Choosing the wrong type of milk for consumption for your body can lead to many problems such as digestive upset, sinus congestion, asthma, skin problems etc… but if you are in the stores next time to purchase milk or a milk product, how do you go about choosing the right type of milk? How can you be sure that a particular milk type will not trigger any allergic reactions or lead to lactose intolerance? Let’s find out.
Our bodies naturally have problems in handling protein present in the milk, similar to gluten present in wheat. Cow’s milk is one of the major contributors to allergies in the United States alone, as it is usually the cow’s milk that contributes to lactose intolerance. This allergic reaction can lead to numerous health problems which include diarrhea, cramps, bloating, gastrointestinal bleeding, asthma, sinus, ear infections, skin allergies, etc…
If you feel drinking milk is triggering any bodily conditions you might be experiencing right now, then stop taking milk and milk products altogether for some days. Check if that is helping you to get rid of the condition or reduces your symptoms. If it does, then you have two options in front of you. Either stop taking milk or milk products altogether forever or try to include different types of dairy and dairy products to check if there is one that your body can tolerate.
Though cows look and behave the same way like they did a hundred years ago, they are not the same anymore. Cows today are bred in a different fashion, they are vaccinated with steroids, growth hormones, and fed genetically modified crops. All of these are done with one thing in mind, to increase the milk and meat production. So all of these factors join together to ruin the quality of milk and milk products we purchase today. We have attractive labels today to make these products more eye-catching but what’s inside these packages could just be very problematic for your health.
People who are intolerant towards cow’s milk usually find other natural alternatives to be more acceptable for their health. So if your body doesn’t accept a particular kind of milk, here are some alternatives for you to try.
1 A2 Milk
There are primarily two types of beta-casein protein found in milk. A1 and A2. Milk which is widely available and consumed by the majority of the population contains A1 type or both. However, A2 milk only comes from a cow that only produces A2 milk naturally. however, when you look out for this type of milk in the stores, you will find out that it is quite expensive.
Expensive doesn’t mean its healthy. But, there are studies that revealed that people who are allergic to A1 milk and showed intolerance by drinking it, did really well with A2 milk. Cows that produce A2 milk are not injected with hormones, recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), and antibiotics. However, that doesn’t mean they are fed organically, they might have been fed with genetically modified organisms to increase production.
2 Lactose-free
You experience lactose intolerance because your body lacks an enzyme called lactase. This enzyme plays a vital role in breaking down lactose present in the milk. Some people with lactose intolerance improvement in the condition while consuming lactose-free milk. Lactose-free milk generally tastes sweeter. If you want to try out this type of milk, look out for the organic type.
3 Goat Milk
If you read the labels, you will find out that both Cow’s milk and Goat’s milk have similar levels of fat content. However, fat globules present in Goat’s milk are smaller and are easily digested by your body. Additionally, it has low levels of lactose content plus the majority of the protein belong to A2 type with only trace amounts of A1.
One of the biggest turn down for Goat’s milk might be its taste and smell. Most of us are used to the taste of Cow’s milk and its smell and its highly likely that you will not enjoy drinking Goat’s milk for the first time, but you might start to like it as you get used to it. If you want to add it to your recipes, remember that Goat’s milk has a different taste and it has a distinct Goat flavor when heated, which you may not like. However, it works well on cold desserts and recipes.
4 rBGH-free
r-BGH stands for Recombinant bovine growth hormone. This is a special injection that is used on cows to increase its milk production. This medicine is developed from genetically modified E-coli bacteria. US law doesn’t require the dairy farmer to mention the use of this injections in the labels. However, many milk producers who do not use this injection do mention it on their label as “rBGH-free”. So you can assume the milk producers who don’t use the term in their label are most likely using it on their cows. It may be important for you to know that this injection has been banned in Europe and Canada long back as there are scientific proofs these injections lead to numerous health problems. Again, this label doesn’t guarantee that cows are not fed with GMO feed.
5 Non-GMO project verified
Non-GMO project verified milk confirms that cows are not treated with r-BGH injections and also not fed with GMO feed. So this milk is fairly safe for consumption. These Cows could even be fed with organic feed.
6 Organic
U.S.Department of Agriculture has put in certain rules and regulations in order for the producers to label their milk as USDA organic milk. The cows should not be treated with any antibiotics, hormone injections to increase their milk and meat production and reproduction capacity. Additionally, the cow’s diet should contain a minimum of 30 percent pasture. Rest of the feed should come from crops that are grown without special chemical fertilizer, pesticides, or GMOs.
7 Grass-Fed
Meat or milk or milk products with the term “grass-fed” on their label is not monitored or regulated by USDA. So, there is no way you can confirm the authenticity of the claim. However, if they, in fact, feed their cows with grass which is the natural food for cows, they tend to produce more nutrition rich milk over the cows that are fed with GMO feed and corns. It is scientifically proven that grass-fed cow’s milk contains higher levels of beta-carotene, omega 3 fatty acids, and conjugated linoleic acid. Manure from these cows is also believed to improve the quality of the soil which positively reflects on the quality of the crops grown in it.