The effects of probiotics on mental health and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in petrochemical workers Effect of Daily Consumption of Probiotic Yogurt on Oxidative Stress in Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Effect of Daily Consumption of Probiotic Yoghurt on Serum Levels of Calcium, Iron and Liver Enzymes in Pregnant Women The Effect of Probiotic Yogurt on Constipation in Pregnant Women: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Probiotic yogurt improves antioxidant status in type 2 diabetic patients. Effect of probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis on lipid profile in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Effects of probiotic yogurt consumption on inflammatory biomarkers in patients with type 2 diabetes Effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on inflammatory factors in pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial. Dairy Intake Is Protective against Bone Loss in Older Vitamin D Supplement Users: The Framingham Study. Effects of probiotic yogurt consumption on lipid profile in type 2 diabetic patients: A randomized controlled clinical trial Yogurt consumption and risk of colorectal cancer in the Italian European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition cohort Effect of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on lipid profiles in pregnant women: a randomized controlled clinical trial Multicentric study of the effect of milk fermented by Lactobacillus casei on the incidence of diarrhoea. Effect of Probiotic Yogurt and Xylitol-Containing Chewing Gums on Salivary S Mutans Count. Pretreatment with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt can improve the efficacy of quadruple therapy in eradicating residual Helicobacter pylori infection after failed triple therapy. Daily Consumption of Synbiotic Yogurt Decreases Liver Steatosis in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. Effect of Yogurt Containing Bifidobacteriumanimalis subsp. lactis DN-173010 Probiotic on Dental Plaque and Saliva in Orthodontic Patients Effect of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on insulin resistance in pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial Effects of ingesting Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt in subjects with colonized Helicobacter pylori. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study of synbiotic yogurt effect on the health of children. Effects of yogurt supplementation on the growth of preschool children in Beijing suburbs. Does eating yogurt prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea? A placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial in general practice. Ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus compared with pasteurized yogurt as prophylaxis for recurrent candidal vaginitis and bacterial vaginosis. Effect of Cucurbita ficifolia and Probiotic Yogurt Consumption on Blood Glucose, Lipid Profile, and Inflammatory Marker in Type 2 Diabetes Yogurt and fermented-then-pasteurized milk: effects of short-term and long-term ingestion on lactose absorption and mucosal lactase activity in lactase-deficient subjects. Pinpointing needles in giant haystacks: use of text mining to reduce impractical screening workload in extremely large scoping reviews. Ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus as prophylaxis for candidal vaginitis. Effects of multistrain probiotic-containing yogurt on second-line triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection. Efficacy of milk versus yogurt offered as part of a mixed diet in acute noncholera diarrhea among malnourished children. Yogurt Consumption Does Not Enhance Immune Function in Healthy Premenopausal Women Association between yogurt, milk, and cheese consumption and common carotid artery intima-media thickness and cardiovascular disease risk factors in elderly women. Impact of supplement with Lactobacillus‐ and Bifidobacterium‐containing yogurt on triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication Randomized, controlled trial to examine the impact of providing yogurt to women enrolled in WIC. Probiotic Yogurt for the Treatment of Minimal Hepatic Encephalopathy Effect of composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis. Lactose malabsorption from yogurt, pasteurized yogurt, sweet acidophilus milk, and cultured milk in lactase-deficient individuals. Evaluation of safety and tolerance of microencapsulated Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 in a yogurt formulation: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Effect of pretreatment with Lactobacillus gasseri OLL2716 on first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy Lactose digestion from flavored and frozen yogurts, ice milk, and ice cream by lactase-deficient persons. Immune and clinical impact of Lactobacillus acidophilus on asthma. Effects of Probiotics on Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Factors in Petrochemical Workers: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial The effects of increased dietary protein yogurt snack in the afternoon on appetite control and eating initiation in healthy women Yogurt consumption, weight change and risk of overweight/obesity: the SUN cohort study. Evidence for physiotherapy practice: a survey of the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro). Dietary