Research Summary

Based on a foundation of over 100 peer reviewed scientific studies, A2 Corporation presents a2 Milk™ as a value-added product associated with a range of further benefits.

Casein Types and Linkages to Human Conditions

International research indicates that milk containing only the A2 type of BCM-7 may help many people realise the complete benefits offered by milk .

It can be generalised that there are four types of research or studies which serve to support the hypotheses linking beta casein type with the relative risk of the development of type 1 diabetes (T1D), ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and the aggravation of neurological disorders.

i) Epidemiological

Epidemiology is a field of medical research concerned with the determination of causes, incidence, and characteristic behaviour of disease outbreaks affecting human populations. It includes the interrelationships of host, agent, and environment as related to the distribution and control of disease.

Numerous epidemiological studies across over a dozen 'developed' nations as well as within regions of Germany and Scandinavia suggest a strong correlation between the consumption of beta casein A1 (excluded from a2 Milk™) and the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in male children and the death rate owing to IHD.

ii) Animal feeding trials

There are a number of published papers relating to A1/A2 feeding of mouse models of T1D. A number of them support the hypotheses linking A1 with the development of T1D, however there is a published 'multi-centre' international A1/A2 feeding trial showed no conclusive difference between groups fed the two beta casein types. The latter reported research was subsequently reported to have its diets compromised by way of contamination of control and A2 diets with the putative A1 derived damage agent, BCM-7.

An A2 Corp commissioned A1/A2 rabbit feeding trial showed that A1 consumption lead to arterial damage, whereas A2 did not, thus supporting the epidemiologically derived hypothesis linking A1 with the biological processes leading to IHD.

iii) BCM-7 Studies

BCM-7 is reported as preferentially yielded from A1 but not A2. A large number of studies have centered on this protein fragment (peptide), and it is well established 'bioactive' (molecule with biological activity). BCM-7 has been clearly demonstrated to have opioid activity, immunomodulatory [1] properties and the ability to oxidise LDL [2]. These properties can be aligned with the hypotheses linking A1 to aggravation of neurological conditions, T1D and IHD, respectively. A number of experiments have shown that the introduction of BCM-7 into rats results in behaviours consistent with the hypothesis that links A1 with aggravation of neurological conditions.

Additionally, studies show that opiate blockers stop these behaviours; the mechanism of action can be attributed to the opioid properties. It is of note that the gut has opiate receptors, which agrees with the observation that casein consumption retards gut transit time through BCM-7.

Though BCM-7 has been detected in blood and urine of some humans, it is unknown in what conditions this partially digested fragment can enter circulation. Indeed, this is an area lighted upon by many critics of A2 who have sometimes inaccurately contended that this has not been observed.

iv) Human Dietary and Nutritional Studies

Despite the numerous epidemiological studies, currently there is no published research on the differential feeding of A1 and A2 caseins to human subjects. Furthermore, A2 Corp is not aware of any non-partisan research being undertaken in this area.

Studies have however been undertaken on the consumption of total casein, which contains all casein subtypes, and the aggravation of neurological disorders. All such studies identify BCM-7 as the putative causative agent on the virtue of its known yield, absorption and biological activity. This hypothesis is further supported by the detection of BCM-7 in the urine of human ASD patients, underscoring that consumption of A1 has the potential to yield, absorb and circulate BCM-7, a peptide with a well characterised bioactivity

Glossary

[1] The ability to elicit a biological response (a 'respiratory burst') from human immune cells.

[2] Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) refers to a class and range of lipoprotein particles, varying somewhat in their size and contents, which carry cholesterol in the blood and around the body, for use by various cells. It has been shown that oxidised LDL is involved in the very early yet critical steps of arterial plaque formation