Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus brevis KB290 on incidence of influenza infection among schoolchildren: an open-label pilot study

[tetano]

Lett Appl Microbiol. 2014 Oct 8. doi: 10.1111/lam.12340. [Epub ahead of print]
Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus brevis KB290 on incidence of influenza infection among schoolchildren: an open-label pilot study.
Waki N1, Matsumoto M, Fukui Y, Suganuma H.
Author information
Abstract

We investigated the efficacy of dietary consumption of Lactobacillus brevis KB290 (KB290) against influenza in humans by a preliminary intervention study on elementary school children, using a commercially available probiotic drink. Subjects were divided into Groups A and B and an open-label, parallel-group trial was conducted in two 8-week periods at a 1-month interval in winter 2013/2014. Group A was provided with a bottle of the test drink containing KB290 (about 6 billion colony-forming units) every school day in the first period and had no treatment in the second period, and vice versa for Group B. Epidemic influenza was not observed during the first period and only two of 1783 subjects were diagnosed. In the second period, the incidence of influenza in Groups A (no treatment) and B (provided the test drink) was 23.9% and 15.7%, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001). The reduction in the incidence of influenza by KB290 consumption was especially remarkable in unvaccinated individuals. This is believed to be the first study to show a probiotic food reducing the incidence of influenza in schoolchildren, although further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the probiotic strain KB290. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:

Influenza; Lactobacillus brevis KB290; Probiotics; schoolchildren

PMID:
25294223
[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25294223

 

[BestlaStormcrow]

Re: Effects of probiotic Lactobacillus brevis KB290 on incidence of influenza infection among schoolchildren: an open-label pilot study

Thank you for sharing this.
I continue to be amazed at all the findings coming out connecting gut flora with so many aspects of human health.

I make cow's milk kefir every day, using a starter I got it from a Russian woman on craigslist. It's been going for 2yrs 5mos. I'd love to know what species live in it, and how they affect my health.