phytochemical intake from foods and health outcomes: a systematic review protocol and preliminary scoping The effect of fermented yogurt on the prevention of diarrhea in a healthy adult population. Effects of Probiotic Yogurt on Fat Distribution and Gene Expression of Proinflammatory Factors in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells in Overweight and Obese People with or without Weight-Loss Diet Comparison of the effect of daily consumption of probiotic compared with low-fat conventional yogurt on weight loss in healthy obese women following an energy-restricted diet: a randomized controlled trial. Effect of yogurt with Bifidobacterium DN-173 010 on salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in young adults Reduction of salivary mutans streptococci in orthodontic patients during daily consumption of yoghurt containing probiotic bacteria. Age-related impairments in the regulation of food intake. Comparison of yogurt, soybean, casein, and amino acid-based diets in children with persistent diarrhea. Dairy augmentation of total and central fat loss in obese subjects An international registry of systematic-review protocols Effects of a milk product, fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus and with fructo-oligosaccharides added, on blood lipids in male volunteers Can probiotic yogurt prevent diarrhoea in children on antibiotics? A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled study The Effect of Iranian Customary Used Probiotic Yogurt on the Children’s Salivary Cariogenic Microflora Micronutrient supplemented probiotic yogurt for HIV-infected adults taking HAART in London, Canada Hypocholesterolemic effect of yogurt and milk. Daily consumption of vitamin D- or vitamin D + calcium-fortified yogurt drink improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized clinical trial. [Clinical consequences of replacing milk with yogurt in persistent infantile diarrhea]. Effects of vitamin D-fortified low fat yogurt on glycemic status, anthropometric indexes, inflammation, and bone turnover in diabetic postmenopausal women: A randomised controlled clinical trial. Effects of high-protein vs. high- fat snacks on appetite control, satiety, and eating initiation in healthy women Effect of Feeding Yogurt Versus Milk in Children with Persistent Diarrhea The Effects of a Dairy Probiotic Product, Espar, on Salivary Calcium and Mutans Streptococci Effect of long-term optional ingestion of canola oil, grape seed oil, corn oil and yogurt butter on serum, muscle and liver cholesterol status in rats. Zinc Supplementation in Malnourished Children With Persistent Diarrhea in Pakistan Systematic reviews in public health: old chestnuts and new challenges. Higher-protein foods produce greater sensory-specific satiety Differential effects of dairy snacks on appetite, but not overall energy intake. Evaluation of yogurt effect on acute diarrhea in 6-24-month-old hospitalized infants. Dairy product consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes in an elderly Spanish Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk Efficiency and Contribution of Strategies for Finding Randomized Controlled Trials: A Case Study from a Systematic Review on Therapeutic Interventions of Chronic Depression
Objective : The aim of this study was to determine effects of probiotic yogurt and multispecies probiotic capsule supplementation on mental health and hypothalamic – pituitary – adrenal axis in petrochemical workers . Methods : The present r and omized double-blind , placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 70 petrochemical workers . Subjects were r and omly divided into three groups to receive 100 g/day probiotic yogurt + one placebo capsule ( n = 25 ) or one probiotic capsule daily + 100 g/day conventional yogurt ( n = 25 ) or 100 g/day conventional yogurt + one placebo capsule ( n = 20 ) for 6 weeks . Mental health parameters including general health question naire ( GHQ ) and depression anxiety and stress scale ( DASS ) scores were measured . Fasting blood sample s were obtained at the beginning and 6 weeks after the intervention to quantify hypothalamic – pituitary – adrenal axis . Results : After 6 weeks of intervention , a significant improvement of GHQ was observed in the probiotic yogurt ( 18.0 ± 1.5 vs. 13.5 ± 1.9 , P = 0.007 ) and in the probiotic capsule group ( 16.9 ± 1.8 vs. 9.8 ± 1.9 , P = 0.001 ) , as well as a significant improvement in DASS scores in the probiotic yogurt ( 23.3 ± 3.7 vs. 13.0 ± 3.7 , P = 0.02 ) and the probiotic capsule group ( 18.9 ± 3.2 vs. 9.4 ± 4.0 , P = 0.006 ) . However , there was no significant improvement in the conventional yogurt group ( P = 0.05 for GHQ and P = 0.08 for DASS ) . Discussion : The consumption of probiotic yogurt or a multispecies probiotic capsule had beneficial effects on mental health parameters in petrochemical workers Background : Due to the enhanced oxygen requirement of the mitochondria-rich placenta primarily during the third trimester , pregnancy is associated with elevated levels of oxidative stress . This study was design ed to determine the effects of daily consumption of probiotic yogurt on oxidative stress among Iranian pregnant women . Methods : This r and omized single-blind controlled clinical trial was performed among 70 pregnant women , singleton