FREE MILK IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE
MILKING IT TO ...
GEELONG women will get free milk and cheese from researchers who want to see how dairy products affect their moods.
Deakin University and Barwon Health researchers have dubbed their world-first trial the Moo’D Study.
But the cheesy title does not distract from the serious issues being examined, including gut health, depression, anxiety and stress on women aged 18-75.
Those chosen for the study will get a 16-week supply of milk and cheese from Deakin’s Food and Mood Centre. Some will get conventional products that contain A1 and A2 proteins, others will get A2-only products, which are proven to be digested differently.
Felice Jacka, director of the Food and Mood Centre, said women with “low mood”, in the age range who presently consume at least a cup of milk a day were the ideal applicants being sought for the trial.
“We now know that good nutrition is important for mental and brain health as well as physical health, but there are still unanswered questions about what particular foods within our diet might be important,” Professor Jacka said.
“Dairy products, such as milk, yoghurt and cheese, are a major component of the Australian diet, and there are a range of products on the market from low-fat to fullfat, and A1-protein-free. But it’s not clear how these prod- ucts might influence our mental, brain, and gut health.”
The independent and controlled trial will be carried out at University Hospital Geelong, with participants collecting their supply of milk and cheese in Geelong at four-week intervals, and completing assessments in clinic and at home.
Professor Jacka said casein was the predominant protein found in milk products, with A1 and A2 beta-casein two of the more common types.
“To date, research has told us that these milk proteins differ in their structure and produce two different metabolic end products upon digestion,” she said.
“There is some limited evi- dence that by-products from the digestion of certain milk proteins may influence our health, including our gut health, however far more research in humans is needed.
“For this reason, we are interested in comparing the possible effects of A2-only milk and conventional milk products on psychological distress in women.
“We’re also interested in comparing the possible differences between these two dairy products on gut symptoms, the gut microbiota, cognition, body composition, sleep patterns, quality of life and a range of other health parameters.”
For more information on the Moo’D study, visit www. f oodandmoodcentre.com.au/themoodstudy.