Abstract
Background and aims: Functional foods, especially yogurt, are attractive delivery agents for probiotics due to their popularity with parents and children; however, few commercially available products have strong clinical-based evidence. Our primary objective was to determine if consumption of a probiotic-supplemented yogurt-based beverage containing Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. Lactis (B. lactis) BB-12, at a high dose, reduces daycare absences in children ages 2-4.
Methods: We conducted a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, allocation concealment clinical trial with 188 healthy children ages 2-4 years attending daycare at least 3 days per week. Participants consumed 4 ounces of active or control drink for 90 consecutive days. Active intervention was a yogurt-based drink supplemented with BB-12. Placebo contained the two cultures commonly found in all yogurts without BB-12 and was indistinguishable from the active beverage.
Results: There were no significant differences in days of missed daycare due to illness between the groups, active (2.54 days absent/100 school days) and control (2.42 days absent/100 school days). A subset of less healthy children at baseline (N=59) showed a significant difference in rates of constipation between the groups, active (2.76 days affected/100 days) and control (0.68 days affected/100 days).
Conclusions: Consumption of a BB-12 drink did not reduce daycare absences due to illness in healthy children; however, the yogurt was found to be safe and well-tolerated. As there are many probiotic products on the market, we believe it is important that other products be tested independently and in patient-oriented settings.
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Tan, T., Merenstein, D., Gonzalez, J. et al. 371 Study to Investigate Potential Benefits of Probiotics in Yogurt in Children Attending School, a Patientoriented, Double-Blind, Clusterrandomized, Placebo-Controlled, Clinical Trial. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 191–192 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00371
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00371