Abstract:
Introduction and Objective: Kefir has aroused growing interest due to its numerous effects on health; however, there is a need for clinical trials to understand its effectiveness. The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of kefir yogurt consumption for four weeks on intestinal health, evaluated by the Bristol Scale in healthy Chilean adults.
Methods: Randomized pilot study involving 16 adults assigned to an intervention group (kefir) and a control group (commercial plain yogurt), with indications of daily consumption of 200 cc at breakfast, for four consecutive weeks. To assess diet and gut health, dietary surveys and the Bristol Stool Scale were applied weekly, respectively. To evaluate the effects of kefir consumption, a mixed ANOVA was performed, considering the factors time, group, and their interaction.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 34.5 years and 57.1 years were 57.1 years old% were women. A significant time-group interaction was observed (F(4, 48) = 2.75; p=0.039; with a mean effect size η² = 0.103), indicating that the trajectory of the Bristol scale over the weeks differed between participants. In the kefir group, greater week-to-week variability was observed, with a marked increase at week 3, followed by subsequent stabilization. A statistically significant difference was observed in lipids (p=0.007) and nut consumption (p=0.033), with a higher average in the control group.
Bottom Line: Kefir consumption produced a distinctive pattern of change in gut health compared to commercial plain yogurt. These findings suggest that kefir may influence short-term gastrointestinal function in young adults.
Keywords: Fermented Foods; Gut Health; Probiotics; Gastrointestinal Function; Bristol Scale
