There are many different levels of milk drinkers, ranging from the person who will slurp the leftover milk out of their cereal bowl because- yum! – to the people who may throw a dash of non-fat milk into their coffee if the barista is out of all other options.
Which are you? And if you are a non-milk drinker...why? For many people, the reason they don’t drink milk is because they are lactose intolerant. No fun! No milk, means no ice cream!
Many people around the globe are lactose intolerant; meaning they have trouble digesting the sugar in milk. But more often than not, the problem isn’t the lactose, according to an article by Elaine Watson from Food Navigator USA. A large portion of people who believe they are lactose intolerant; in reality, are experiencing an intolerance to the protein in milk. Milk contains two forms of protein (also known as beta-casein), A1 and A2. It’s the A1 milk protein that causes digestive intolerance. But don’t fret, there are producers now focusing on producing A2 milk, which is much more easy for our stomach to digest. A2 milk is just what it says, it is a product that naturally lacks the A1 beta-casein and therefore is more easily digested by consumers. Producers who wish to make this product simple select cows that naturally produce higher levels of A2 proteins in their milk.
A2 milk is still new to the market which is why this may be the first time you hear about it, but make sure you look for it the next time you’re at the store. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
