What is A2A2 Milk?

There’s a lot of great information out there about the benefits of drinking A2A2 milk. Unfortunately there’s a good deal of confusion too. We’ve had our farm family ask for particulars on exactly what is different about A2A2 milk, and we’re happy to share this knowledge! 

The short answer: A2A2 milk comes from cows that produce only the A2 protein and no A1 protein.

The long answer: Every mammal on the planet makes milk which contains fats, carbs, and proteins. These milk proteins consist of two types:  1) Whey and 2) Casein.

Casein makes up around 80% of the protein in cow’s milk.

There are also Casein sub-types. One of these sub-types, called Beta-Casein, makes up about 30% of the protein in cow’s milk.

All mammals - humans, sheep, goats, dogs, camels, mice, whales, lions, platypuses, etc - produce milk that contains 100% A2 beta-casein protein. As mammals, it’s what we’re born to digest. It’s natural.

With the exception of cows.

Cows can have THREE forms of Beta-Casein: A1, A2, and a combo A1/A2.

This is quite strange.

How can it be that only domesticated cattle of all the mammals on the planet have more than one Casein genetic factor?

 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, most milk you buy in an American supermarket will be A1/A2.

What We Do Know: 

• A1 milk is a byproduct of a genetic mutation.
• A1 cows give this A1 gene to their offspring and A2 cows give this A2 gene to their offspring.
• We test the Beta-Casein in cows and determine if it is A1, A2, or A1/A2.
• The molecular structure of A2A2 milk more closely resembles that of most all other mammals on the planet including human breast milk, which explains why our bodies find it easier to digest.

 What about lactose sensitivities?

Raw milk naturally has beneficial microbes that kickstart your body to produce lactase, so that may be the perfect solution for folks whose bodies are simply sensitive to dairy.

A2A2 Milk and You

If your body is sensitive to the foreign A1 protein, you may have encountered a host of chronic issues. Inflammation, Type 1 diabetes, and heart disease are just a few health troubles that research has shown were helped by switching to A2A2 milk. 

Will drinking A1 milk hurt you? Maybe, maybe 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.

At the end of the day, it's about you. Drink whatever milk your body is most comfortable with.

It's important to remember that whether milk is A2A2 or not is just one factor among a host of important things to check when purchasing raw milk.

At Brenneman Farms, our dairy products are 100% raw. Our cows live outdoors with sunshine, cool breezes, fresh water, and exercise. They eat grass never sprayed with glyphosates, herbicides, or pesticides.

What do you think about A2A2 Milk?

Share your experiences with consuming A2A2 milk!