To distinguish between A1 and A2 you need to understand the differences that separate these two types of milk if there are any. A1 milk is very commonly used and has a lot of supply as well. Cows of western origin such as Jersey, Holstein, and others can produce A1 milk as it contains more milk content. A2 milk is produced by cows of Indian origin such as Sahiwal or Gir and many more.
Dangers of A1 Milk Consumption in Kids
The chemical composition of both kinds of milk varies from each other a lot even though the source of both contents is obtained from cows. Both kinds of milk vary in the carbohydrate component which is known as lactose.
However, that is not what separates these two kinds of milk as their main deciding factor is their protein component which is Casein. When the protein component casein of A1 milk gets broken down, it releases Histidine. Histidine is responsible for the formation of Histamine that causes allergic reactions.
Morphine is another component that gets released from A1 milk’s break down and this is known to be the habit-forming drug that affects the central nervous system. Consequently, kids who consume this milk tend to develop allergic cough and asthma, allergy on the skin
(allergic dermatitis) and running nose or allergic rhinitis.
As A1 milk contains morphine, consuming this milk also leads to aggravated symptoms of autism and other neuro disorders like cognitive disorders and learning disabilities. The lipid metabolism of the kid will be affected and the immunity will get reduced. This can often lead to obesity as well as diabetes. Morphine also makes one constipated and Kids can develop lactose intolerance because of A1 milk.
Lear more: 5 Reasons to Consume A2 Milk
Silver Lining for Kids who have suffered from the consumption of A1 Milk
However, there is a silver lining for kids who are suffering from the consumption of A1 milk. It has been noticed among kids that once they discontinued the intake of this milk, with minimum medication, the symptoms subsided. But if they continued their milk consumption, the response to the medication became inadequate.
How to Differentiate A1 milk from A2 milk
When it comes to A2 milk, it releases proline that comes from the protein breakdown. Since the primary decision factor is the protein component, chromatography by ion exchange is an effective method to distinguish between A1 and A2 milk. Almost all the milk available in the market are A1 milk and even milk that is being marketed as A2 milk is also a combination of A1 and A2. Don’t trust organic milk because even they can also be A1 milk. You can get A2 milk from buffalo, horse, camel, goat, sheep, donkey, and others.
The points mentioned above clearly indicate that A1 milk consumption is not recommended and one should opt for A2 milk for their kids.
Other than this, there is no difference in taste or smell and you cannot tell which one is A1 and Which is A2 just by looking at it either. DNA isolation and genotype testing might be done to distinguish the two products but to do that you have to send the samples to a lab which costs a lot.
Is It Possible to Test A1 or A2 milk at home?
No, there is no simple test that you can do at your household to determine whether the milk you’re getting is A1 or A2. Since there are no apparent traits that differentiate the two apart from their protein and an amino acid component. Even with indigenous cows like Ongole, Sahiwal, Rathi, Kankrej, etc, you can get A1 milk because of the large-scale contamination of the genome defilement.
Conclusion
Milk is known to be the superfood that human needs to get essential nutrients along with crucial vitamins and minerals. Ayurveda has also cited milk to be enough for one person to live his entire life. But in recent years, adulteration and mutation in the genetics of the cows by breeding them wrongly, and poorly keeping them have led to the milk being contaminated. Now, many indigenous cows have been found to produce A1 milk so it is safe to say that most of our milk is a mixture of A1 and A2 milk.
