Milk May Exacerbate Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms, New Study Suggests

 Bottles of milk are seen on a milk float during the morning
delivery round in the town of Sawbridgeworth, Britain, April 22, 2020.
REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Bottles of milk are seen on a milk float during the morning delivery round in the town of Sawbridgeworth, Britain, April 22, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay
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Milk May Exacerbate Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms, New Study Suggests

 Bottles of milk are seen on a milk float during the morning
delivery round in the town of Sawbridgeworth, Britain, April 22, 2020.
REUTERS/Hannah McKay
Bottles of milk are seen on a milk float during the morning delivery round in the town of Sawbridgeworth, Britain, April 22, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

Researchers at the University of Bonn have found a link between the consumption of dairy products and more severe multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms in MS patients.

Multiple sclerosis sufferers often complain of more severe disease symptoms after consuming dairy products. Researchers have now found a possible cause for this and reported it in a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

According to the study, a protein in cow's milk can trigger inflammation that targets the 'insulating layer' around nerve cells. The study was able to demonstrate this link in mice, but also found evidence of a similar mechanism in humans. The researchers therefore recommend that certain groups of sufferers avoid dairy products.

During the study, lead author Stefanie Kürten from the Institute of Anatomy at University Hospital Bonn, injected mice with different proteins from cow's milk, to find out if there was a constituent that they were responding to with symptoms of disease. And the researchers did indeed find what they were looking for: When they administered the cow's milk constituent casein to the animals, the mice went on to develop neurological disorders. Electron microscopy showed damage to the insulating layer around the nerve fibers, the myelin.

In multiple sclerosis, the body's immune system destroys the myelin sheath. The consequences range from paresthesia and vision problems to movement disorders. In extreme cases, patients need a wheelchair. The insulating sheath was also massively perforated in the mice -- apparently triggered by casein administration.

“Casein is a key protein in cow’s milk, so I don’t know how easy its elimination can be to make an alternative suitable for those patients. However, we are currently studying whether a specific type of casein is the culprit behind the aggravated symptoms. In this case, we can only eliminate this type to address the problem,” Kürten told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“But, for now, we recommend MS patients to consume non-dairy substitutes like soy milk, oat milk, and almond milk,” she added.



Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Many US Ice Cream Producers to Phase Out Artificial Food Dyes by 2028

Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)
Volunteers scoop ice cream before a press conference on the steps of the United States Department of Agriculture on July 14, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images/AFP)

Dozens of US ice cream producers are planning to remove artificial colors from their products by 2028, a dairy industry group and government officials said on Monday.

The producers, which together represent more than 90% of ice cream sold in the US, are the latest food companies to take voluntary steps to remove dyes since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in April said the US aimed to phase out many synthetic dyes from the country's food supply.

Several major food manufacturers, including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, J.M. Smucker, Hershey and Nestle USA, have previously announced their plans to phase out synthetic food coloring.

The 40 ice cream companies will remove Red 3, Red 40, Green 3, Blue 1, Blue 2, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 from their retail products, excluding non-dairy products, according to the International Dairy Foods Association.

The IDFA announced the plan at an event at the US Department of Agriculture headquarters on Monday with Kennedy, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins.

"We know that our current health outcomes, especially for our children, are unsustainable and that American agriculture is at the heart of the solution to make America healthy again," Rollins said at the event, referencing a slogan aligned with Kennedy.

Rollins and Kennedy have worked closely together on food sector efforts like encouraging states to ban soda from the nation's largest food aid program.

Kennedy has blamed food dyes for rising rates of ADHD and cancer, an area many scientists say requires more research.

The IDFA said artificial dyes are safe, but that ice cream makers are taking the step in part to avoid disruption to sales from state efforts to phase out dyes from school foods and West Virginia's recent food dye ban.