Milk of foreign cows can lead to heart diseases

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B K Upmanyu

22 January, 2012

In a surprising study, it has been found that the milk of foreign cow varieties contains a protein that is associated with heart diseases and diabetes but at the same time milk of local cows contains a protein that can prevent these diseases.

BELIEVE IT or not but it is true that that the milk of high-yielding foreign cow varieties contains a protein that is associated with high incidence of heart diseases and diabetes. This has been proved true in a research, conducted by veterinary scientists of Chaudhry Sarwan Kumar Agriculture University in PalamPur in Kangra District of Himachal Pardesh. On the contrary, the milk of low-yielding local cows has a protein that prevents these diseases.

The claim of these Veterinary scientists is a major point of discussion but Subhash Sharma, a scientist who was associated with the research project has said in their research project around ninety seven per cent of “local” cows investigated under the project contained good A2 B-casein protein. On the other hand, most high-yielding cows such as Holstein and Jersey contained an alternative A1 allele protein that had been shown to be associated with heart diseases, autism and diabetes.

He said many findings of foreign scientists had also been associated with the A1 allele protein found in milk of high-yielding foreign cows with the said diseases. However, it was for the first time that A2 B-casein protein had been identified in the milk of local cows that was not associated with any disease. This protein seemed to be the reason due to which the milk of local cows was considered healthy, he said.

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The Rs 85-lakh research project, under which the findings were made, was sanctioned under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna to study the immunological and immune-genetic profiling of the hill cattle for their disease resistance potential. The preliminary studies carried out at the Department of Veterinary Microbiology at Dr GC Negi College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences of the Palampur Agriculture University had said the local cattle were highly adaptogenic and had better innate and adaptive immune responses to fight infectious diseases like TB, FMD, and Brucellosis.

Under this project, significant leads had also been obtained on the quality of milk and antimicrobial properties of urine. Though it may sound rightist, the scientists working in the project had also claimed that the urine of local cow was also studied for its antimicrobial properties. It was processed and added in very minute quantities to an antimicrobial agent. The urine of local cow was able to enhance the antimicrobial activity of that agent by 20-25 percent, they claimed. The local cattle serve as a sole breadwinner for farmers and landless livestock owners of the state especially in the mid and higher hills through provision of animal traction, milk products and manures. These animals are of short stature, highly adaptable to hilly terrain, disease resistant and thrive on poor pastures. However, due to loss of natural pastures to urbanization and weeds, farmers rearing local cows faced increased shortage of fodder. Keeping local cows is becoming uneconomical for them and they are shifting to rearing hybrid varieties.