Yeh A1, A2 kya hai?

Those of us who grew up in 1980s and 1990s will remember drinking at least two glasses of milk every day of our childhood We were told it is good for the bones and can make us taller and stronger Sometimes it didnrsquot agree with the gut This was the only time mothers exempted young adult children from breaking the compulsory milk regimeAdults are inherently lactose intolerant says food historian and archaeologist Kurush Dalal ldquoBut Indians became a dominant gene pool who could digest it Over time we changed the biochemical property of milk by turning it into chaas ghee and other products like mithai With this we managed to lessen the effect of raw lactose on our gutrdquo he adds In the past few years our relationship with milk has been influenced by lifestyle quality of milk veganism and even environmental and moral choicesSheetal Bhatt owner of Haritt Farms launched GOD Cafe in Dadar this year to promote a menu revolving around A2 milkWith gut earning the status of second brain and as the epicentre of wellbeing A2 milk has been promoted as a gutfriendly choice of milk This was amplified by numerous research papers that pitted A2 against A1mdashboth protein elements responsible for lactose intolerance in the body A2 is a type of milk protein Around 39 per cent of protein in milk is Beta casein A1 and A2 are genetic variants of this beta casein A1 milk which is the most commonly used milk and is abundantly available is obtained from cows of Western origin such as Bos Taurus Holstein freisian or Jerseys and is known to yield a large quantity of milk The A2 milk is obtained by the cows of Indian origin like Gir and Sahiwal Although both are sourced from cows the two milks vary in terms of the chemical compositionldquoIn the Indian context all milk produced by buffaloes native cows goats sheep and camels is A2 Even milk from the exotic cross breeds of Holstein Friesian and jerseys have a large portion of A2rdquo says Kuldeep Sharma dairy expert Suruchi Consultants in Noida ldquoExperts claim that more than 90 per cent of the milk available in the market is A2 type A2 under current context is nothing more than a fadrdquoNeeraj Mittalrsquos Mr Milk does not procure milk from thirdparty sources and has a single source working modelHe points out that the growing interest in A2 milk has been bolstered by social media and extensive promotion of native cows ldquoThough 55 per cent of milk available in India is buffalo milk which is A2 nobody is interested in calling as well as consuming that as A2 Perception is the only realityrdquo says SharmaIncidentally there is no scientific evidence that A2 is better than A1 The scientific panel of FSSAI is yet to find anything ldquospecialrdquo in A2 milk ldquoMilk is the first food for life If we could have digested it at a time when even our digestive system was not fully developed whatrsquos the issue later However in certain cases there may be lactose intolerance so they may avoid it or take lactosefree milksrdquo Sharma points out ldquoA2 milk is the biggest con in Indiardquo Dalal says without mincing words ldquoThere is no such thing as A1 or A2 in milk After that one tall claim what followed was a bunch of papers debunking this theory toordquo Dalal explainsKurush DalalProponents assert that A2 has several health benefits and is easier for people with milk intolerance to digest ldquoIt A2 milk comes closest to motherrsquos milk ldquo says Neeraj Mittal of Punersquos Mittal Happy Cows Dairy Farms who launched his brand Mr Milk in Mumbai three months ago Mr Milk does not procure milk from thirdparty sources and has a single source working model ldquoEven people with lactose intolerance can have it In India adulteration of milk has created a concern in the last two decades Usually milk corporations collect milk from various milk farms and thus adulteration cannot be controlled Cows are sometimes injected with hormones to yield higher quantities toordquo says Mittal The entry of single origin farms like Mittalrsquos are focusing on the traceability of milk to its origin ldquoIf we can source our food to origin why not milkrdquo Single milk farms promise you purity which is also a big concern for new mothers conscious consumers and HNIs he explains On their Lonavala farm spread across 85 acres they breed Gir and Sahiwal The cows are housed according to the life stage they are inmdashwhether they are milking or nonmilking The calves are kept close to them ldquoWe like to keep them in luxury We have a massaging unit Their fodder is recommended by expertsrdquoNeeraj MittalAt the centre of the debate is the quality of milk with consumers having no scope to verify its authenticity ldquoConsumers are also taking pride in buying stories than the actual product If you visit an automated plant you will never find a place to put your hand inside the tank However by simply using milking machines if someone claims the untouched theory that is just good storytelling Whatever said the milk from any FSSAIregistered known brand is hardly different from the milk being sold by so many new players with or without farms We must not forget that milk is a commodity and it will remain sordquo says SharmaMilk becomes dubious when it is adulterated beyond permitted levels and cows are pumped with chemicallyinduced hormones to produce more milk says Sheetal Bhatt owner of Haritt Farms ldquoWe rear Gir Cow to produce A2 milk that has up to 90 per cent protein and only 58 per cent fats The SNF level of our milk is 89 compared to A1 strains that barely reach 74 with additives No water is added to thin this milkrdquo says Bhatt who opened GOD Cafeacute in Dadar to promote a menu revolving around A2 milk On her farm milking is done by hand ldquoWe feed our cows four times a day as per body weight and add Ayurvedic herbs like ashwagandha jestimadh arjunsal shatavari jivanti and vardhara to their fodder Nonintrusive care includes promoting natural mating without artificial insemination no administration of calcium or allopathy medicinesrdquo she explainsExplaining the effect of A1 and A2 milk on the body Karishma Chawla nutritionist and lifestyle educator says ldquoA2 is easier to digest than A1 and prevents bloating gas by virtue of being free of BCM7 which is a bio active amino peptide that is released by digestive enzymes from A1beta casein unlike the case of A1 which causes gastro discomfortrdquoFor those who are not lactose intolerant both A2 and A1 are fine to consume thinks Chawla She also adds that dairy is a common gut irritant food by itself and if one is intolerant the problem will persist ldquoDairy can also spike insulin and causes inflammation like acne in some with hormonal imbalances That is why we give plantbased milk such as almond and coconut milk To get to the crux of the milk debate I say just one thing depend on bioindividuality one personrsquos food is anotherrsquos poison Today we understand the human anatomy better The hot topic is Gut Microbiome Test It helps determine if bacterial cells are functioning well in the organrdquo says ChawlaDalal leaves us with a parting thought ldquoMilk cannot be bad if it is meant to nourish even a newborn For vegetarians it is the only source of B12 complex If you say milk is morally bad to consume then thatrsquos a separate and sustainable argument But milk per se being bad is a theory that doesnrsquot hold Pop a lactose intolerant pill if needed and enjoy itrdquoDoodh mein kuch kala haiThe reasons for giving up dairy are varied body intolerance environment ethics and lifestyle choice Author of Reversing Diabetes in 21 Days Dr Nandita Shah says ldquoNo animal consumes its motherrsquos milk after infancy The reasons that we should not consume cowrsquos milk ismdashwe are neither calves nor infants We do not need milk or other dairy either for protein or for calcium We get plenty of fibre from plants which keeps a digestive tract clean and constipationfreerdquo she says adding ldquoIn order to digest dairy we need an enzyme in our stomach called rennet This is present in the stomach of infants and most of us do not have this enzyme anymore Therefore most of us cannot digest milk and are lactose intolerant This can cause indigestionrdquo