Milk and Soured Milk (filmjölk) Intervention on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Milk and Soured Milk (filmjölk) Intervention on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation: A Randomized Crossover Intervention Study

This study evaluates a high intake of milk compared with a high intake of soured milk (Swedish filmjölk) on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in a randomized crossover intervention study.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Inflammation; Oxidative Stress
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Milk; Other: Soured milk (filmjölk)

Detailed Description

A diet rich in antioxidants reduces oxidative stress and inflammation and could potentially improve health and lower the rate of hip fracture. Milk and dairy are also promoted as part of a healthy diet since they contain 18 of 22 essential nutrients including calcium, phosphorous, and vitamin D and have been suggested to be associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, especially stroke, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. Meta-analyses of milk and dairy on fracture and mortality risk in cohort studies are, however, inconclusive and show significant heterogeneity between studies. Small intakes may have beneficial effects in comparison to null intake whereas higher intakes may have other effects and non-linear relationships are rarely examined. Frequently, different milk products are considered as one entity in cohort studies. The investigators recently showed that different milk products might have differential effects on disease. A high long-term milk intake was associated with an increased risk of mortality (total, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality) and hip fracture, especially among women, whereas a high long-term intake of fermented milk (soured milk and yogurt or cheese) was associated with a lower risk of mortality and fracture among women. Similar results have been presented for total mortality (Northern Sweden) and humeral fractures (South-Eastern Australia).

Intake of milk and fermented milk is of tradition high in Sweden. The prevalence of lactase persistence is high (around 95%). The range in milk intake from non- and low-consumers to high consumers makes Sweden an appropriate setting for epidemiological and interventional studies.

A common potential mechanism for intake of fruits, vegetables, and different dairy products on risk of disease is their influence on inflammation and oxidative stress. Chronic low-grade inflammation and age-related increase of oxidative stress are suggested pathogenic mechanisms of premature ageing and many diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, accelerated bone loss (leading to osteoporosis), and age-related reduction of muscle strength and mass (sarcopenia) with potential impacts on risk of falling and fracture. The lower risk of fractures with a high intake of fermented milk products observed may be due to potential probiotic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory effects and effects on gut microbiota. A high intake of milk was not only associated with risk of mortality and fractures but also with increased concentrations of inflammation and oxidative stress markers. An inverse association was seen for intake of soured milk and yogurt [Michaëlsson, 2014]. Fermented milk products with probiotics have been shown to reduce the levels of inflammation markers, other studies have been small to show conclusive effects and results may also be dependent on the probiotic strain. A head-to-head comparison of the effect of regular milk and soured milk (or yogurt) on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in a randomized intervention study is warranted. The randomized crossover intervention study will be performed among both men and women.

The aim of the study is to examine the potentially different short-term effects of milk and sour milk on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in a randomized cross-over trial. The research questions are:

1. In a randomized cross-over trial, what is the effect of a daily intake of at least 500 ml of Swedish milk compared with an intake of at least 500 ml Swedish soured milk (filmjölk) during 3 weeks on markers of oxidative stress and inflammation?
2. What are the effects of these milk products on a large number of proteins related with inflammation and ageing diseases, assessed with large-scale proteomic analysis?
3. What are the effects of these milk products on metabolites involved in inflammation and ageing diseases using large-scale metabolomics analysis?
4. What are the effects of these milk products on the gut microflora (microbiome)?

Changes in proteomics, metabolomics and the gut microbiome are other pre-specified outcome measures but since they are exploratory in nature, we do not specify them under outcomes since it is not possible to exactly specify these outcome measures. Exploratory analyses will include whether effects are different between men and women, dependent on body composition (assessed with whole body dual X-ray absorptiometry, DXA) or long-term dietary intake (assessed by fatty acid composition in subcutaneous fat). Participants will be allowed to consume more than 500 ml of milk/filmjölk during the intervention periods and, if possible, a potential dose-response effect will be evaluated.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 84
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Sweden
  • Uppsala, Sweden, 75185
    • Forskningsmottagning bentäthet, Kirurgiska vetenskaper, Uppsala Universitet

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 36 years to 71 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Tolerates both a low and a high intake of milk and soured milk
• Agrees to comply with study protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Major gastric tract operation
• Pregnancy
• Eating disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Milk; At least 500 ml of Swedish milk daily for three weeks (crossover). Intervention and crossover preceded by 3 weeks with max 50 ml of milk or soured milk (filmjölk) daily. Fat content of milk and soured milk should be the same: 0.5%, 1.5% or 3%.	Other: Milk; Swedish milk from cow.
Experimental: Soured milk (filmjölk); At least 500 ml of Swedish soured milk (filmjölk) daily for three weeks (crossover). Intervention and crossover preceded by 3 weeks with max 50 ml of milk or soured milk (filmjölk) daily. Fat content of milk and soured milk should be the same: 0.5%, 1.5% or 3%.	Other: Soured milk (filmjölk); Swedish soured milk (from cow milk).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in oxidative stress marker	urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F2 alpha (8-iso-PGF2alpha)	baseline and 3 weeks
Change in oxidative stress marker	urinary 8-iso-prostaglandin F2 alpha (8-iso-PGF2alpha)	6 weeks and 9 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in interleukin-6 (IL-6)	Inflammation marker, measured in serum	baseline and 3 weeks
Change in interleukin-6 (IL-6)	Inflammation marker, measured in serum	6 weeks and 9 weeks
Change high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)	Inflammation marker, measured in serum	baseline and 3 weeks
Change high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP)	Inflammation marker, measured in serum	6 weeks and 9 weeks
Change in 15-keto-dihydro-prostaglandin F2 alpha (15-keto-dihydro-PGF2alpha)	Inflammation marker, a major metabolite of prostaglandin F2alpha, measured in urine	baseline and 3 weeks
Change in 15-keto-dihydro-prostaglandin F2 alpha (15-keto-dihydro-PGF2alpha)	Inflammation marker, a major metabolite of prostaglandin F2alpha, measured in urine	6 weeks and 9 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Uppsala University
• Collaborators: Forte
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Liisa Byberg, PhD, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Larsson SC, Crippa A, Orsini N, Wolk A, Michaelsson K. Milk Consumption and Mortality from All Causes, Cardiovascular Disease, and Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2015 Sep 11;7(9):7749-63. doi: 10.3390/nu7095363.
• Michaelsson K, Wolk A, Langenskiold S, Basu S, Warensjo Lemming E, Melhus H, Byberg L. Milk intake and risk of mortality and fractures in women and men: cohort studies. BMJ. 2014 Oct 28;349:g6015. doi: 10.1136/bmj.g6015.
• Tognon G, Nilsson LM, Shungin D, Lissner L, Jansson JH, Renstrom F, Wennberg M, Winkvist A, Johansson I. Nonfermented milk and other dairy products: associations with all-cause mortality. Am J Clin Nutr. 2017 Jun;105(6):1502-1511. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.140798. Epub 2017 May 10.
• Holloway KL, Bucki-Smith G, Morse AG, Brennan-Olsen SL, Kotowicz MA, Moloney DJ, Sanders KM, Korn S, Timney EN, Dobbins AG, Pasco JA. Humeral Fractures in South-Eastern Australia: Epidemiology and Risk Factors. Calcif Tissue Int. 2015 Nov;97(5):453-65. doi: 10.1007/s00223-015-0039-9. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 7, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 9, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): June 9, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 28, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): January 29, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 4, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 3, 2020
• Last Verified: November 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Inflammation
• Other Study ID Numbers: MILK: EPN-Uppsala dnr 2018-328

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No