Dr. Kevin Woodford, author of The Devil in the Milk and Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University in New Zealand, has brought together a wealth of evidence from more than 100 scientific papers examining population studies and research with both animals and humans. As he discusses in his book, epidemiological evidence from ten countries has shown a strong link between a high intake of milk from “A1 positive” cows and numerous diseases, including heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, autism and schizophrenia. And the data correlates very closely with World Health Organization studies on the level of deaths caused by mental disorders.
As the book points out, the “devil” is in the milk solids — the part of the milk that contains many different proteins, including beta casein, as well as lactose and other sugars. First, some background: All proteins are long chains of amino acids from which many branches come off of the main chain. Beta casein is a chain with 229 amino acids and proline at number 67, at least in such traditional “A2” cows as Guernseys, Jerseys, Asian and African cows. About 5,000 years ago, a mutation occurred in this proline amino acid, which converted it to histidine. More recent breeds including Holsteins and Friesians have this mutated beta casein and are considered “A1” cows. The side chain coming off this histidine is a protein fragment called beta-casomorphin-7 (BCM 7), a powerful opiate, as well as an oxidant, creating potentially devastating negative health effects.
In examining the scientific papers, Dr. Woodford explains the science behind the A1/A2 hypothesis and shows that BCM7 is associated with milk intolerance and a range of auto-immune diseases including Type 1 diabetes. Why? All human beta-casein is more like the A2 type, in that human milk releases much less BCM 7 than is released in A1 milk. BCM7 has been shown to cause neurological impairment in animals and people, particularly autistic and schizophrenic changes. It also interferes with the immune response. Because BCM7 is a fairly large molecule, when it is released into the stomach, it should be difficult to penetrate the stomach lining and reach the bloodstream. However in people with “leaky guy syndrome,” the protein fragment can easily pass through the gut wall and enter the bloodstream.
Babies are particularly susceptible to the effects of BCM7, which, says Dr. Woodford, explains why babies fed on cows milk formula rather than human milk are susceptible to constipation and can suffer anal fissures. He also suggests that the slower passage of A1 milk through the digestive system can increase lactose intolerance. Moreover, he believes prolonged exposure to BCM7 in infant formulas is a significant factor in the rising rates of autism and Asperger’s syndrome.
News Release: Milk Protein Linked to Autism, Schizophrenia, Diabetes and Heart Disease www.naturalnews.com July 24, 2009
