Devil in the Milk

Book Review

Book written by Keith Woodford

Review by Joanne Quinn, PhD, RMA

FAIM is always on the lookout for interesting concepts in health. It has come to our attention that there is a possible issue with milk. Since the public consumes so much dairy we felt it was important to share Keith Woodford's research. There is also information available that indicates the dairy industry is not in agreement with Woodford's book. It is books such as this that help the reader determine their opinion and ultimate dietary decisions.

Devil in the Milk is an internationally published book which examines the link between serious illnesses including heart disease, Type 1 diabetes, autism and schizophrenia and a protein in the milk we drink. A genetic mutation occurred thousands of years ago in some European cattle which changed the casein from A2 beta-casein to A1 beta-casein. Many cows in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and northern European countries produce milk that contains A1 beta-casein and is commonly known as A1 milk. As an example, Holstein cow milk is high in A1 beta-caseins. Asian, African and some European breeds still produce the older A2 beta casein that does not cause such negative health effects. Yaks, sheep and goats produce A2 milk exclusively.

Woodford's book brings together more than 100 scientific papers noting the link between consumption of A1 milk and the incidence of heart disease and Type 1 diabetes. There is a slight differentiation in the amino acid construction of the two types of casein, A1 and A2, with each type being broken down differently in our bodies. Due to a weak bond between two amino acids, A1 beta-casein breaks down to an opioid called betacasomorphin 7 or BCM7. BCM7 can trigger autoimmune reactions and is linked to neurological impairment similar to that seen in both autism and schizophrenia. Due to BCM7's ability to create a significant immune response, there's a very direct connection between A1 milk and diabetes that is not paralleled by A2 milk. The evidence is compelling.

This is an amazing story about the health issues surrounding A1 milk, but also about how scientific evidence can be molded and withheld by vested interests, and how consumer choices are influenced by the interests of corporate business.

Keith Woodford is the author of Devil in the Milk. He is Professor of Farm Management and Agribusiness at Lincoln University in New Zealand. A regular commentator in the news media, he was previously at the University of Queensland (Australia) for 20 years. He lives with his family in Christchurch, New Zealand.