The European Space Agency aims for the freeze-dried snacks being developed in Lithuania for European astronauts to become a nutritional innovation. Therefore, Lithuanian experts creating them have prepared nine recipes enriched with different innovative proteins. Among them is lactoferrin – a natural protein considered one of the most exciting recent discoveries in the world of healthy nutrition, according to a press release.

“Lactoferrin is found in breast milk and strengthens newborns’ immunity. The protein acts as the body’s natural guardian: by binding with iron, it inhibits bacterial growth. Research shows it also fights viruses and even fungi effectively. In space, where immunity quickly weakens due to microgravity or stress, this is especially important.
In addition, lactoferrin helps manage inflammatory reactions, reduces cell damage, and accelerates recovery. It also supports gut health – stimulating the growth of beneficial bacteria and aiding digestion, which is highly relevant for astronauts, whose diets are often monotonous and limited,” says Laura Kaziukonienė, founder of the Lithuanian company Super Garden, which is developing snacks for astronauts.

According to her, the protein is valuable not only in space: the Singapore-based company TurtleTree, the first to discover an effective way to produce it naturally, is successfully applying lactoferrin on Earth as well. Until now, extracting this so-called “pink gold” protein was complex and expensive: producing one kilogram required up to 10,000 liters of milk, making the price around one thousand dollars per kilogram, with very limited supply. For example, only about 5% of infant formulas on the market contained the essential lactoferrin for newborns.

TurtleTree’s innovation made it possible for the first time in history to produce lactoferrin without cows or other animals, using genetically modified yeast that, through targeted fermentation, generates human milk proteins. This way, the protein is created quickly and sustainably, becoming accessible and affordable. “Lactoferrin is not a substitute for regular proteins or a source of amino acids. It regulates iron, supports the immune system, and helps maintain gut health. The recommended daily dose is just 250 mg. That’s why we use it as an ingredient in foods or beverages such as plant-based milk – a way to significantly enrich their nutritional value and fundamentally improve immunity and well-being,” says the company’s founder, Fengru Lin.

According to her, collaboration with Super Garden was a natural step, since the benefits of lactoferrin become especially important on long-term space missions. “Astronauts returning from them often face not only muscle loss or weakness but also deeper physiological changes: weaker immune systems, gut problems, and fluctuations in iron levels,” the expert notes. This was demonstrated by the famous “Twin Study.” During it, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly spent nearly a year aboard the International Space Station, while his identical twin remained on Earth. This allowed scientists to closely observe the long-term effects of microgravity on the human body. Upon the astronaut’s return to Earth, it was found that more than a thousand genes in his body were functioning differently compared to his brother’s, most of them related to inflammatory reactions and the immune system, while his gut microbiome returned to normal only several weeks later. “These are serious challenges for long-term space travel, which is increasingly being discussed. This is exactly where lactoferrin gains strategic importance and can become the answer. It supports immune function, regulates iron without harming the body, and promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria while controlling harmful ones,” says F. Lin.

For more, visit lrytas.lt