a2 Milk

Millions of Americans avoid drinking milk because of how it affects their digestive system. In most cases, they claim the problem is lactose intolerance. However, there’s growing evidence that the problem for many people may be due more to protein sensitivity.

A2 Milk is a New Zealand-based dairy company that produces and sells milk that they claim is easier on the digestive system. All of the company’s milk comes from cows that only produce the A2 protein, rather than a mix of A1 and A2 proteins like most dairy cows.

According to the a2 Milk Company, all of its farms in the United States are Validus certified for better animal welfare. The company tests the DNA of their cows to ensure that they only produce milk with A2 proteins, and they also test their milk after production. For dairies with multiple breeds, all a2 Milk cows are milked separately from the rest of the herd to prevent contamination.

Today, a2 Milk is sold across the United States and marketed towards people who struggle to drink regular milk, often because they think they are lactose intolerant. Is a2 Milk all marketing hype, or are there convincing reasons to consider switching over? We’ll analyze the evidence here.

Understanding A1 and A2 Protein

Approximately a third of milk’s protein content comes from beta-casein, and A1 and A2 proteins are the two most common variants. While different breeds of cows have different ratios of these two proteins, almost all milk before modern times contained only A2 proteins.

The science suggests that certain domesticated cow breeds like Holsteins experienced a genetic mutation somewhere down the line that caused them to start producing A1 and A2 proteins in equal amounts. These breeds are the most common in the US dairy industry, which means that most commercially available milk contains close to 50% A1 protein.

Though these proteins are near identical, they differ in the ways we digest them. The structure of A2 protein is similar to human breast milk as well as goat, sheep, and buffalo milk. A1 milk, in contrast, creates a peptide called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM-7) when it is digested in the small intestine. Some scientists have linked this peptide to stomach pain and symptoms similar to lactose intolerance.

For this reason, a2 Milk claims that many people who struggle to drink milk aren’t lactose intolerant, but instead are reacting poorly to the A1 protein content. If they switched to A2 protein milk instead, the reasoning goes, they could drink it without a problem.

What Does the Science Say About a2 Milk?

There is promising research about the benefits of drinking A2 milk.

For instance, a study of Chinese adults who believed they were milk intolerant found that those who drank 8oz of A2 milk twice daily didn’t experience any adverse symptoms afterward. A control group, drinking A1 milk, reported stomach pain, inflammation, and gastrointestinal issues.

Another study on 600 Chinese adults came to the same conclusions; the stomach discomfort commonly associated with lactose intolerance seemed to be more caused by the presence of A1 protein than the milk itself. Note: The a2 Milk Company funded this study.

This research as it stands today is relatively limited, and a 2017 research review concluded that most of the existing evidence for A2 protein comes primarily from rodent studies rather than human studies. This makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the milk’s benefits for most people.

Key Takeaways

There is some evidence that A2 milk is easier to digest than milk with both A1 and A2 proteins, but most of it is anecdotal or reliant on small studies. You might notice a difference gastrointestinally, but it may only be the placebo effect.

Likewise, most available studies only looked at the impact of this milk on people with self-professed lactose intolerance. There’s no evidence that it offers any benefits beyond regular milk for those who don’t struggle to digest it.

The a2 Milk Company Product Line

A2 Milk currently sells six types of milk products across the United States. What you’ll pay for a2 Milk depends partly on where you live, but most of the company’s products start around $4.50–$5.00 per half a gallon. This chart looks specifically at the prices listed on InstaCart for San Francisco.

You can find a2 Milk products near you through the company’s store locator. Your purchase will qualify for the standard return policy at the location you purchased it.

If you have any questions to direct to the A2 Milk company, you can do so through the website’s contact page or at (844) 422-6455.

A2 Milk vs. Other Dairy Brands

To get a sense of how a2 Milk’s pricing and nutritional data compares to other brands, we made this chart to look at the same statistics for several popular brands of 2% milk.

As this chart shows, a2 Milk falls in the middle from a pricing standpoint, though the milk isn’t grass-fed or certified organic like many of these other brands.

Each brand also provides a similar calorie content per serving and includes the same amount of fat and approximately the same amount of sugar and protein.

The one big difference between them is that only a2 Milk specifies the kind of protein it contains. To our knowledge, the a2 Milk Company is the only commercial supplier of cow’s milk without A1 protein.

That will likely be a deciding factor for you if you react badly to regular milk and want to see if the issue is related to protein rather than lactose intolerance. If, however, you can drink regular milk without a problem, you may prefer to invest in a brand with other selling points, like organic certification.

Analysis of Customer Reviews

There are 382 a2 Milk reviews on Moms Meet, averaging five stars, and 15 reviews on HighYa averaging 4.5 stars. Here are some of the key comments that they make.

Common Compliments:

• Reduced bloating and stomachaches associated with drinking regular milk
• Made it possible for people to drink milk again after years of avoiding it
• Soothed infants with problems digesting regular milk
• Less expensive than goat’s milk for similar benefits
• Great for those with known protein sensitivities

Common Complaints:

• Doesn’t reduce symptoms of lactose intolerance
• Too expensive
• Triggered digestive problems for some users
• Many users didn’t notice a difference from regular milk

The Bottom Line: Is It Worth It?

Despite less-than-robust scientific evidence for its increased health benefits, the majority of a2 Milk customers love this dairy brand, and many credited it with making it possible for them to drink milk again.

For those who can’t drink regular milk without dealing with stomach problems, there’s reason to believe that a2 Milk will solve that problem. However, this beverage won’t be any easier to digest for those who are indeed lactose intolerant.

There are other dairy alternatives if your issues are related to the A2 protein content. Consider seeking out sheep, goat, or even breastmilk, if you’re feeding a baby, and know that many cow breeds naturally don’t produce A1 proteins.

You may also be able to find a niche dairy near you that specializes in Jersey, Guernsey, Brown Swiss, or another cow breed that produces A2 protein milk.

In any case, we think it makes sense for anyone with a milk sensitivity to try a2 Milk to see if they react differently to it than regular milk. You may find that doing so changes your whole perspective on your dairy options.