“Altogether, our findings suggest that nutraceuticals based on milk sphingolipid-rich MFGM/EV concentrates hold a therapeutic potential for ameliorating age-related metabolic dysfunction in elderly individuals,” wrote researchers from the University of Southern Denmark, Arla Foods Ingredients Group, and other institutions in Denmark, Germany, and France.
“MFGM is best known as an ingredient for infant health, where it offers many clinically supported benefits,” Vera Slomka, Senior R&D Manager Nutrition Discovery at Arla Foods Ingredients, told NutraIngredients.
“However, as the present study demonstrates, MFGM also offers huge potential in other categories. Particularly in light of the recent decision that MFGM is not classified as a novel food in the EU, it could create opportunities for innovative functional nutrition products targeting adults and elderly individuals,” she said.
Milk sphingolipids and aging
Previous research suggests that sphingolipids in milk may be beneficial to health, but the mechanisms are still not fully understood.
A leading source of sphingolipids is whey-based concentrates, rich in MFGM/EVs. These are produced in bovine mammary cells and contain a high ratio of fat molecules, such as sphingomyelins and lactosylceramides.
When humans consume MFGM/EVs in whey-based supplements, sphingolipids may act as building blocks for the synthesis of lipids to form membranes, produce energy, and support cell signaling.
The researchers note that evidence suggests that dairy food and milk sphingolipids may lower the risk factors associated with cardiovascular diseases in older populations, such as high cholesterol.
“Despite these emerging links between the intake of milk sphingolipids and their health-promoting effects in elderly individuals, the molecular underpinnings of these benefits remain poorly understood,” they wrote.
They noted that a commonly suggested mechanism is that sphingolipids interact with cholesterol in the intestines and inhibit its uptake. The current findings support this mechanism while also shedding light on the hypotriglyceridemic effect. However, they suggest that further mechanistic investigation is warranted.
Study details
Researchers fed 89-week-old rats either a milk sphingolipid-rich MFGM/EV concentrate supplied by Arla Food Ingredients or a control supplement for 25 weeks, then analyzed their metabolic health using appropriate tests.
The results suggested that MFGM/EV supplementation elevated plasma levels of very-long-odd-chain sphingolipids compared to the control group. The supplement also affected the metabolic activity of lipids in the duodenum, liver, lungs, and kidneys.
“MFGM/EV supplementation promotes accretion of unique sphingolipid signatures, ameliorates ceramide biomarkers predictive of cardiovascular death, and has a general lipid-lowering effect,” the researchers wrote, noting that the positive effects were linked to improved lipoprotein metabolism and liver function in the rats.
The researchers called for further work to deepen the understanding of the mechanisms governing the health-promoting effects of milk sphingolipids.
The study was funded by the Danish Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries (GUDP), the VILLUM Center for Bioanalytical Sciences, and the European Union’s Horizon Europe Program.
Source: Nutrients 2025, 17(15), 2529; doi: 10.3390/nu17152529, “Dietary Intake of a Milk Sphingolipid-Rich MFGM/EV Concentrate Ameliorates Age-Related Metabolic Dysfunction”, Authors: R. R. Sprenger et al.
