Denmark-based Chr. Hansen has launched the largest probiotic immune study of its kind to further substantiate the scientific documentation behind its probiotic strains. Ultimately, the objective is to prove that consuming probiotics will help people protect themselves against influenza and common cold.

Using an influenza vaccination model, Chr. Hansen’s new study involving 1058 healthy adult participants will investigate how the consumption of L. casei 431—one of Chr. Hansen’s flagship probiotic strains—will support healthy people’s immune system in fighting off viral respiratory tract infections.

The study is conducted in collaboration with the Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and the Harrison Clinical Research in Munich, Germany, a contract research organization.

The multi-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study clinical study is recruiting participants from to November 2011. The details about the study called "The effect of Lactobacilli on the immune system of healthy adults" are available at the ISRCTN register of current controlled trials: http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN08280229