Pasture-fed and grain-fed whole milk powder in healthy adults
What it found
In 29 healthy adults, drinking up to 200 g a day of whole milk powder made no difference to cholesterol, blood sugar control, blood pressure or body measurements, whether the milk came from pasture-fed or indoor cows.
One saturated fat in the blood fell slightly with the pasture-fed powder, but the authors say this was not significant after their correction for chance.
What they found
Studies in people
Cholesterol unchanged
Cholesterol levels did not differ between the two powders over the 6 weeks.
Blood sugar control
Markers of blood sugar control did not differ between the two powders.
Blood pressure and body size
Blood pressure and body measurements did not differ between the two powders.
One blood fat
A very long-chain saturated fat in the blood, lignoceric acid, fell slightly with the pasture-fed powder and stayed the same with the indoor-fed powder. The authors say this difference was not significant once they corrected for chance.
Fatty acid classes
The broad classes of fatty acids in the blood did not differ between the two powders.
What the authors conclude
“Chronic, high-dose consumption of TMR and pasture-fed WMP had no effect on cardiometabolic health in healthy adults, despite different fatty acid composition.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that long-term, high-dose consumption of whole milk powder from either indoor or pasture-fed cows had no effect on heart and metabolic health in healthy adults, even though the powders differed in fatty acid composition.
- They suggest that comparing foods with a proven dairy matrix effect, such as cheese made from the milk of indoor-fed and pasture-fed cows, may be more promising for human health.
How it was done
Whole milk powder from pasture-fed herds has more unsaturated fats than powder from indoor herds fed total mixed ration. Dairy foods seem neutral or helpful for heart and metabolic health, but there was little evidence on whole milk powder itself, and it is a widely used food ingredient.
They gave 29 healthy adults up to 200 g of whole milk powder a day for 6 weeks, then switched them to powder from the other type of herd after a 4-week break. The two powders had the same calories and the same amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate. Blood fats, cholesterol, blood sugar control, blood pressure and body measurements were checked at the start and end of each 6-week period.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The study lasted 6 weeks per powder, so it cannot show what years of daily use might do.
- It was in healthy adults, so the results may not apply to people with existing heart or metabolic conditions.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interests ELF, ERG, TO’C, AB, KP have received research funding from FHI, which is partly funded by Enterprise Ireland, and partly by members of the Irish dairy industry. ELF and AB have received honoraria from the National Dairy Council and for speaking and advisory roles. AO’C received honoraria from the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland and Norwegian Dairy Council. AB is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and DAFM Grant 16/RC/3835-VistaMilk. DH was funded by the Irish Dairy Levy. MR, AO’C, SD were funded by FHI. The authors state none of this has any effect on analysis, outcomes or decisions to publish.
- Authors work at
- University College Dublin, Ireland; Teagasc Food Research Centre, Ireland; University College Cork, Ireland
The paper
- Title
- The impact of pasture-fed versus total mixed ration derived whole milk powder (WMP) on circulating fatty acid concentrations and cardiometabolic health in healthy adults: Results from a randomized controlled crossover trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Rooney M, O'Connor A, Gollogly C, et al (2025). The impact of pasture-fed versus total mixed ration derived whole milk powder (WMP) on circulating fatty acid concentrations and cardiometabolic health in healthy adults: Results from a randomized controlled crossover trial. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2025.110004PubMed 40516793DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error