Kefir appears to help at-risk kids

But researchers say that the fermented drink, although rich in probiotics, didn't prevent diarrhoea in children using antibiotics KEFIR, one of the world's oldest "health" drinks, did little to prevent diarrhoea in young children being treated with antibiotics, say researchers at Georgetown University Medical Centre (GUMC), who tested the drink in a unique and rigorous doubleblind clinical trial. Whilst the study results, published in the August issue of Archives of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, are negative, investigators say there are intriguing hints that the drink, which is rich in probiotics appeared to help the children in the study who were the least healthy. "We were initially interested in this study because many physicians are already recommending yoghurts, kefirs, and probiotics supplements to prevent diarrhoea associated with use of antibiotics," says the study"s lead author, Daniel J. Merenstein, MD, director of research in the Department of Family Medicine at GUMC. Merenstein says about 20 to 30 percent of kids using antibiotics will develop diarrhoea from the antibiotic, and this often results in them stopping the antibiotic or additional doctor visits. Many of these previous studies, however, were not "double-blinded" ?that is, compared with a placebo drink that resembled kefir. "This study didn't prove the benefit of kefir in these children ?not all probiotics work the same ?but the results also suggest that kefir may work best in younger, sicker children," Merenstein says. "More studies with this particular group of children are warranted." Kefir, which originated in Europe and Asia and has been used for hundreds of years, is a milk drink. The kefir Merenstein studied was fermented by ten probiotics. It is believed to keep the stomach and immune system strong and stable. What is Kefir? KEFIR is a cultured milk beverage that is similar to drinking- style yoghurt but contains both probiotic bacteria and beneficial yeast, which are said to act symbiotically to provide superior health benefits when consumed regularly. Unlike milk, kefir is tolerated well by the lactose-intolerant because it has higher levels of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the remaining lactose left after the culturing process. In addition to beneficial microbes, this culture creamy product contains easily digestible complete proteins and is high in vitamins and minerals. The word "kefir" is probably derived from the Turkish word for froth. Virtually any milk can be used to make this beverage by inoculating milk with kefir grains, gelatinous cream-colored particles that contain the bacteria/yeast mixture clumped together with casein and complex sugars. The grains ferment the milk, which is strained after fermentation, leaving the grains to be added to a fresh batch of milk. Previous studies lacked the rigor needed to be conclusive, so Merenstein designed a clinical trial in which 125 children, ages 1-5, being treated for antibiotics, were given either a kefir drink to use with their antibiotic tablet each day for ten days or a kefir drink in which the probiotics were previously destroyed by heat (placebo). Neither the study coordinators, the children nor their parents knew which drink was given to which participant until the study ended. "This double-blind trial design is the gold standard for a clinical trial," Merenstein says. "It is the best way to determine if an agent or substance being studied provides benefit." The study was designed by Merenstein and funded by Lifeway Foods, which manufacturers Probug's Organic Whole Milk Kefir? but Georgetown University owns the data that results from the study and has had full publication rights, Merenstein says. Researchers found that 18% of children in the kefir group developed diarrhoea compared to 22% in the placebo group ?which is not a statistically significant difference. HNike