ClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05669274Updated Oct 20, 2026

Comparing the Adaptation of Commercial Milk and A2 Milk in Lactose Maldigesters

An interventional study of Milk containing A1 and A2 beta-casein and Milk containing only A2 beta-casein in Lactose Intolerance, sponsored by Purdue University. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-10-20.

Sponsored by Purdue University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 1 year after the study started (first participant enrolled Dec 2021, registered Dec 2022).
Updated Oct 20, 2026Now CompletedEnrollment updatedGo to Updates ↓
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
24
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Cow's milk contains two types of β-casein: A1 and A2. It is evident from human clinical trials that milk with A1 protein produces more hydrogen and symptoms of lactose intolerance. A pro-inflammatory μ-opioid peptide BCM-7 is released from A1 but not from A2. Milk containing A1 β-casein produced more inflammatory markers than A2 β-casein. This is a double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial conducted to determine if there are changes in inflammatory markers following two weeks of milk feeding, due to milk containing A1 and A2 beta-casein as compared to milk containing only A2 beta-casein.

Read the detailed description

Recruitment:

Flyers, emails, and advertisements in local and university newspapers will be used for recruitment of study participants.

Phone screening:

Interested individuals will be contacted via phone by study staff to assess eligibility by asking questions listed in the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Informed consent:

If the individual is eligible through phone screening, the study staff will read and explain the informed consent to the individual. Informed consent will contain all the information regarding study procedure, compensation, risks and benefits. If Informed Consent is granted, the participant will be contacted through their preferred method of contact (email or phone) to schedule a hydrogen breath test (HBT).

Screening lactose maldigesters via HBT:

Maldigestion will be classified by a rise of breath hydrogen concentration of greater than 20ppm after a challenge dose of 2% commercial milk containing 0.5g lactose per kg body weight. Participants will consume a low-fiber meal and then fast 12 hours prior to HBT. A breath sample will be obtained from participants just before drinking the milk dose. Participants will then consume milk containing 0.5 grams lactose per kilogram body weight. Breath samples will be obtained according to the following schedule: 0 hour (pre dose), 30 minutes, 1 hour, 90 minutes, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours and 6 hours. Participants who exhibit a rise of breath hydrogen concentration of greater than 20ppm between any two timepoints of the 6-hour test will be classified as lactose maldigesters, and will be qualified to enter the intervention portion of the study.

Intervention:

There will be two phases in intervention. Each phase is 15 days long.

Phase 1:

Blood will be drawn from the participants before consumption of milk on day 1 of the phase. Participants will then consume the 500 ml of first randomized milk every day from day 1 to day 14 (14 days in total). Dietary intake, stool type and symptoms (abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, fecal urgency, and diarrhea) severity will be recorded on each day from day 1 to day 14 after milk consumption.

Participants will consume a low-fiber dinner and fast for 12 hours prior to HBT on day 15. Participants will provide their first breath sample before consumption of milk. Participants will then consume a challenge dose of first randomized milk containing 0.5g lactose per kg body weight. Breath samples will be collected at 0 hour (pre dose), 30 minutes, 1 hour, 90 minutes, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours and 6 hours. Participants will be asked to report and rate any symptoms including abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, fecal urgency, and diarrhea they might experience during the 6 hour test. Blood will be drawn from participants at 0 hour (pre-dose), 1 hour, 2 hours and 3 hours time-point via catheter and serum will be isolated from whole blood for analyses of markers including hs-CRP, IgG, IgG1, Il-4, GSH and BCM-7.

Phase 2:

There will be at least a 6-day interval between Phase 1 and Phase 2. The same procedure from phase 1 will be followed in phase 2. Participants will consume the second randomized milk for 14 days and undergo HBT on day 15.

02

Conditions studied

  • Lactose Intolerance

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03

In context

Lactose Intolerance

53 studies on the registry are indexed under Lactose Intolerance; 6 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 24 is below the median of 41 across 41 interventional studies indexed under Lactose Intolerance.

