In the UK, one in five
consumers have ditched cows’ milk for a range of alternatives, however, a new
study is set to help millions of people, and especially children, with
undiagnosed intolerances get back to dairy.[1]
A study, published today by a2 Milk UK has
revealed that out of all parents that consider themselves as dairy intolerant,
39 percent would not let their children drink cows’ milk, even if the child
doesn’t suffer from problems with it – that’s 4.9million families in total
nationwide.[2]
It also revealed that 57
percent of people that consider themselves as ‘dairy intolerant’, haven’t
actually been diagnosed at all, meaning that at least 7.2 million people could potentially
return to dairy and the health benefits it provides.
The study, which surveyed
300 people who consider themselves to be ‘dairy intolerant’, revealed that 82 percent of all respondents had not been
medically diagnosed with a problem by their GP, so may unnecessarily be avoiding
dairy products through fear of negative side effects.[3]
a2 Milk’s campaign is designed
to educate people about the two types of cows’ milk available in the UK – each naturally
containing a different protein. The
campaign is urging people who believe themselves to have a problem with dairy to
simply try cows’ milk that contains the A2 protein only, instead of the regular
cows’ milk that contains the A1 protein.
Dr Hilary Jones, GP and
TV doctor comments on the findings from the a2 Milk UK study: “In the UK, we know that only five percent of people
are medically diagnosed as lactose intolerant[4]
– that’s a reaction to the naturally occurring sugars in cows’ milk. What this new study has revealed – is that
7.2 million people may have left dairy behind unnecessarily - this very
concerning, given the nutritional benefits it provides.
“What’s even more
concerning is the amount of parents that have stopped their children from
drinking cows’ milk – 39% is an alarming figure, and could have a major
detrimental impact on the next generation’s growth and general health.”
Scott Wotherspoon, CEO of
a2 Milk, UK said: “Our study shows that
a large section of the UK population have stopped or dropped their consumption
of cows’ milk. This study now gives us
the evidence we need to go out and educate people who may have turned their
backs on cows’ milk unnecessarily, to come back and give it another go.
“Over the last two years we have helped 20 farms
in the UK convert their herds from producing A1 milk to A2 milk from pure A2
cows, to enable people to come back to the pleasure of drinking real, fresh
milk.”
For more
information on the study, and to find out more about getting back to dairy,
consumers should visit www.a2.co.uk
[2] Calculated
as follows: 20% of the UK population consider themselves dairy intolerant,
amounting to 12.8 million people in the UK.
The a2 study revealed that 57% of all these people have not been
diagnosed, which amounts to 7.2 million people.
Out of these, adults, 39% said they would not allow their children to
drink cow’s milk, despite them not having an intolerance.
[3] Calculated
as follows: The A2 study reveals that out of the 43% people that consider
themselves as having been diagnosed as dairy intolerant, only 18% had actually
been diagnosed ‘medically’ as dairy intolerant by their GP – this equates to 2.3 million people in the UK
