By: Jyoti Madhusoodanan, Ph.D. | SPLASH! Issue # 130 | 2026
- Milk fat globule membrane is rich in phospholipids and plays a key role in infant brain development.
- Whey protein supplements have benefits for adults with mild cognitive impairment.
- Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) supplements improved subjective alertness but not objective measures of cognition in healthy older adults.
- MFGM supplements improved biomarkers of heart health and neurotransmitter levels.
Q-tip shaped lipid molecules are responsible for life as we know it because their fuzzy tips dissolve in water, and their long fatty chains do not. When stacked with their water-insoluble ends together, these polar chemicals, known as phospholipids, create compartments inside cells and cell membranes. They’re also a key component in milk, encasing fatty chemicals in small globules so that they can remain stable amidst water-soluble proteins and sugars.
In recent years, researchers have found that it’s not just the contents of these globules that matter. The lipids in milk fat globule membranes (MFGM) play a crucial part in supporting infant growth and cognition, improving cognitive performance and protecting them from infections. Their effects may be, in part, because the phospholipids in milk are chemically similar to molecules that comprise cell membranes and those used to synthesize the neurotransmitter acetylcholine [1].
Phospholipids are also important for adults. In studies with rodent models, researchers have found that an MFGM lipid supplement improved animals’ memory on a behavior task and restored depleted levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Other studies suggest that phospholipid supplements may boost cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment. But whether milk-derived membrane lipids might protect brain health in healthy aging adults was unknown.
In a new study, researchers investigated whether MFGM lipids also helped cognitive function in adults [2]. The team recruited 263 healthy participants between the ages of 55 and 75, then randomly assigned them to three groups. One group received powdered milk fortified with a high dose of MFGM, effectively about 4 grams per day of phospholipids. The second group was given powdered milk with a low dose of MFGM, receiving 1.7 grams of phospholipids in their daily drink. The third group were given rice starch powder as a control comparison. The MFGM supplements used in the study were provided by Fonterra, a New Zealand-based dairy cooperative that also funded the work.
Over the course of the 16-week study, participants drank milk every day. The researchers tested them for cognitive, behavioral, and other health changes at the start, mid-point, and end of the study.
The researchers found no significant differences amongst the three groups on tests of cognitive health, such as including the Repeatable Battery for Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) test, a standard screening tool used to assess cognitive decline, memory and attention loss, and other measures of dementia. But a different test suggested that those who received the high-dose MFGM felt slightly more alert.
Consuming MFGM supplements appeared to improve biomarkers of inflammation as well as brain and cardiovascular health. Relative to the other groups, participants who drank the high-dose MFGM milk had lower levels of TNF-α, an inflammatory immune molecule, higher levels of active vitamin B-12, and lower levels of homocysteine, a molecule that can damage blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease or stroke.
Compared to the control group, both groups who consumed MFGM had higher levels of the neurotransmitters γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and serotonin, and lower levels of cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). GABA influences attention and memory, while serotonin helps regulate mood and promote a sense of well-being. These increases “may help explain” the subjective improvements in alertness and contentedness that the researchers observed on cognitive tests, according to the study.
Although the data did not point to an immediate benefit of MFGM on cognition in older adults, better cardiovascular health is known to help with long-term preservation of brain health. Studies of MFGM supplements in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia have suggested that these lipids could improve cognition [3]. One reason the benefits were less obvious in this work could be that the participants were all healthy adults with above-average IQ. This made it more difficult to see short-term improvements, the authors wrote. They concluded that “Longer treatment duration is arguably necessary for cognitive interventions in aged participants.”
References
- Pawar A, Zabetakis I, Gavankar T, Lordan R. Milk polar lipids: Untapped potential for pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals. PharmaNutrition. 2023 Jun 1;24:100335.
- Zajac IT, Kakoschke N, Evas S, Kuhn-Sherlock B, Wood K, King R, Arnoldy L, Dekker J, Gunn C, Fuad M, Scholey A. The effect of Milk Fat Globule Membrane phospholipid supplementation on cognitive function in older adults with subjective memory complaints-a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2025 Sep 10.
- Li F, He R, Yue Z, Yi H, Lu L, Zhang L, Shi J, Zheng C, Jiao J, Peng J, Li B. Effect of a 12-mo intervention with whey protein powder on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. The American journal of clinical nutrition. 2025 Feb 1;121(2):256-64.