| Effect | Increase |
| Values | Kefir consumption increased the amount of probiotic Lactobacillus bacteria in the stool. (This study didn't quantify other bacterial species or measure the proportion.) |
| Trial Design | Randomized trial |
| Trial Length | 2-4 Weeks |
| Number of Subjects | 45 |
| Sex | Both Genders |
| Age Range | 18-29, 30-44, 45-64, 65+ |
45 adult patients with _Inflammatory Bowel Disease_ (IBD)--either [Crohn's Disease] (CD) or [Ulcerative Colitis] (UC)--were randomized into kefir and control groups. After 28 days of twice-daily consumption of 400 mL of kefir, the kefir group had significantly higher amounts of Lactobacillus in their stool than before treatment, and significantly higher amounts than the control group.Funding issues for this study:
The kefir in this study contained active cultures of six species of Lactobacillus: L. pentosus, L. brevis, L. plantarum, L. fermentum, L. kefiri, and L. lindneri.
Additional findings: In self-reported IBD symptoms, the CD subgroup of the kefir group (just 10 participants) reported an improvement in abdominal pain, bloating and feeling good, but it's not clear whether these improvements were greater than control. Although it wasn't a primary or secondary outcome, the study also measured [hemoglobin] (Hgb), [erythrocyte sedimentation rate] (ESR), and [C-reactive protein] (CRP) before and after treatment, and found that the CD+kefir subgroup (10 participants) had significantly lower Hgb after 28 days of kefir. Note that both of these findings were in a very small subgroup, the symptom finding is unclear, and the Hgb finding was not a primary or secondary outcome.
"The authors declared that this study has received no financial support."
