No one likes being sick, especially when that sickness causes diarrhea, nausea, and bloating. It is thus unfortunate for the 58 healthy young adults participating in Bruggencate et al’s latest study, as they had to be infected with a live, but attenuated, enterotoxigenic E. coli bug that mimics food poisoning.

The participants had to undergo infection after 4-weeks of supplementing with milk concentrate rich in milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) phospholipids or a sodium caseinate placebo. To blind the participants to the intervention, the supplement powders were provided alongside 250 mL of soy milk that was consumed twice per day (125 mL with breakfast and again with dinner). The participants also had to abstain from all dairy products and products containing probiotics.

On the first day after infection, the participants experienced a significant increase in fecal wet weight and significant decrease in fecal dry weight, which is the confusing way of saying that they experienced diarrhea. However, both returned to pre-infection levels two days after the infection – a true 24-hour stomach flu. Even though diarrheic symptoms subsided, a decline in fecal E. coli did not begin until day 4, and showed a similar slow decline in both groups.

Although objective information about the participants’ poop was similar between groups, subjective ratings about the stools and symptoms showed some difference. Pooping frequency was significantly increased in both groups at day 1 after infection, but was significantly lower in the MFGM group at day 2 compared to the control group. Similarly, at day 2, the MFGM group reported significantly less gastrointestinal symptoms than the control group. The frequency of other reported adverse events didn’t differ between groups, however.

If you’re going to become sick, at least you can recover more quickly

This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, 4-week parallel-intervention study in healthy adults clearly shows that consuming the pathogenic E. coli bacteria will result in a 24-hour stomach flu full of unenjoyable symptoms such as abdominal pain, distention, gas, diarrhea, and nausea. Moreover, consuming the MFGM-rich supplement didn’t prevent or hinder the infection’s fun.

What the MFGM did do was make the participants consuming it feel subjectively better more quickly. And let’s be honest, when we are sick that is really all we want – to feel better. The mechanism behind the benefits of MFGM consumption weren’t addressed in this study. Previous research has shown that the MFGM has antimicrobial activity and may improve gut barrier function. Consumption of a MFGM-enriched formula by preschoolers has also been associated with a reduction in fever-like symptoms. And of course, consuming whole-milk is associated with less gastrointestinal illness in children than consuming skim-milk.

So how much MFGM was used in this study? About 10 grams per day of a concentrate that provided 1.6 grams of phospholipids. This is the amount you could find in about 25 cups of whole milk, so don’t get your hopes up about non-supplemental methods of consumption. Still though, we can’t rule out the possibility that other factors within the milk may act synergistically with the MFGM to enhance its effects, and I have written previously about the MFGM and its benefits on cardiovascular and neuromuscular health. The bottom line is to consume dairy products rich in the MFGM when possible, including non-homogenized milk (homogenization destroys the MFGM), cream, and cheese.