Can drinking milk help you fight COVID?

So much has been written about strengthening one’s immune system.  An important thing to do in the era of COVID.  Recently I wrote about Vitamin and Supplements to Boost Your Immune System , describing how vitamins C and D, the mineral zinc and the herb, turmeric,  can be helpful in boosting one’s immune system.  But just this week, I read an article about how drinking cow’s milk can help one in the fight against COVID.  Not plant-based milks like Almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, but real cow’s milk.

Does cow's milk help fight COVID?

What has the research on milk found?

As far back as June 2021, research was being published in Frontiers of Immunology outlining how the proteins in cow’s milk may be helpful in the fight against COVID. 

More recently, an article published in the Journal of Dairy Science (February 24, 2022), found that a protein in cow’s milk helps us fight off some viruses, bacteria and other disease-causing organisms.  This protective protein is called lactoferrin.  The Daily Mail in the United Kingdom, states:  “Proteins in MILK have virus inhibiting properties that can help prevent COVID-19 from replicating in a person’s body and causing infection..” 

What milk has this protective effect?

Cow’s milk - It is cow’s milk as none of the plant-based milk has the protein, lactoferrin, or the immunoglobulins that are protective. 

Do all types of cowls milk have this protective effect?

The protein, lactoferrin, would be found in whole, 2% and fat-free cow’s milk.  However, some milk, especially organic milk is subjected to a processing called Ultra-High Temperature or UHT.  The article in Frontiers of Immunology noted that Ultra-High Processed Milk would not be protective as the higher temperatures destroys the protective proteins called immunoglobulins that are in cow’s milk.  Although all the cow’s milk we buy at the grocery store is “pasteurized”, this level of heat treatment does not destroy the immunoglobulins.  But some cow’s milk is treated beyond pasteurization with UHT that gives the milk a longer shelf life.  I like to drink organic cow’s milk but most organic milk is UHT milk.  This milk would have lactoferrin but may not have the protective immunoglobulins.   More research is clearly needed as to how UHT processing affects the proteins in organic milk.  

Conclusion

I am sure more studies will be coming out as to what foods and beverages may help us fight COVID.  Just think if more moms and dads knew that cow’s milk may help fight off COVID, there would be a lot more kids drinking real cow’s milk at meals and not water or plant-based milks. It is good that the School Lunch Programs across the country still serve real cow’s milk in schools.  As noted in my blog on the immune system:  the mineral zinc is also important for a healthy immune system”.  Cow’s milk and yogurt made from cow’s milk both provide zinc.  The Frontiers of Immunology authors noted more research needs to be done not only on cow’s milk, foods made from cow’s milk and also eggs.  What about cheese, real cow’s milk yogurt?  Do these foods also have the proteins and properties of fighting off COVID?  I am glad my husband and I are regular milk drinkers.  We did not know just drinking real cow’s milk may have a benefit of helping us fight COVID.  

School lunch programs serve real milk, cow's milk.

Sources:  Vitamin and Supplements to Boost Your Immune System , Frontiers of Immunology , Journal of Dairy Science , Daily Mail , article , immune system  Image Sources:  UHT milk , Cow’s milk , milk in school lunch programs