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Milk helped improve some signs of intestinal damage in weaned pigs fed a protein- and calorie-restricted diet, according to a 2016 study. Milk from genetically modified cows producing human lactoferrin improved additional measures in the pigs’ intestines. The experiment did not test children or people, so it does not show that milk treats human malnutrition.
What the researchers tested
Garas and colleagues studied weaned pigs as a model of malnutrition. For five weeks, the animals received a diet restricted in protein and calories. During the final three weeks, groups received cow’s milk, milk from transgenic cows producing human lactoferrin at levels found in human milk, or no milk supplement.
After three weeks on the restricted diet, the researchers reported changes in growth, blood chemistry and intestinal structure. These included shortened intestinal villi, greater intestinal permeability measured outside the animal, and lower expression of tight-junction proteins. The study was published in Food & Function in 2016; its PubMed record includes the abstract and publication details.
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What changed in the pigs
Measures affected by both kinds of milk
Both milk-supplemented groups had increased growth rate and calcium and glucose levels compared with the restricted-diet group without milk. The authors also reported that both types of milk promoted intestinal epithelial growth.
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Additional outcomes with human-lactoferrin milk
In the jejunum, the group receiving milk containing human lactoferrin showed restored intestinal morphology, reduced permeability and higher expression of IL-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine. These are findings in the pig model; they do not establish that human-lactoferrin milk has the same effects in people.
What the findings mean for children and adults
The experiment tested milk as a supplement to a restricted diet in animals, not as a replacement for adequate nutrition or a stand-alone treatment. It was not a clinical trial in malnourished children or adults. The results therefore suggest a possible research direction involving milk’s bioactive components, but they do not show that ordinary retail milk or lactoferrin supplements reverse malnutrition in humans.
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The study authors concluded that cow’s milk could stimulate repair of intestinal epithelial damage caused by protein and calorie restriction in their pig model, with the human-lactoferrin milk improving recovery further. That conclusion applies to the model they studied. A 2016 Chemistry World report also quoted an expert suggesting the approach might contribute to addressing child malnutrition; that was a comment about potential, not evidence of a demonstrated treatment effect in children.
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Study details
- Paper: Garas LC et al., “Milk with and without lactoferrin can influence intestinal damage in a pig model of malnutrition.”
- Journal: Food & Function, 2016, volume 7, issue 2, pages 665–678.
- DOI: 10.1039/c5fo01217a.
- Model: Weaned pigs fed a protein- and calorie-restricted diet.
- Comparison: Cow’s milk, milk from transgenic cows producing human lactoferrin, or no milk supplementation.
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