Kaas en constipatie

Cheese and constipation

May 03, 2021Jasper Maalderink

If you like dairy but have a sensitive stomach, you want to read this.

What is the difference between A1 and A2 dairy?

You may know or not that much of the protein in cheese is a protein called "casein".

Although most mammals make a certain type of casein called "A2" casein, many cattle also developed a genetic mutation that could create a second type of casein, called "A1-casein"

Forget this.


The difference between A2 and A1 casein is that A1-casein protein differs in one building block. Dairy from sources other than cows, such as from goats, sheep and buffalo, contains no A1-casein, only A2-casein.

A1 Dairy can cause constipation.

The consequence of this change in structure is that A1 casein, but not a2 casein, is broken down into our guts to make a chemical called β casomorphine 7, which, as the name suggests, is a morphine-like opioid!

Β-casomorphine 7 has been proven to be binded to receptors in the intestines and constipation and other unpleasant intestinal symptoms can cause

So, if you are just like me and love cheese (and maybe even addicted) but also have a sensitive stomach, what should you do!?

Do you remember that I told that only cattle developed the genetic mutation to make A1 casein, and that only A1 casein can be broken down to β-casomorphine 7?

This means that if you eat dairy products from other animals, your stomach does not create β casomorphine 7 and you may have less abdominal problems. There is even research to support this (article).

So despair the next time cheese makes your stomach upset, but instead try to eat goat cheese, sheep or buffalo cheese cheese.

Try to replace Parmesan cheese with Pecorino Romano. They taste the same but Pecorino is from sheep, is a2 and is much less inflammatory.

If you get mozzarella, take Buffalo mozzarella! It is not just a2, but also richer and tastier than mozzarella of cows.

Other great cheeses that are probably easy to find and are made from sheep or goat dice, include Feta, Manchego, Halloumi and Roquefort.

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