What fat in baby cow milk changes their blood fats?
Serum lipidomic profiling of dairy calves fed milk replacers containing animal or vegetable fats.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Calves fed animal fat had significantly lower levels of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and lysophospholipids — molecules critical for cell membranes and signaling.
Animal fats are often assumed to be more 'natural' or biologically similar to cow's milk, so it's counterintuitive that they led to lower levels of key membrane lipids compared to plant-based blends.
Practical Takeaways
Dairy farmers considering switching milk replacer fat sources should monitor calf lipid metabolism markers, especially if aiming for optimal growth or immune function.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Calves fed animal fat had significantly lower levels of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and lysophospholipids — molecules critical for cell membranes and signaling.
Animal fats are often assumed to be more 'natural' or biologically similar to cow's milk, so it's counterintuitive that they led to lower levels of key membrane lipids compared to plant-based blends.
Practical Takeaways
Dairy farmers considering switching milk replacer fat sources should monitor calf lipid metabolism markers, especially if aiming for optimal growth or immune function.
Publication
Journal
Journal of dairy science
Year
2024
Authors
M. Ghaffari, J. Wilms, D. Caruso, H. Sauerwein, L. Leal
Related Content
Claims (4)
When baby cows are fed different kinds of fat in their milk substitute, their blood fats change in noticeable ways—like having more or less of certain types of fats in their bloodstream.
When baby cows are fed milk substitute with animal fat instead of plant fat, their blood shows different types of fats—some important ones are lower—which might mean their bodies are processing fats and building cell membranes differently.
When baby cows are fed a special milk substitute made with animal fats instead of plant fats, their blood shows less of certain fat-related molecules, which might mean their bodies are processing fats differently.
If you swap out natural fats from animals (like butter or lard) for man-made or heavily processed fat substitutes, your body might not get the special fat molecules it needs to keep cells healthy and send proper chemical signals.