Key points
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A new study by researchers in China analyzes the effect of consuming various types of milk on muscle and bones health while it ages.
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This study uses mice to learn about the relationship between sarcopenia, loss of muscle loss of age and four different milk milk.
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The results reveal that goat’s milk (especially goat’s low fat and low-fat goat milk) is more effective in helping muscle regeneration and reducing inflammation.
If it seems that everyone is breaking for protein these days, you don’t imagine things. According to Cargill’s protein profile in 2025, 61% of Americans increased protein intake in 2024. As Grand View Research noted in its 2025 report, the “Global Food Protein Food Products is estimated at $ 66.8 billion in 2023 and
According to a new study, however, you may not have to rely solely on expensive foods and powders strengthened with protein to maintain muscle health. Just switching the milk you drink every day can help.
In July, researchers at Peking University and Hyproca Nutrition in China published their discoveries in the magazine Food Science & Nutrition, giving a greater idea of four dairy products and whether they have the potential to slow down sarcopenia or age-related muscle loss.
“Sarkopenia, characterized by progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, is a significant challenge for public health. However, the specific role of dairy products in the prevention of sarcopenia is not well understood,” scientists said. Studies like these are key to finding solutions to a problem that many of us can face. As a study explained, an average of 5-13% of people between the ages of 60 and 70 are affected by sarcopenia. For people over 80 years, this increases to 11-50%.
To understand which dairy products can help overcome sarcopenia, researchers have been fed diets enriched with dairy products for eight weeks. The mice were divided into six groups: normal control, sarcopenia, whole milk, goat milk with low fat content, goat fortified vitamin D, low calcium and whole milk.
The normal control group received saline during the test – salt and aqueous solution that acts as a placebo – while the other five groups receive injections with dexamethasone to induce sarcopenia. At the same time, four groups were fed milk in the name of their group. This means that a group caused sarcopenia without receiving a milk supplement acting as a sarcopenia control group.
The team then measures the strength of the test subjects, weight, bone mineral density, autophagia (the process that allows your body to reuse and recycle damaged cells), muscle morphology (size and shape of the muscles), metabolism, inflammation and health of the intestine.
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They found that while all kinds of milk help mice regain their muscle mass and bone strength, low-fat milk with added vitamin D and calcium, the most effective. As the researchers explained, goat’s milk has strengthened the signals to build muscle in the body and reduce levels of key inflammation markers associated with muscle loss.
They also noticed another critical find in the gut. All mice fed dairy products showed shifts in their microbiom, with an increase in the beneficial leuconostoc bacteria. However, only mice fed goat’s milk showed an increase in Lactococcus and Acinetobacter bacteria, which can help reduce inflammation and maintain the body’s metabolism.
Do you need all that comes down to simpler conditions?
“This study shows that different types of dairy products have clear effects on muscle metabolism, autophagy, inflammation and gut microbiota in sarcopenia,” the authors concluded. “Goat milk, in particular its low fat and vitamin D/calcium variants, have shown greater benefits in promoting muscle regeneration and reducing inflammation compared to beef milk, emphasizing the importance of milk composition.”
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It is important to note that many cows’ commercial milk is strengthened with vitamins A and D, but researchers do not provide comments as to whether this can come close to offering the same benefits for muscle regeneration as strengthened goat’s milk.
This study was conducted on mice, so the hypothesis has not been proven in humans. Nevertheless, this is one of the reasons for looking for goat’s milk next time you are walking through the grocery store or looking for a farmers market to start talking to your local goat farmer for regular supply.
Read the original article about Food & Wine