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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Understanding Milk: The A1/A2 Difference

There is an array of confusing and subjective food labels in stores—Prime, Choice or Select beef, Grade A or Grade B maple syrup, free range or pastured eggs, etc. These labels are all based on a human making a subjective assessment of the product. The lines that divide each are blurry. When it comes to milk, the A2 label is objective and scientific. 

A2 milk is milk that contains 100 percent A2 beta-casein protein. It’s a genetic thing. The farmer takes a cow’s hair sample and sends it to a lab. The lab results show whether the cow produces 100 percent A2 milk, a mix of A1/A2 milk, or 100 percent A1 milk. It’s objective. The line is clear.

All mammals—humans, sheep, goats, dogs, camels, mice, whales, lions, platypuses, etc.—produce milk that contains 100 percent A2 beta-casein protein. As mammals, it’s what we’re born to digest. It’s natural. However, the situation with cows is unique. A few thousand years ago, there was a genetic mutation in cows in Europe (this was probably due to the stress of farming becoming industrialized). This mutation made cows produce a new type of beta-casein protein—A1. Those European cows made their way to the United States. Now, any milk bought in an American supermarket will be A1/A2, organic or not. 

Every body is different. It seems that some bodies can handle the A1 beta-casein protein, some cannot tolerate it at all, and some don’t have obvious allergy-like symptoms but A1 is the underlying cause of chronic issues. Research so far shows that consuming A1 beta-casein protein can cause a variety of issues.

The A1 beta-casein protein breaks down into a peptide called BCM7. As stated in an article in the Indian Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, “BCM7 is suggested to be associated as a risk factor for human health hazards as it can potentially affect numerous opioid receptors in the nervous, endocrine and immune system.” The list of chronic health issues related to BCM7 is long and varied. It includes type-1 diabetes, heart disease, SIDS, autism, schizophrenia and gastrointestinal problems.

A2 milk has nothing to do with lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is when the body either does not produce or does not produce enough lactase. Lactase is the enzyme the body uses to breakdown lactose, the sugar in milk. Raw milk naturally has lactase in it, so that may be the solution for folks whose bodies produce little lactase. But A2 milk will not help. However, if you have a general intolerance to milk, A2 could be the solution.

Information in this article was provided by Amish BioFarm, located at 523 Valley Road, Quarryville, PA. For information, email [email protected] or call 717-786-7895, ext. 0, or visit AmishBioFarm.com.


Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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