Browse Lactose Intolerance studies →

Lead sponsor

Purdue University is the lead sponsor of 175 studies on the registry; 21 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Ability/desire to provide Aged 18 to 65 years of age inclusive at screening Current or recent history of intolerance to or avoidance of dairy of at least one month duration (by self-report and self-reported symptoms).

Agrees to refrain from all other treatments and products used for dairy intolerance (e.g., Lactaid® Dietary Supplements) during study involvement Willing to return for all study visits and complete all study related procedures Able to understand and provide written informed consent in English

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Allergic to milk

Currently pregnant Currently lactating Cigarette smoking or other use of tobacco or nicotine containing products within 3 months of screening Diagnosed with any of the following disorders known to be associated with abnormal gastrointestinal motility such as; Gastroparesis, amyloidosis, neuromuscular diseases (including Parkinson's disease), collagen vascular diseases, alcoholism, uremia, malnutrition, or untreated hypothyroidism History of surgery that alters the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract including, but not limited to: gastrointestinal bypass surgery, bariatric surgery, gastric banding, vagotomy, fundoplication, pyloroplasty [Note: history of uncomplicated abdominal surgeries such as removal of an appendix more than 12 months prior to screening will not be excluded] Past or present : Organ transplant, chronic pancreatitis, pancreatic insufficiency, symptomatic biliary disease, Celiac disease, chronic constipation, diverticulosis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), ulcerative colitis (UC), Crohn's disease (CD), small intestine bacterial overgrowth syndrome (SIBO), gastroparesis, gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or any other medical condition with symptoms that could confound collection of adverse events.

Active ulcers, or history of severe ulcers Diabetes mellitus (type 1 and type 2) Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) (HIV), or Height: ___ Weight: ___ : ___

o Weighing \<16.5 kg and BMI > 35 kg/m2

Recent bowel preparation for endoscopic or radiologic investigation within four weeks of screening (e.g., colonoscopy prep) Use of concurrent therapy(ies) or other products (e.g., laxatives, stool softeners, Pepto Bismol®, Lactaid® Dietary Supplements) used for symptoms of dairy intolerance within 7 days of screening Chronic antacid and/or PPI use Recent use of systemic antibiotics defined as use within 30 days prior to screening Recent high colonic enema, defined as use within 30 days prior to screening Any concurrent disease or symptoms which may interfere with the assessment of the cardinal symptoms of dairy intolerance (i.e., gas, diarrhea, bloating, cramps, stomach pain) History of ethanol (alcohol) and/or drug abuse in the past 12 months Currently undergoing chemotherapy Use of any drug or participation in any investigational study within 30 days prior to screening Prior enrollment in this study Any other conditions/issues noted by the study staff and/or Principal Investigator that would impact participation and/or protocol compliance

Terms in these criteria, in plain language(6)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

Informed consent

Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.

You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.

HIV

The human immunodeficiency virus, which weakens the immune system.

Many studies now accept people whose HIV is controlled on treatment, judged by the viral load and the CD4 count. Check the limits this study sets.

Hepatitis B tests

Hepatitis B is a virus that infects the liver. These are separate tests: HBsAg positive usually means a current infection (a recent vaccination can briefly cause it too); total anti-HBc (HBcAb) positive means an infection now or in the past; HBV DNA measures how much virus is in the blood.

Some studies accept a past infection if HBV DNA is undetectable, sometimes with antiviral medicine during the study. Check what this study allows.

Hepatitis C tests

Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver. An HCV antibody test can stay positive after an infection has cleared (and is occasionally positive without one); an HCV RNA test shows whether the virus is there now.

After treatment, hepatitis C counts as cured when HCV RNA is still undetectable 12 weeks or more after the treatment ended. Studies often accept people cured this way.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

Investigational drug or device

A drug or device being studied in a clinical trial.

