BACKGROUND:Probiotic functional foods are widely advertised to consumers primarily based on probiotic supplements. OBJECTIVE: Determine if consumption of yogurt containing a high dose of probiotics improves health in children ages 1-3 years attending daycare/school centers. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, allocation concealment clinical trial. SETTING:Outpatient participants in the Washington, DC area. PARTICIPANTS: 182 healthy children between the age of 1 and 3 years attending daycare/school at least 3 days a week. INTERVENTION: Active was a strawberry yogurt-based drink supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12. The placebo was indistinguishable from the active drink, differing only in absence of the probiotic BB-12. Primary objective was to determine if consumption of a probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink decreases absences due to illnesses from daycare for children ages 1-3 years. Secondary was to determine if probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink improves overall parental satisfaction due to decreased absences from work and an overall healthier child. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the days of missed school per group, with 51.9% in the active group and 47.1% in the placebo group missing at least 1 day of school throughout the study. Additionally, there were no differences in any secondary outcomes among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of a yogurt-based drink delivering 10(10) CFU of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12 per day did not decrease the number of days missed of school due to an illness. Additional independent research on the potential of BB-12 to reduce illness in children needs to be conducted.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Probiotic functional foods are widely advertised to consumers primarily based on probiotic supplements. OBJECTIVE: Determine if consumption of yogurt containing a high dose of probiotics improves health in children ages 1-3 years attending daycare/school centers. SUBJECTS/ METHODS: Double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, allocation concealment clinical trial. SETTING:Outpatientparticipants in the Washington, DC area. PARTICIPANTS: 182 healthy children between the age of 1 and 3 years attending daycare/school at least 3 days a week. INTERVENTION: Active was a strawberry yogurt-based drink supplemented with Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12. The placebo was indistinguishable from the active drink, differing only in absence of the probiotic BB-12. Primary objective was to determine if consumption of a probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink decreases absences due to illnesses from daycare for children ages 1-3 years. Secondary was to determine if probiotic-containing yogurt-based drink improves overall parental satisfaction due to decreased absences from work and an overall healthier child. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the days of missed school per group, with 51.9% in the active group and 47.1% in the placebo group missing at least 1 day of school throughout the study. Additionally, there were no differences in any secondary outcomes among the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Consumption of a yogurt-based drink delivering 10(10) CFU of Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis (B. lactis) BB-12 per day did not decrease the number of days missed of school due to an illness. Additional independent research on the potential of BB-12 to reduce illness in children needs to be conducted.
Authors: Daniel Merenstein; Claire M Fraser; Robert F Roberts; Tian Liu; Silvia Grant-Beurmann; Tina P Tan; Keisha Herbin Smith; Tom Cronin; Olivia A Martin; Mary Ellen Sanders; Sean C Lucan; Maureen A Kane Journal: Nutrients Date: 2021-08-17 Impact factor: 6.706
Authors: Mary J Scourboutakos; Beatriz Franco-Arellano; Sarah A Murphy; Sheida Norsen; Elena M Comelli; Mary R L'Abbé Journal: Nutrients Date: 2017-04-19 Impact factor: 5.717