Scientists at the University of Kansas Medical Center found that drinking three cups of cow’s milk daily can positively influence the production of glutathione in your brain, which in turn can prevent the ‘rusting’ of your brain due to oxidative stress (via KU Medical Center).
The 2022 study published in the journal Frontiers, employed 73 adults aged between 60 and 89 and split them into two groups — a control group that was already consuming less than 1.5 cups of milk per day and an intervention group that was drinking three cups of low-fat 1% milk daily, for three months. At the end of the trial, brain imaging scans were done on the subjects to monitor the levels of glutathione. The elderly subjects in the control group showed no sign of increase in the antioxidant levels, while those in the intervention group showed an average boost of about 5%.
“We have long thought of milk as being very important for your bones and very important for your muscles. This study suggests that it could be important for your brain as well,” shared co-author of the study Debra Sullivan (per Science Daily). In a different study published in International Dairy Journal, that involved 972 people ages 23 to 98, researchers found that those who self-reported consuming dairy 5-6 times a week, performed better on memory tests than those who didn’t, according to Daily Mail. This time, researchers attributed the boost in brain health to the magnesium in cow’s milk.