It may be new, or already approved and being studied for another use, dose or form. Criteria often leave out people who took part in another study of one within a recent period, commonly 30 days or five half-lives.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
24 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Old World milk

    Old World milk containing only a2 beta-casein vs. New World milk that includes both a1 and a2 beta-casein

    Other: Milk containing only A2 beta-casein

  • Experimental
    New World milk

    Old World milk containing only a2 beta-casein vs. New World milk that includes both a1 and a2 beta-casein

    Other: Milk containing A1 and A2 beta-casein

Interventions

  • OtherMilk containing A1 and A2 beta-casein

    Milk dose for 2 weeks

    Also known as: Commercial milk

  • OtherMilk containing only A2 beta-casein

    Milk dose for 2 weeks

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Difference in inflammation between commercial and A2 milk

    The concentration of inflammatory markers hs-CRP, IL-4, IgG, IgG1, BCM-7, GSH in serum will be measured using ELISA kits, Cobas 400 plus analyzer and a Cobas e411 analyzer in nanometers.

    Time frame: Baseline blood draw on day 1 and within the 3 hours following milk dose on day 15

  2. Difference in hydrogen between commercial and A2 milk

    Hydrogen concentration (ppm) will be measured in breath sample using a hydrogen breath analyzer.

    Time frame: Within the 6 hours following milk dose on day 15

  3. Difference in symptoms between commercial and A2 milk

    Participants will record and rate abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and fecal urgency using a 6-point Likert Scale during the 6-hour test. The scale ranges from a score of 0 to 5 (0 = none, 1 =slight, 2 = mild, 3 = moderate, 4 = moderately severe, 5 = severe).

    Time frame: From day 1 to day 14 after 500 ml milk consumption and within the 6 hours following milk dose on day 15

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Purdue University
    West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, United States
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Jianqin S, Leiming X, Lu X, Yelland GW, Ni J, Clarke AJ. Effects of milk containing only A2 beta casein versus milk containing both A1 and A2 beta casein proteins on gastrointestinal physiology, symptoms of discomfort, and cognitive behavior of people with self-reported intolerance to traditional cows' milk. Nutr J. 2016 Apr 2;15:35. doi: 10.1186/s12937-016-0147-z. PubMed 27039383 ↗
  • Ramakrishnan M, Eaton TK, Sermet OM, Savaiano DA. Milk Containing A2 beta-Casein ONLY, as a Single Meal, Causes Fewer Symptoms of Lactose Intolerance than Milk Containing A1 and A2 beta-Caseins in Subjects with Lactose Maldigestion and Intolerance: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Trial. Nutrients. 2020 Dec 17;12(12):3855. doi: 10.3390/nu12123855. PubMed 33348621 ↗
  • Cieslinska A, Kostyra E, Kostyra H, Olenski K, Fiedorowicz E, Kaminski S. Milk from cows of different beta-casein genotypes as a source of beta-casomorphin-7. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2012 Jun;63(4):426-30. doi: 10.3109/09637486.2011.634785. Epub 2011 Nov 14. PubMed 22080615 ↗
09

Updates

1 registry update since Sep 25, 2026
Status
Recruiting→Completed
changed Oct 20, 2026
Enrollment
35 (estimated)→24 (actual)
Oct 20, 2026
Show all 1 update
  1. Oct 20, 2026
    Recruiting→Completed
    Enrollment 35 (estimated)→24 (actual)
    + 7 other changes: verification date, date precision, criteria formatting, contact details, site details, references and index terms

From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05669274
Lead sponsor
Purdue University
Responsible party
Dennis A. Savaiano (Professor, Purdue University) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 30, 2022
Start date
Dec 2, 2021
Primary completion
Dec 6, 2024
Completion
Dec 6, 2025
Last update
Oct 20, 2026

Study contacts

Dennis Savaiano, PhD
principal investigator · Purdue University

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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This study is completed, as verified in Oct 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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