Cognitive Function Improved By Ginseng-Fortified Milk

Date: Jul-25-2012Research has shown that American Ginseng is beneficial to combat aging, for central nervous system disorders and that it has neurocognitive effects, yet incorporating American Ginseng into foods presented scientists with challenges due to its bitter taste and because processing food can destroy its healthy benefits.

Scientists have now managed to formulate a low-lactose functional milk, which preserves American Ginsengs' healthy benefits and an exploratory study deemed the product as being 'readily accepted' by a niche group of consumers. The findings of the study are published in the August edition of the Journal of Dairy Science.

Leading researcher, S. Fiszman, PhD, of the Instituto de Agroquimica y Tecnologia de Alimentos (IATA), and the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) in Patema (Valencia) in Spain declared:

"Our goal was to develop low-lactose milk that could be consumed by the elderly to improve cognitive function. Consumers who were interested in the health benefits of ginseng rated our product quite highly."

The researchers developed the formula based on low-lactose milk, as this type of milk is easy to digest, particularly for older people.The scientists added the American ginseng and sterilized the milk using ultra-high temperature processing (UHT) to prolong shelf life. An analysis of the finished product revealed that the milk contained sufficient levels of ginseng after the UHT treatment to improve cognitive function.

The scientists managed to reduce the ginseng's bitter taste by adding vanilla extract and sucralose, a zero-calorie artificial sweetener.

In a preliminary study the scientists tested the product on 10 test people, selected for their distinct ability to discriminate between flavors compared low lactose UHT milk without any additives as the control milk to low lactose milk, which contained ginseng extract, vanilla aroma, and sucralose before undergoing UHT treatment.

The scientists then developed a list of 10 attributes that described the sample, including its color, sweet odor, milk flavor, vanilla flavor, metallic/root flavor, sweetness, bitterness, aftertaste, astringency, and viscosity before asking the test people to rate the intensity of each attribute in five samples that included the control milk, the control milk with added ginseng extract, vanilla aroma, and sucralose, the control milk with ginseng extract added, the control milk with vanilla and ginseng extract, and the low lactose milk with added ginseng extract, vanilla aroma and sucralose before UHT treatment.

The team conducted a second study in which they questioned 100 participants on a scale of 1 to 5 about their willingness to consume either "highly digestible semi-skimmed milk," or"highly digestible semi-skimmed milk enriched with ginseng extract that would improve cognitive function." The team then asked the participants to rate the overall acceptability of the control milk and the low lactose milk with ginseng extract, vanilla aroma, and sucralose added before UHT treatment on a scale of one to nine.

UHT treatment and the presence of ginseng both affected some sensory properties of the milk in so far that adding the ginseng substantially increased the milk's light brown color in the flavored and unflavored samples, and that the highest color increase was in the reduced-lactose milk with ingredients added before the UHT treatment. They noted that flavored samples had a more intense sweet odor, which was slightly reduced in milk samples with ingredients added before UHT treatment. The participants reported of clearly perceiving bitterness in samples containing ginseng additives, but that the bitter taste was lower in flavored samples, which suggests that the vanilla aroma and sucralose masked the bitter ginseng extract taste to some extent.

Depending on the level of interest the consumer displayed in the produce the scientists' noted great variation in consumer responses. They noted that 78% reported they would be likely to consume the highly digestible milk, and after tasting the product, 87% reported they would buy the sample. 47% who reported no interest in ginseng enriched milk, gave the product a low acceptability rating after testing. However, from the 32% of interested consumers, 75% declared they would buy it.

Dr. Fiszman explains:

"Drinking 150 to 300 mL of this ginseng-enriched milk would provide the amount indicated to be effective for improving cognitive functions. Combined with the low levels of lactose, this makes the drink an appropriate functional beverage for the elderly. Among consumers more likely to consume ginseng products, the newly developed milk was well accepted. The addition of more congruent flavors such as chocolate, citrus, or coffee, could be more effective in masking non-milk-related sensory attributes. Other alternatives could be investigated."

Susan Duncan, PhD, professor, from the Department of Food Science & Technology, Virginia Tech, wrote in a comment: "With the combination of intrinsic health benefits in milk and these additional ingredients, milk becomes an easy way to deliver valuable functional ingredients and the functional benefits of milk components. Diversifying the product line for milk and dairy products has a number of benefits, including market and consumer visibility and perception."

Written by Grace Rattue

Copyright: Medical News Today

Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today
Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.