Milk is an integral part of the diet of a large population of India and around the world.
But is the milk that you are drinking safe?
What did the lab result show when the most popular brands of milk were tested?
What’s up with A1 and A2 milk?
Which is the best milk in the Indian market? Let us find out.
Ayurvedic scriptures have glorified milk as a unique food which alone has all the nutrients required to nourish your whole body.
But, how true is that for the commercial milk that we drink today?
To know the answer, I have researched and broken down all the milk available in the Indian market into four major categories.
Four Categories of Milk
Homogenized Milk
Starting with category one which is that of the homogenized milk.
Homogenized milk is generally the choice of people who have this habit of stacking the food for weeks and months.
But, what actually is homogenized milk?
Homogenisation is a process of mechanically passing the milk through a fast running hydraulic shears which break the uneven fat molecules into all equal-sized molecules.
Homogenisation makes the milk look better, have a smoother texture, just for the sole purpose of increasing its shelf life.
It’s due to the homogenisation that you will never find cream separating to the top.
There have been researches that point on the harmful effects of this process.
However, no conclusive results could be drawn.
Due to a lot of ambiguity about its health effects and also because there are so many better options available, I would highly recommend that you skip this one.
Personally, I cannot imagine drinking milk which has been processed in such a way that it remains unspoiled in a box for even six months.
Popular Indian Milk Packets
Category number two is of the popular and the most commonly used milk packets by Indians.
These include the mixed milk of cow and Buffalo which are packed they’re slim toned or full cream milk depending upon the fat percentage in it and the specific cow milk packets sold by some brands.
First of all, let’s talk about the adulteration which has become the major concern of most people.
Particularly after a fake advisory report by WHO went viral in the media.
Don’t be confused, FSSAI reports claim that 90% of milk in India is free from adulteration.
Even 9 popular brands of packaged milk were tested by an independent body in a NABL accredited lab which found that none of the brands had any adulterants or heavy metals present in them.
So, does that mean these packet milk are good for health? Not really.
Well, that’s because of A1 milk protein present in them.
What is this A1, A2 you may ask?
Milk essentially has two types of proteins present in it.
80% casein protein and about 20% Whey protein.
Casein protein can be further divided into three types – alpha casein, beta casein and kapa casein.
Further beta-casein could be of A1 type or A2 type depending upon the breed of cow that gave the milk.
All foreign breeds like jersey, Holstein Friesian have A1 type milk.
The bad news is that A1 milk protein upon digestion produces a compound called BCM 7 (also known as Milk Devil) which has been linked to serious diseases (Heart disease, Autism, Type 1 Diabetes, Sudden Infant death, Schizophrenia) as confirmed by major health authorities across the globe.
No wonder, you can see a majority of lactose intolerance cases in America and certain documentaries pointing to the adverse effects of dairy in the diet.
Basically they are not talking about Indian desi cow milk but a1 milk which is sort of standard in the US and other Western countries.
A1 milk protein has developed as a result of excessive cross-breeding and genetic mutation about 1,000 years ago.
Whereas our good old desi cow breeds like the Gir, Red Sindhi, Tharparkar, Sahiwal, Kankrej which have been carefully bred have 100% A2 type milk.
Due to this milk’s miraculous benefits, even the Western countries are now aggressively importing them from India.
So, why are we Indians drinking the wrong milk?
Well, the popularity of foreign breeds in India is due to their capability to yield almost double the milk as compared to the Indian breeds.
And it all began during the white revolution in the 1970s.
What’s sad is that even many Gau Shalas are left with only foreign breed cows.
One should also understand that to make these foreign breeds of colder environment adjust to the tropical Indian environment, it takes a lot in the form of hormonal injections and all that stuff.
It is due to the adverse effect of this toxic A1 milk you can see a clear wave of veganism in the West.
| A2 TYPE MILK | A1 TYPE MILK |
| Desi Cow Milk | Ordinary Milk |
| Indian Desi Cows produce A2 milk which contains A2 Beta Casein | Jersey cow produces A1 milk which contains A1 Beta casein. |
| Desi Cow milk only contains the A2 protein and no A1 | All ordinary milk has a mixture of A1 & A2 proteins. |
| High Level of Omega 2 that cleans the cholesterol deposits of blood vessels | Harmful to the human body. |
| Cerebrosides present in A2 milk increases brainpower. | Can cause Autism, Schizophrenia, Stomach ulcer, type 1 diabetes and cardiac disease. |
| Strontium of A2 milk enhances the body’s immunity and protects from harmful radiation | Holsteins and Friesians are not native breeds of India. |
Fortunately, we Indians always had a much better option, which we will discuss in the next category.
A2 Desi Cow Milk Packets
Category number three includes A2 desi cow milk packets.
It’s important to understand that in Ayurvedic Scriptures, whenever cow milk has been referred it is always from the desi cow which is not the A1 exotic breed milk which most of us are consuming these days.
Desi cows are characterized by drooping years, a large dewlap [hanging neck] and a fatty hump on their shoulders, which is known to concentrate the sun’s energy refer to a Surya Ketu Nadi in the Ayurvedic scriptures thus giving the yellow colour to the Milk.
This not only makes a Desi cow milk extremely rich in vitamin D, Beta Carotene, high in Omega 3s but also has high levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which is sold as #1 supplement for fat loss.
However, only after the West accepted the benefits of A2 milk.
The Indian government took the steps and the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to make Desi Cow milk available to the general public.
Major brands in India produce milk with the cooperation of local farmers which yield and submit the milk to the brand where it is tested, packed and distributed.
Vita, for example, an initiative by Haryana Government where the Sahiwal breed of Desi cows is used to yield the milk is one good option.
Even Amul has started the supply of desi cow milk in Ahemdabad and Gandhi Nagar.
Here are some more brands which are providing desi cow milk.
You may find one near you.
It is better not to drink milk at all, then drinking milk that we have discussed in the previous categories.
Better switch to these. But wait, the best is yet to come.
Special Mentions
Before that, let’s talk about a few special mentions –
Milk Powders
First is the milk powders
Most milk powders are not only A1 milk-based, but also have unwanted sugar and emulsifiers added in them.
So they are a strict no-no.
Vegan Milk & Non-Dairy Milk
Second are the vegan milk or non-dairy milk like almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk and rice milk.
Going through them offline and online, I was disappointed to find that most of them are loaded with preservatives.
Moreover, they are too costly.
Instead of wasting money on this crap, better make them at home.
However, we must understand that these vegan milk are substitutes to smoothies etc and do not have similar properties as animal milk.
Buffalo Milk
Indian buffalo milk is A2 milk and is recommended for people who are looking to put on weight.
Although, pure buffalo milk is much better than drinking A1 cow milk.
Goat Milk & Camel Milk
This milk is less available, but highly nutritious.
Both find a glorious place in Ayurvedic scriptures and are useful to mankind.
Where goat milk is medicinal in Cough, TB, dengue, fevers and infertility issues, camel milk is highly regarded to boost height and cure psoriasis.
Both Goat and camel milk are A2 type.
A2 Desi Cow Milk from Local Farms
Moving to the best category which includes A2 desi cow milk from local farms.
We must understand that yielding milk from an animal is not just another manufacturing process.
It is all about, How natural the environment is for a cow?
What does it being fed?
Is there any artificial insemination going on or not?
It all decides the quality of its milk.
That is where these small private farms located all across India are enthusiastically trying to yield and sell the authentic A2 Desi cow milk.
Now, before you link local-vendors to adulteration, I must tell you that this matter has been blown way out of proportion.
Personally, I have been drinking A2 cow milk from local farms. Never have I faced any issues, actually, it’s much better.
If you so wish, you can even buy an easily available milk testing kit or do some basic tests at home to be sure of the milk that you buy from a local vendor.
Milk Testing Kit – https://amzn.to/2R8IIlu
Definitely the price of this milk is almost double (approx 100 rupees/litre) to that of packet milk but it’s worth it.
I firmly believe that you may drink less milk but drink quality milk.
It is the milk of these Indian breed cows which has been compared to the mother’s milk in the Ayurvedic scriptures.
It’s been considered no less than elixir.
How do you find a Desi Cow milk Vendor?
Well, it’s fairly easy, barely takes one google search and you will have quite a few options around you.
Conclusion
The bottom line is this, all the bad things that you have ever heard about milk is not about milk in general but is only about A1 milk.
And all the glorifying things in the Ayurvedic scriptures mentioned about milk is not about the milk that we drink in a day to day life but it’s particularly about desi cow milk.
If you are looking for a low effort, convenient option, then go ahead with A2 desi cow milk packet.
And if you can just spend one hour in finding the best A2 desi cow milk vendor near you, nothing like it.
Well, there is also a moral argument that cow milk is only for the calves.
No doubt, it’s the calf’s first right on his mother’s milk.
Although, if you ask an experienced cow keeper, he will tell you that 50% of the milk produced by desi cow is sufficient for the cow and the rest 50% may be used by man.
I must also tell you that “nowhere in the Ayurvedic scriptures it has been mentioned that milk should be a mandatory part of the diet”.
It can, however, be used as the most powerful health supplement and if you so wish to read the magical benefits of milk you must drink Desi cow milk or else it’s best to skip it altogether.
So, friends, that’s all. I hope you found it to be helpful.
If yes, then do let me know in the comments and also do not forget to share.