Milk fat globule membrane-enriched milk improves episodic memory: A randomized, parallel, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in older adults

Abstract

Cognitive decline is one of the most important consequences of aging and pharmacological therapies had been largely unsuccessful. Other strategies include the use of functional foods to reduce the burden of cognitive decline. The MFGM is an important source of polar lipids and glycoproteins that decline in the aging brain. We have developed a milk drink fortified with MFGM (MFGM-M) as a dietary supplement and studied it in a randomized clinical pilot study. Forty-four > 65-year-old healthy or mildly cognitively impaired subjects received MFGM-M or control milk (CM) for 14 weeks, during which they underwent a battery of cognitive tests. Lipidomic analyzes were also performed. The female participants showed improvement in episodic memory, the ability to recall events in our lives. It is conceivable that any intervention should be started before clinical symptoms manifest, as a preventive measure against cognitive decline. Future long-term studies may shed further light on this point.

Keywords

• milk fat globule membrane (MFGM)
• Cognitive decline
• Memory
• Aging
• Phospholipids
• Randomized controlled trial