| Effect | Decrease |
| Values | After 12 wks exercise, kefir group experienced 64.7% reduction in GI distress scores, compared to a 23.6% reduction for control group. |
| Trial Design | Non-randomized controlled trial |
| Trial Length | 1-6 months |
| Number of Subjects | 24 |
| Sex | Both Genders |
| Age Range | 30-44, 45-64, 65+ |
24 cancer survivors, who had undergone chemotherapy and/or radiation at most 2 years previously, did 12 weeks of an exercise regimen (60 minute sessions 3x-week). Half the patients were given kefir to drink after each exercise session, and half were given nothing (control).Funding issues for this study:
Kefir consumption was associated with improvements in lean body mass, depression, fatigue, and gastric distress. The 12 participants who took kefir also saw significant reduction in circulating lipopolysaccharides, increase in proportion of classical monocytes and decrease in proportion of non-classical monocytes.
There was no milk control in this study, so we don't know whether these effects could have been seen with low-fat milk. The kefir in this study was commercial low-fat American kefir, prepared by Lifeway Foods Inc.
This study was funded by the Research, Dissemination and Faculty Development Program, and the School of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Northern Colorado. The authors report no competing interests.
