Food Intolerance- A digestive system response, which occurs when something in food irritates a person’s digestive system, making it hard to properly digest that food.
And, when we talk about food and intolerance in one sentence, first thing that comes up is lactose intolerance.
Lactose is a form of sugar present in dairy that make it difficult to be digested by a lot of people. Our bodies use an enzyme called lactase to break down that sugar so we can absorb it into our bodies, lacking which causes such condition, resulting in diarrhea, gas and bloating.
Interestingly, there’s one more intolerance with milk- casein intolerance. Casein is the major protein found in milk, and also contains a form of amino acid which when broken down turns into beta-casomorphin, known for its adverse effects in the gastronomical tract.
Solution: Limit your dairy consumption or stop it altogether.
Come on! Milk has so many benefits. Provides 8gm of protein in a single cup and so many micronutrients like calcium, phosphorus, B vitamins, potassium and vitamin D. How can one remove such a beneficial thing from the diet?
Well, that’s where plant-based options of milk have taken prominence.
Soy milk has been there for a long time now because of being high in protein.
Almond, oat and coconut milk are adding up to the trend by providing vegan alternative to dairy and also numerous benefits, essentially fighting off lactose and casein intolerance.
Everything’s great. But it’s hard to think of milk and dairy separately. Isn’t there any option of having cow milk and also fight off lactose intolerance?
Here comes the commercial solution- lactose-free milk.
It’s regular cow milk but added with lactase to support the digestion. It has nearly the same taste and nutrient profile as regular milk. But this only solves problem of lactose intolerance and not casein intolerance.
Saving the best for the last.
There’s one option that has been there ever since but distorted knowledge overshadowed its importance. Now it has finally started to get the attention because of demand from foreign nations as well.
It’s cow milk only, but from the indigenous cow breeds of India. What is generally considered milk is actually sourced from hybrid, Holstein and jersey cows, milk of which contains A1 beta casein protein, whereas milk of indigenous cows has A2 beta casein protein. Difference lies in the fact that the casein discussed above is A1 beta casein, which causes harmful effects to the digestive system and causes intolerance, whereas A2 beta casein has been reported to have even anti-cancer properties. The A2 milk, as it is known, is by default lactose-free milk, produced naturally.
Understanding the difference between A1 and A2 milk is of utmost importance to make clean lifestyle choices. A2 milk should be the primary choice, but due to its limited availability, one should then go for plant-based options. Got milk, eh?
