Dairy products play a crucial role in improving nutrition in older people, for example in strengthening bones. In this framework, the Food Sciences Research Institute (CIAL, CSIC-UAM) has carried out a clinical study that reveals that dietary supplementation with components of the milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) not only strengthens memory , but could also be an effective tool in preventing mild cognitive impairment during adulthood.
Aging often leads to cognitive decline, and drug treatment options to date have shown limited results. A connection has been established between cognitive deficits, especially in the hippocampal area of ​​the brain, and low levels of phospholipids, essential for maintaining cognitive functions such as memory and learning. Phospholipids, key components of the nervous system present in cell membranes, interact with various elements such as metabolites, hormones and antibodies. Current research indicates that aging brings with it a decrease in phospholipid levels in various areas of the brain, which is directly related to the cognitive decline that accompanies advanced age.
MFGM is an intricate structure composed of glycoproteins, phospholipids, sphingolipids, glycolipids (such as cerebrosides and gangliosides), cholesterol, and other secondary elements. Within the MFGM, we find phospholipids and sphingolipids such as phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylserine (PS) and sphingomyelin (SM). The role of SM in the brain is especially recognized, due to its influence on cognition, and PS for its beneficial effects on disorders such as depression, stress and Alzheimer’s disease. This study is based on the premise that bovine MFGM, with a composition similar to human milk and used in infant nutrition to fortify milk formulas, could provide cognitive and immunological advantages.
Diet enriched with MFGM improves episodic memory
Preclinical research with animal models, carried out by the group of researcher Javier Fontecha of the CIAL, has shown that enriching the diet with a MFGM concentrate, extracted from dairy byproducts such as buttermilk, influences the expression of miRNA, increases insulin resistance and improves synaptic signaling in the hippocampus. It has also been observed to decrease emotional memory (specifically in contextual fear conditioning), alter the lipid composition of synaptosomes in both the frontal cortex and the hippocampus, and enhance spatial working memory.
In this pioneering nutrition study, the results of which have been published in the Journal of Functional Foods, the research team has created and tested a dairy drink enriched with MFGM through a pilot randomized clinical trial. 44 individuals over 65 years of age participated, some healthy and others with mild cognitive impairment, who consumed milk enriched with MFGM or skimmed milk (without MFGM) daily for a period of 14 weeks. Participants were evaluated with cognitive tests and clinical analyzes at the beginning and end of the study. The results indicated that those who drank the milk with MFGM experienced significant improvements in their episodic memory, that is, the ability to remember recent personal events, with more noticeable effects being observed in women than in men. Therefore, the researchers suggest that MFGM supplementation could be a valid strategy to prevent or slow down cognitive decline associated with aging.
The researchers highlight the importance of starting interventions of this type before the appearance of clinical symptoms, as a preventive method against cognitive decline. Larger clinical studies in the future could provide a deeper understanding of this aspect. Currently, the main focus of the research group is on conducting trials that help decipher how MFGM acts on a cognitive level.
Source: CSIC
