January 2018 Articles

Archives by Months

LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical researchers develop meal replacement drink

LSU AgCenter, Pennington Biomedical researchers develop meal replacement drink Writer: Olivia McClure at 225-578-3262 or omcclure@agcenter.lsu.edu (12/05/17) BATON ROUGE, La. — A milk-based meal replacement drink powder developed by researchers from two LSU institutions could help people safely lose weight, including those who normally cannot drink milk because of digestive issues. The drink mix is made from a2 Milk, which contains a protein that makes it easier to digest than regular milk. It is the first in a series of consumer products that AgCenter Food Incubator & Pennington Biomedical Research Center scientists hope to develop together. “This was an initial, and successful, effort toward the larger goal of product development between Pennington and the AgCenter,” said David Winwood, associate executive director for business development at Pennington Biomedical. “We have a collective vision for Pennington- and AgCenter-branded products that help to meet the goals of LSU’s strategic plan and improve the health and wellness of Louisianans and others.” The team has produced chocolate and vanilla flavors of the drink powder as well as a candy supplement. They plan to offer the products to participants of upcoming Pennington Biomedical clinical trials focused on obesity and linked ailments such as diabetes, which are major problems in Louisiana. Commercialization is being explored, with incubator director Gaye Sandoz looking into packaging and marketing options. Studies have shown that drinking meal replacement shakes in lieu of meals for 12 weeks is an effective, safe way to lose weight, said Frank Greenway, a Pennington Biomedical professor working on the project. A few types of shakes are on the market, and most contain a few hundred calories per serving. Some scientists have suggested milk as a basis for that kind of dieting program. “Milk is something that mothers give to babies, and that’s their whole diet basically,” said Greenway, who also is Pennington Biomedical’s chief medical officer. But not everyone can drink the cows’ milk that is sold at grocery stores. It can sicken people whose bodies respond negatively to the way a protein called A1 is digested. Symptoms mimic those felt when a lactose intolerant person drinks milk. Beta casein is the name of the protein found in milk, and there are two types: A1 and A2. “A2 was the only type until about 10,000 years ago,” Greenway said. “Then a dairy cow had a mutation that substituted one amino acid for another. That protein is called A1.” The A1 and A2 proteins break down differently. As A1 is digested, a substance similar to an opioid is produced, sometimes causing ill effects. Greenway said those symptoms are more prevalent among people of African and Han Chinese descent. At milking time on dairy farms, cows typically are not separated by which type of beta casein protein they make. “Probably 60 percent of cows have A2 and 40 percent have A1,” Greenway said. “But all of the milk that’s in our grocery stores that you’re going to buy and drink has A1 in it.” A New Zealand company that only milks cows with A2 protein sells that product under the brand name of a2 Milk. The company donated milk to Pennington Biomedical for the meal replacement drink project, Greenway said. Ashley Gutierrez, a food technologist with the AgCenter Food Incubator, and School of Nutrition and Food Sciences graduate students Pitchayapat Chonpracha and Valentina Rosasco Silva formulated two flavors of drink mix powders from the milk. They then used the powders to make a candy meant to be eaten as a supplement to the meal replacement shake-based diet. The powders make use of the milk in its entirety, Greenway said, unlike some products that include just the whey. Pennington Biomedical researchers specified how many calories and how much fat they wanted each of the products to contain. Usually, Gutierrez said, the incubator scientists work with small food entrepreneurs to adjust home recipes so they are suitable for commercial production. Nutrition information is calculated at the end of that process. “What was cool about this project is that we worked backwards to develop these products based on their nutritional requirements,” Gutierrez said. The meal replacement drink is the result of a promising new venture involving two of LSU’s nine campuses, said Louise Wicker, director of the AgCenter School of Nutrition and Food Sciences. “The collaboration between Pennington Biomedical and the AgCenter is a natural fit for food products,” Wicker said. “Translating Pennington’s research into products using the AgCenter’s expertise in the Food Incubator will help meet needs in Louisiana for foods that have health benefits. The meal replacement product is the first, but we envision innovative snack foods, prepared meals and foods for athletic performance advancing past traditional supplements.”