Drinking milk can help fight COVID-19, a new study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that milk from most mammals contains a protein called lactoferrin that can inhibit the virus’s ability to replicate.
The protein also prevents the virus from being able to infect cells, preventing the virus from causing harm.
The study was conducted in a laboratory setting, not the real world, but the researchers believe they may have just discovered antiviral properties in a common household product.
In the study, published Monday in the Journal of Dairy Science, bovine lactoferrin, found in cow’s milk, was used.
One study found that a protein in milk called lactoferrin has antiviral properties that can prevent virus infection and replication. The researchers hope milk can serve as a basis for future antiviral drugs (file image)
Experts have long known that breast milk has some antiviral properties, and the University of Michigan team believes they have found the protein that causes the condition.
Dr Jonathan Sexton, a researcher in the department of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, said: ‘Bovine lactoferrin has shown antiviral activity in human clinical trials.
‘For example, oral bovine lactoferrin has been shown to improve the severity of viral infections, including rotavirus and norovirus.’
Sexton even believes that drinking milk can even act as a post-exposure treatment to prevent a person from becoming infected.
“Given the broad antiviral efficacy and safety, minimal side effects, and market availability of bovine lactoferrin, several review literature have suggested its use as a treatment,” he said. prophylactic or post-exposure treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection,” he said.
The researchers tested the protein against many strains of the virus and found it effective against all. They believe it will also work against future strains of bacteria.
One potential barrier to the use of milk in future Covid treatments are two other chemicals in many antiviral treatments, dextrose and sorbitol, which are thought to block proteins that are found in many antiviral treatments. ability to inhibit the virus.
However, the researchers found that was not the case in their experiment.
They were certain that lactoferrin was responsible for the milk’s virus-suppressing properties, and they tested other proteins and chemicals in cow’s milk for viruses, none of which showed antiviral properties.
Although the test was done in a laboratory and there are no human trials yet for the antiviral properties of the human protein, the finding could be groundbreaking.
Milk is everywhere. It is easily accessible, relatively inexpensive, and available in developing countries.
If plain milk can even slightly prevent a Covid infection or more severe cases of the virus, it could change the trajectory of the pandemic.
Sexton also believes that milk could be used as the basis for potential future COVID-19 antiviral treatments.
“This is especially important when there are limited treatment options or when treatment options are too expensive for widespread use,” he said.
‘An orally available treatment that includes emerging strains would be ideal for treating SARS-CoV-2 in areas not widely vaccinated or if new strains escape the vaccine.’
These findings also explain why experts have discovered antiviral properties in breast milk that can protect infants from Covid and other viruses.
Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk
