07.01.10
Nutraceutical: L. Casei (probiotic)
Indication: Illness in children
Source: Eur J Clin Nutr, May 19, 2010: [Epub ahead of print].
Research: Researchers set out to evaluate whether a fermented dairy drink containing the probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei DN-114 001 could reduce the incidence of common infectious diseases (CIDs) and the change of behavior because of illness in children. As such, they conducted a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled allocation concealment clinical trial on 638 children, 3-6 years old, in daycare/schools. The intervention was a fermented dairy drink containing a specific probiotic strain or matching placebo with no live cultures for 90 consecutive days. Two primary outcomes were assessed: incidence of CIDs and change of behavior because of illness (both assessed by parental report).
Results: The rate of change of behavior because of illness was similar among active and control groups. However, the incidence rate for CIDs in the active group was 19% lower than that of the control group. Researchers concluded that daily intake of a fermented dairy drink containing the probiotic strain L. casei DN-114 001 showed some promise in reducing overall incidence of illness, primarily driven by gastrointestinal infections.