primigravida , aged 18 - 30 in their third trimester . Subjects were r and omly assigned to two groups to consume 200 g/day of either conventional yogurt ( n = 33 ) or probiotic yogurt ( n = 37 ) for 9 weeks . Fasting blood sample s were taken at baseline and after a 9-week intervention to measure oxidative stress parameters . Results : Consumption of probiotic yogurt result ed in increased erythrocyte glutathione reductase ( GR ) levels as compared to the conventional yogurt ( p = 0.01 ) . Despite the significant effect of probiotic yogurt consumption on plasma glutathione ( 67.9 µmol/l , p = 0.01 ) , erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase ( 163 mmol/min/ml , p = 0.04 ) and serum 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine levels ( -74.3 ng/ml , p = 0.04 ) , no significant differences were found between the two yogurts in terms of their effects on the mentioned parameters . Conclusion : Consumption of probiotic yogurt among pregnant women result ed in increased levels of erythrocyte GR as compared to the conventional yogurt , but could not affect other indices of oxidative stress Background : To reach fetal appropriate growth during the third trimester , the requirements for dietary calcium and iron intakes during the pregnancy increases . This study was carried out to determine the effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on serum calcium and iron levels and liver enzymes among Iranian healthy pregnant women . Methods : In this controlled clinical trial , 70 primigravida pregnant women carrying singleton pregnancy at their third trimester were participated . Participants were r and omly divided into two groups of consuming 200 g/d of conventional ( n = 33 ) or probiotic yogurts ( n = 37 ) for 9 weeks . The probiotic yogurt contained Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis with a total of min 1 × 107 CFU . To measure serum calcium , iron , aspartate aminotransferase ( AST ) and alanine aminotransferase ( ALT ) levels , blood sample s were drawn in a fasting state at baseline and after 9 weeks intervention . Results : Consumption of probiotic yogurt result ed in maintaining serum calcium levels compared with the conventional yogurt ( P = 0.01 ) . Within-group differences in the conventional yogurt group revealed a significant reduction of serum calcium levels ( −1.7 mg/dL , P < 0.0001 ) . No significant differences were found between the two yogurts in terms of their effects on serum iron , AST and ALT levels . Conclusions : Consumption of probiotic yogurt among pregnant women result ed in maintaining serum calcium levels compared with the conventional yogurt ; however , it could not affect serum iron , ALT and AST levels Background Probiotics can alter the colonic microbiota and might improve bowel function . Objectives The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the consumption of yogurt , enriched with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus 4.8 × 1010 ( CFU ) on the symptoms of constipated pregnant women . Material s and Methods This triple-blind r and omized controlled trial was conducted on 60 constipated pregnant women who were diagnosed by the ROME III criteria in Tabriz , Iran from December 2014 to July 2015 . Participants were r and omly put into two groups including the treatment and the control group through block r and omization . The treatment group received 300 g of yogurt enriched with Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus 4.8 × 1010 colony forming units ( CFU ) ( n = 30 ) while the control group received conventional yogurt ( n = 30 ) for 4 weeks . The defecation frequency , stool consistency , straining during defecation , sensation of anorectal obstruction , sensation of incomplete evacuation and manual manoeuvres to facilitate defecation were primary outcomes while the amount of defecation , stool colure , and quality of life were secondary outcomes . Results The frequency of defecation was increased from 2.1 ( 0.8 ) at baseline to 8.3 ( 4.4 ) in the probiotic yogurt group vs. 2.3 ( 0.7 ) at baseline to 8.1 ( 4.3 ) in the conventional yogurt group at the end of 4th week . These results were based on the repeated measure ANOVA test and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups ( mean difference : 0.1 ; Confidence Interval 95 % : -1.4 to 1.7 ; P = 0.872 ) . Constipation symptoms including straining , anorectal obstruction , manipulation to facilitate defecation , consistency of stool and color of stool were improved significantly ( P < 0.05 ) in both groups . In addition , the amount of defecation was significantly increased in both groups ( P < 0.05 ) , while incomplete evacuation was significantly reduced in the treatment group ( P = 0.01 ) . There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the mean scores of physical ( P = 0.726 ) and mental ( P = 0.678 ) aspects of quality of life after the intervention with the adjusting of baseline scores . Conclusions Consumption of 300 g/day probiotic and conventional yogurt can play a role in improving the symptoms of constipation during pregnancy OBJECTIVE Oxidative stress plays a major role in the pathogenesis and progression of diabetes . Among various functional foods with an antioxidant effect , probiotic foods have been reported to repress oxidative stress . The objective of this clinical trial was to assess the effects of probiotic and conventional yogurt on blood glucose and antioxidant status in type 2 diabetic patients . METHODS Sixty-four patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus , 30 to 60 y old , were assigned to two groups in this r and omized , double-blind , controlled clinical trial . The patients in the intervention group consumed 300 g/d of probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 and those in the control group consumed 300 g/d of conventional yogurt for 6 wk .  