Know your milk

A2 or Al; vegan or dairy—which milk is best for you?

- Dr Priyanka Rohatgi

A2 milk is being popularised a lot for being healthier than A1. What is the difference between the two, and which is healthier in terms of low fat and high nutrition? Milk is regarded as a good nutritional food that provides all of the essential nutrients to the body. Casein protein accounts for 80% of protein content in milk, with the remainder being beta protein. The beta-casein milk protein has two genetic types: A1 and A2. A1 and A2 beta-casein are both present in regular milk, but A2 milk only contains A2 betacasein. The key difference between A1 and A2 is that A1 milk is derived from Jersey cows found in western European nations while A2 milk is obtained from cows of Indian origin such as Sahiwal or Gir.A1 and A2 both have different chemical compositions.

Considering the impact on health, A2 is considered as a healthier option as A1 may lead to inflammation due to release of beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) which affects digestion. Al beta-casein milk is inflammatory and can also lead to serious medical conditions like diabetes or heart problems. People have also revealed that A2 is easily digestible, causes less bloating and is healthier than A1 milk.

Should adults be consuming milk at all or can we get calcium and other milk nutrients from elsewhere?