OK, my wife has dairy intolerance. She gets black eyes eating dairy. From what I read on the Internet, others have the usual digestive issues, but the cause and the cure is the same.

We took a 5 week trip to Australia in a rented camper van. She figured nobody would know her there so she was going to enjoy dairy and just live with the black eyes.

We ate cheese, cream in coffee, whipped cream in mocha, etc., and she had no problem.

So I figured that they don't feed their cows GMO corn or give them rBGH hormones. When we got home I bought some organic cheese and cream. Result: black eyes.

So researching I found that there is a genetic mutation in most North American Holstein cows, causing one of the amino acids (#67) to become histidine instead of proline. The histidine turns into histamines which is what you take antihistamines to combat when you have allergies.

European, Australian, and African cows are all A2 type cows that do not have the mutation. Most North and South American cows are A1 type cows.

So after years of not eating cheese, we now only buy imported from Europe and the UK cheese, and she has zero problems. Plus she eats some every day, which helps with her calcium intake.

If you are milk intolerant, you might want to try some European cheese, and see if it works for you.

Bob

Bob, yes. I look for Guernsey milk and cheese. 100% grass-fed and organic.

Thank you! I'm going to look for this!

Wow! Very interesting info.

Here's one of the threads from 2017 where some were discussing A2 dairy. We are starting to produce this in the U.S.

https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=477260

More grocery stores are carrying A2/A2 milk and other products due to widespread information enabling many people with problems to consume dairy from this type of cows.

I wonder if that’s why I always have black eyes, even when I’m well rested. My children have varying degrees of black eyes too. And it seems worse at times, for no apparent reason. I was just told it was genetic. 🤔 But none of us tolerate dairy well and get stomach issues too, so maybe there’s a connection? I wonder how your wife connected a dairy issue to black eyes?

Thanks for all that info on A2 milk, so interesting about your wife,s experience with black eyes. I am seeing it in still more places...latest is Trader Joe's. Both Trader Joe's and Costco have the best selections and prices of imported cheeses. TJ carries a mild New Zealand Raw cheddar, i wasn’t buying it for the A2 milk but that it was raw milk. We know Bob doesn’t have either of those stores nearby, but check if Amazon Prime delivery from Whole Foods is available in your piece of paradise? Another store with a good selection of A2.
Another previous thread with the company ad and store locator.
https://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=479298

Many of the major grocery stores in my area (Northern Virginia) are carrying at least one brand of A2 milk. Since I have sensitivities to certain types of cheese, I'd not hesitate to try A2 cheese. I need to look. Trend toward A2 products is a good sign, as it becomes a consideration of those who previously could not consume A1 cow dairy products. Farms in the US are adding A2 stock due to the health benefits and consumer response. Hopefully, it's simply a matter of time before there is broad availability for a variety of A2 dairy products. I don't drink milk, but as mentioned in a previous thread, I use whole A2 for kefir, and it is delicious.

Diet elimination. It took a long time.

We are musician/entertainers. They got so bad once, people thought I must have beat her. We get along so well, we don't even know how to fight, it's a pure bliss lucky-as-hell relationship.

That club never hired us again, so the long elimination process started. When it came to dairy, the results were quick.

After she eliminated dairy for a month or so and didn't get the black eyes, she reintroduced it and they came back. Re-elimination brought them back again.

Now she can get the calcium she needs, and enjoy butter and cheese as long as it's A2. To be safe, we get European cheese.

If they would sell domestic A2 cheese here in our area, we'd gladly buy it if it is one of the flavors we like.

At one of the grocery stores nearby they have A2 milk, but milk has too many carbs for us. We wrote to the company and asked them to make A2 heavy whipping cream, and received no response. I still put heavy whipping cream in my tea and coffee, she has to use that coconut/almond concoction that is better than nothing, but not as good.

Bob

That’s interesting. I’ve never been able to pinpoint the source of my black eyes and now my children have them! But from what I’ve read, Japan has the A2 type, so I guess l’ll have to keep searching for the source of my problem. I’m glad your wife figured out her problem.

I noticed A2 heavy cream at Mom's organic grocery store the other day. Almost bought it until I saw the price was north of $6 a pint.

Should have come with its own eyedropper.

$6/pint is steep.

But I go $4/pint for organic. I go through fewer than 2 pints a week, The only thing I use it for is coffee and black tea.

It makes the coffee and tea taste so much better than milk or half and half (which is less than half cream these days).

I don't trust the rBGH fed to US cows. I figured the EU and many other countries banned them on at least likely to cause problems evidence. I could be wrong and wasting my money, but I figure it's best to err on the safe side when I can.

Bob

I agree, that's my price ceiling; although, Whole Foods in my area has been offering quarts of rBST-free heavy cream from Harrisburg Dairies for just over $4. That's a price I can live with since I go through 2-3 pints a week. Unfortunately, it's from A1 cows, but it doesn't mess with me.

The A1 doesn't bother me, but it does my wife. I'd pay the extra $2 for her if it was available here. She is worth much more than that to me.

We do buy nothing but A2 cheese, so after years of abstaining, I'm happy to see here enjoying the taste and the health benefits of dairy again.

Bob