positions 66 and 68. In A1 milk, the histidine linkage with its neighbours is more easily broken by digestive enzymes... The breakdown of these links through digestion creates a protein fragment known as BCM7 (beta-casomorphin-7) which acts as an opiate."[2] The book also seeks to make a link between consumption of A1 milk and heart disease,[3] consumption of A2 milk and longer life expectancy,[4] as well as numerous other claims.[5][6] One of the most interesting statistical studies which continues to motivate further research is a study of heart disease rates by country with consumption of A1 milk by country. Heart disease rates do not correlate with milk consumption, but according to statistical studies they correlate very well with rates of A1 milk consumption. A researcher from the A2 milk corporation found that: The populations of Toulouse in France and Belfast in Northern Ireland have almost identical collective traditional risk factors for heart disease, yet the respective mortality rates vary more than threefold. People from Northern Ireland are estimated to consume 3.23 times more beta-casein A1 than the French. A possible mechanism for BCM-7 to increase risk of heart disease is by acting as a catalyst causing oxidation of LDL-cholesterol. These theories of the benefits of A2 milk are based on statistical correlations of populations, animal research, and/or anecdotal evidence. Scientific Scrutiny A review of the relevant scientific literature by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), published in February 2009, found that 'a cause and effect relationship is not established between the dietary intake of BCM7, related peptides or their possible protein precursors and non-communicable diseases.'[7] References External links es:Leche A2
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