The effect of heat treatments and homogenisation of cows’ milk on gastrointestinal symptoms, inflammation markers and postprandial lipid metabolism

Dairy products are often reported as a source of stomach discomfort, and processing of cows’ milk has been claimed to be one reason for this. To investigate the role of milk processing on adverse gastrointestinal symptoms, a cross-over, double blind clinical trial with fourteen milk sensitive subjects was set up. Pasteurised, pasteurised and homogenised, and ultra-high temperature-treated and homogenised milk, representing products from the mildest and hardest processing, were used as study meals.

The amount, severity or duration of the reported symptoms or postprandial lipaemia did not differ, while significant differences were seen in the postprandial fatty acid composition of plasma between the milk types. The 92 inflammation markers measured in plasma did not differ between the subjects who consumed different types of milk. The results of the present study do not support the hypothesis that cows’ milk processing could induce gastrointestinal symptoms in milk sensitive but lactose tolerant subjects.