April 25, 2019
Keio University
A research group from the Psychology Laboratory, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, led by Professor Satoru Umeda, and the Health Technology Research Centers and Institutes, R&D Division, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, has confirmed that β-lactolin, a milk-derived cognitive function-improving peptide, improves memory function in healthy middle-aged and older adults in a randomized controlled trial.
According to previous epidemiological studies, the consumption of dairy products is believed to have a preventive effect against dementia. Furthermore, recent research has reported β-lactolin as a cognitive function-improving peptide found in high concentrations in fermented dairy products such as Camembert cheese. However, the effect of β-lactolin on human cognitive function had not yet been confirmed.
This research group independently developed a milk-derived food ingredient with a high β-lactolin content and conducted a randomized controlled human trial on healthy middle-aged and older adults. The results confirmed that memory function was significantly improved in the group that ingested β-lactolin compared to the placebo group.
Based on these findings, it is expected that food and beverage products utilizing this food ingredient, which has a long history of consumption, will be developed. This is anticipated to contribute through diet to the prevention of dementia and the improvement of cognitive function, which are major social issues in an aging society.
The results of this research were published in the international academic journal "Frontiers in Neuroscience" on March 24, 2019 (Greenwich Mean Time).
For the full press release, please see below.