Effect of β-casein A2 cow milk supplementation on physical growth, inflammation, growth, and metabolism hormonal profiles in stunted children.

Abstract

Purpose: Previous studies have suggested that milk consumption can promote growth in children. However, limited studies have been done on the effects of various cow milk varieties, especially β-Casein A2 milk. This study aims to investigate the effect of β-Casein A2 cow milk supplementation on physical growth, inflammation, growth, and metabolism hormonal profiles in stunted children.

Methods: This is a quasi-experimental study with only one group, pre-and post-test design. This research is divided into three stages: allele testing in the β-casein gene, process into ready-to-drink milk, and clinical trial. The participants studied were children aged 12-36 months who were given 200ml Allele-2 milk supplementation once a day for three months. The outcome assessment included physical growth (body weight and height), inflammation (tumour necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α] and cortisol levels), and growth and metabolism hormonal profiles (insulin-like growth factor-1 [IGF-1], transferrin, and growth hormone [GH] levels) that were measured during pre, middle (week 6), and post (week 12) of intervention.

Results: This study included 30 study participants. Significant body weight and height improvements were observed at week six and post-intervention (week 12) compared to pre-intervention. Inflammation markers showed significant reductions in TNF-α and cortisol levels post-intervention. Additionally, growth hormone profiles exhibited significant increases in IGF-1, transferrin, and GH levels post-intervention.

Conclusions: This study highlights the potential of β-Casein A2 milk as a dietary intervention to address stunting in low- and middle-income countries. Additionally, β-Casein A2 milk reduces the risk of several diseases due to lower BCM-7 metabolite production than β-Casein A1 milk.