Got milk!

The quest for food  continues.  It is puzzling how in the most overfed nation in the world, food that contains nutrition becomes more and more elusive.

Some months ago I became aware of one element of milk production which can make a huge difference in the nutritional profile for human consumption.  That element is the food ingested by the cattle.

Of course we have known for years that over use of antibiotics and steroids in the dairy business had rendered supermarket milk almost an environmental toxin.  We've been told that dairy is a cause of allergy, that dairy is not for adults, and that full fat dairy can contribute to obesity and coronary disease. We have all been studiously avoiding too much dairy, and have been seeking out "organic" (even when "organic" is a less desirable set of characteristics than certain other farming practices than say "certified naturally grown" or even just any conscientious farmer's practices with no label attached).   So years have gone past and I myself have consumed very little dairy, except that I do insist on butter on my popcorn or the occasional toast and egg breakfast.

Enter Whole Foods market, month of February, 2010.  Dairy aisle.  Glass bottles of milk that proclaim "grass fed."  Hmmm.  Sounds familiar.  Dr. Mercola had written about the benefits of grass fed dairy and some part of his reasoning stayed with me.  Into my basket went the glass bottle.  At home, drank a half a glass.  I haven't drunk milk as a beverage since probably 1979.  Good stuff.  Unfortunately, the next week, there was none.  That was stage one--the rediscovery that milk can taste good and not wreak havoc on the digestive system.  So, its not the milk that is causing human intestinal distress...milk is innocent.  It's what goes into the milk.  Grain fed cattle have an altered body chemistry (hence the heavy methane production that people debate about).  Their milk is not fit for human consumption.  Now imagine trying to feed protein to a cow.  You are asking for poison.  The grain and the protein consist largely of corn and now, increasingly, soybean and soy by products.  You know what the thinking is on soy.  It is self evident that we are poisoning our cows and our selves with this soy nonsense.

Weeks went by, and I sought out more milk intelligence.

Stage two.  Get this.  A1 versus A2 milk.  This is more complex, but the science is solid.  Imagine the older breeds of cattle that would give, at most, 4 gallons of milk per day.  These cattle exist in the third world and in areas like the Channel Islands that have always protected their dairying heritage.  Bless them.  So think southern Asia, Africa, and rural Europe, with isolated pockets elsewhere.  The older breeds most familiar to us are the red  or brown cows, the Jerseys and Guernseys.

Now imagine what you see when you drive past a dairy.  If there are any cows outside at all (rare), they are most likely superbreeds like Holsteins.  Holstein milkers can yield 10 gallons of milk per day.  Holsteins are among the newer breeds that have been selectively bred to produce more milk.  Unfortunately, they also have a variation of a gene which alters the way protein can be utilized in the human digestion and metabolism.  This genetically aberrant cow produces beta casein of the A1 type, while the older breeds of cattle produce beta casein of the A2 type.  This is important.  Read this passage from "The Bovine."

-The type of proteins in milk, and the proportion of various proteins, varies depending on the breed of cow and the type of animal (sheep, goat, cow, etc.).

One of the major proteins in cow’s milk is casein, the predominant variety of which is called beta-casein. In older breeds of cows, such as Jersey, Asian and African cows (called A2 cows), the beta-casein contains an amino acid called proline.

In newer breeds of cows like Holstein (A1 cows), however, the proline has mutated into an amino acid called histidine.

This is important because beta-casein also contains an amino acid called BCM-7, which is a powerful opiate linked to negative health effects. Well, the proline that exists in A2 cows has a strong bond to BCM-7, which helps keep it out of the cows’ milk. The histidine in the newer A1 cows, however, has a weak hold on BCM-7, which allows it to get into the milk, and also into the people who drink the milk.

So the theory goes that by drinking milk from A1 cows, which are the predominant cows used for dairy products in the United States, you’re exposed to BCM-7, which has been linked to:

• Neurological impairment, including autistic and schizophrenic changes
• Type 1 diabetes
• An impaired immune response
• Autoimmune disease
• Heart disease…

Hmmm.

Have you seen any milk labelled "A2" at the grocery store yet?  I haven't.  I resolved to find some.   End of stage two.

Stage three.  My quest to find commercially available A2 milk led me to another discovery.  Ages-old wisdom is being awakened with the new-again discovery of "raw" milk.  The importance of unprocessed milk has two significant parts.  

The first part of this science has to do with the "raw" state of non-pasteurized milk.  Straight from the cow, not heated at a high temp, means that the natural proteins are not altered and that the naturally occurring enzymes and not destroyed.  It also means that beneficial bacteria, (YES, bacteria, now popularly known as probiotics) survive to benefit those who ingest raw milk.  Raw milk sales had been made illegal in many states, but there are movements growing to re-introduce this option and heritage for consumers who want it.

The second part of this science has to do with homogenization.  That's right, mechanical homogenization may be a villain, too.  The fat particles are broken into such small pieces that they are changed in character.  The small particles can pass through some cell walls much more easily than your body can deal with them.  This issue is under intense study and I think it very interesting that larger, natural fat particles may be more healthy for the human body than tiny micro blobs.  Healthy fats can provide a sense of satiety that is not found with ingestion of processed foods.  No mystery there.  

Ok, so the great experiment is on.  I've been able to get farm fresh milk, milk products, and even grass fed beef for three weeks now, thanks to a farm share program.  It is marvelous to see the cream floating on the top of the milk, and to not be nauseated by the taste of factory farmed beef.    We get marvelous orange-yolked eggs, childhood-memory tangy cottage cheese, and we have tried both ground beef and steak.  We might become weekly beef eaters!  Never imagined that would happen.  

Healthwise it will be interesting to see what happens.  I'm going to ask for a cholesterol test next time I have a checkup!  I feel energetic and healthy, can swim for miles, it seems, and it seems I eat much less since the food I am ingesting has a pleasant taste and a naturally filling effect.    I think I am going to be a good experiment.



© [BBrezvan] and [Thoughts for food], [2010]. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to [BBrezvan] and [Thoughts for food] with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.