TuMMI trial

Does treating milk with heat affect how it is digested?

cups of milk

Recruitment and data collection for the study has now concluded, and the research team are completing data analysis. 

What is the aim of this study?

TuMMI stands for 'Temperature treatment of Milk impacts on MRI digestion rates and nutrient delivery'. It's a study that's trying to find out whether treating milk with heat affects how it is digested. 

What was involved in the study?

Participants came into the Liggins Institute on two separate mornings to drink either pasteurised or ultra-high temperature treated (UHT) milk.

We took a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan to measure participants' stomach contents after drinking, and we took blood samples from an arm vein at intervals for five hours. We also measured breath and urine samples.

By taking part participants learnt more about their own digestive responses and helped us to better understand the digestibility of different milks.

Contact us

The research team can be contacted by email at nutrition.liggins@auckland.ac.nz.