Potential effects of a multistrain probiotic-kefir on salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus spp.
Notes for this study:
| Effect | Decrease |
| Values | Significantly more participants who were taking 100mL kefir twice a day saw their CFU counts drop below 10^5^, than those taking kefir once a day or taking milk. |
| Trial Design | Randomized trial |
| Trial Length | 2-4 Weeks |
| Number of Subjects | 104 |
| Sex | Both Genders |
| Age Range | 18-29 |
Participants were randomised into three groups that took 100 mL of kefir once a day; 100 mL of kefir twice a day; or unfermented milk. They provided saliva samples before and after three weeks of kefir or milk. The samples were cultured and scored on whether they had <10^5^ or >10^5^ CFU of _Streptococcus mutans_ and of lactobacilli. In all three groups, the number of participants that had <10^5^ CFU of both _Streptococcus mutans_ and lactobaccili decreased; the greatest decrease was in participants that took kefir twice a day.Funding issues for this study:
The kefir used in this study was supplied by Sakipaga Co. (Izmir, Turkey), and prepared from frozen culture. It contained bacterial cultures of _L. lactis spp. lactis, L lactis spp. cremoris, L lactis spp. diacetylactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides spp. cremoris_, and _L. kefyr_, and yeast cultures of _Kluyveromyces marxianus_ and _Saccharomyces unisporus_.
Sakipaga Co. (Izmir, Turkey) supplied the probiotic and placebo dairy drinks.
