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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356278
Title: Milk powder added to a school meal increases cognitive test scores in Ghanaian children

Author
item LEE, REGINALD - Washington University
item SINGH, LAUREN - Washington University
item VAN LIEFDE, DANIELLE - Washington University
item CALLAGHAN-GILLESPIE, MEGHAN - Washington University
item STEINER-ASIEDU, MATILDA - University Of Ghana
item SAALIA, KWESI - University Of Ghana
item EDWARDS, CARLY - Arla Foods Ingredients Group P/s
item SERENA, ANJA - University Of Malawi
item HERSHEY, TAMARA - Washington University
item MANARY, MARK - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)

Submitted to: Journal of Nutrition
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/2/2018
Publication Date: 7/1/2018
Citation: Lee, R., Singh, L., Van Liefde, D., Callaghan-Gillespie, M., Steiner-Asiedu, M., Saalia, K., Edwards, C., Serena, A., Hershey, T., Manary, M.J. 2018. Milk powder added to a school meal increases cognitive test scores in Ghanaian children. Journal of Nutrition. 148(7):1177-1184. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy083.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/nxy083

Interpretive Summary: The inclusion of milk in school feeding is accepted as good nutritional practice, but specific benefits remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to determine whether providing 8.9 g milk/protein as milk powder with a multiple micronutrient-enriched porridge resulted in greater linear growth and improved cognitive performance on a standardized battery of test (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery). The results showed that the milk protein improved cognition on 2 of 5 tests after 4.5 months of consumption.

Technical Abstract: The inclusion of milk in school feeding is accepted as good nutritional practice, but specific benefits remain uncertain. The objective was to determine whether consumption of 8.8 g milk protein/d given as milk powder with a multiple micronutrient-enriched porridge resulted in greater increases in linear growth and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) scores in Ghanaian schoolchildren when compared with 1 of 3 control groups. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in healthy children aged 6-9 y was conducted comparing 8.8 g milk protein/d with 4.4 g milk protein/d or 4.4 g milk protein + 4.4 g rice protein/d (isonitrogenous, half of the protein from milk and half from rice) or a non-nitrogenous placebo. Primary outcomes were changes in length after 9 mo and CANTAB scores after 4.5 mo; secondary outcomes were body-composition measures. Supplements were added to porridge each school day and consumed for 9 mo. Anthropometric and body-composition measures and CANTAB tests were completed upon enrollment and after 4.5 and 9 mo. Group results were compared by using ANCOVA for anthropometric measures and the Kruskal-Wallis test for CANTAB scores. Children receiving 8.8 g milk protein/d showed greater increases on percentage correct in Pattern Recognition Memory (mean +/- SD: 5.5% +/- 16.8%; P < 0.05) and Intra/Extradimensional Set Shift completed stages compared with all other food groups (0.6 +/- 2.3; P < 0.05). No differences were seen in linear growth between the groups. The children receiving either 4.4 or 8.8 g milk protein/d had a higher fat-free body mass index than those who received no milk, with an effect size of 0.34 kg/m2. Among schoolchildren, the consumption of 8.8 g milk protein/d improved executive cognitive function compared with other supplements and led to the accretion of more lean body mass, but not more linear growth.