Fasting blood sample s , 24-h dietary recalls , and anthropometric measurements were collected at the baseline and at the end of the trial . RESULTS Probiotic yogurt significantly decreased fasting blood glucose ( P < 0.01 ) and hemoglobin A1c ( P < 0.05 ) and increased erythrocyte superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities and total antioxidant status ( P < 0.05 ) compared with the control group . In addition , the serum malondialdehyde concentration significantly decreased compared with the baseline value in both groups ( P < 0.05 ) . No significant changes from baseline were shown in insulin concentration and erythrocyte catalase activity within either group ( P > 0.05 ) . CONCLUSION The consumption of probiotic yogurt improved fasting blood glucose and antioxidant status in type 2 diabetic patients . These results suggest that probiotic yogurt is a promising agent for diabetes management The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotic and conventional yogurt on the lipid profile in type 2 diabetic people . In a r and omized double-blind controlled trial , 60 people ( 23 males and 37 females ) with type 2 diabetes and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) greater than 2.6 mmol/L were assigned to 2 groups . Participants consumed daily 300 g of probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 or 300 g of conventional yogurt for 6 wk . Fasting blood sample s , anthropometric measurements and 3-d , 24-h dietary recalls were collected at the baseline and at the end of the trial . Probiotic yogurt consumption caused a 4.54 % decrease in total cholesterol and a 7.45 % decrease in LDL-C compared with the control group . No significant changes from baseline were shown in triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) in the probiotic group . The total cholesterol : HDL-C ratio and LDL-C : HDL-C ratio as atherogenic indices significantly decreased in the probiotic group compared with the control group . Probiotic yogurt improved total cholesterol and LDL-C concentrations in type 2 diabetic people and may contribute to the improvement of cardiovascular disease risk factors Introduction : The role of inflammatory cytokines in diabetes and its complications has been shown in some studies . The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of probiotic and conventional yogurt on inflammatory markers in patients with type 2 diabetes . Methods : Forty-four patients with type 2 diabetes were participated in this r and omized , double-blind controlled clinical trial and assigned to two intervention and control groups . The subjects in the intervention group consumed 300 g/d probiotic yogurt and subjects in the control group consumed 300 g/d conventional yogurt for 8 weeks . Anthropometric indices , dietary intakes , and serum levels of glucose , HbA1c , IL-6 , TNF-α and hs-CRP were evaluated at the beginning and end of the intervention . Results : For anthropometric indices and dietary intakes , no significant differences were seen within and between groups post intervention ( p > 0.05 ) . The consumption of probiotic yogurt caused significant decrease in HbA1c and TNF-α levels ( p= 0.032 and p= 0.040 , respectively ) in the intervention group . Conclusion : It is suggested that probiotic yogurt may be used as an alternative prevention approach and treatment method to control diabetic complications Previous studies have shown that inflammatory factors increases in pregnancy and is associated with several complications of pregnancy . The aim of this study was to assess effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on inflammatory factors in pregnant women . In a r and omized clinical trial , seventy primigravid ( the first pregnancy ) and singleton pregnant women aged 18 - 30 years were assigned to two groups . Subjects consumed daily 200 g probiotic yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 ( 10(7 ) CFU g(-1 ) for each ) or 200 g conventional yoghurt for 9 weeks . Fasting blood sample s were collected at baseline ( 28 weeks of gestation ) and after intervention ( 37 weeks of gestation ) . Inflammatory factors , hs-CRP and TNF-alpha , were measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay ( ELISA ) . Independent t-test was used to compare the two groups after intervention and paired- sample t-test compared variables before and after treatment . The results showed that the probiotic yogurt brought about a decrease in the serum hs-CRP level , from 10.44 + /- 1.56 to 7.44 + /- 1.03 microg mL(-1 ) ( p = 0.041 ) . There was no significant change in the conventional yogurt group in the serum hs-CRP level ( 12.55 + /- 1.57 to 14.51 + /- 1.62 microg mL(-1 ) , p = 0.202 ) . The probiotic yogurt had no effect on TNF-alpha ( from 73.75 + /- 6.59 to 77.91 + /- 5.61 pg mL(-1 ) , p = 0.633 ) . Serum TNF-alpha did not change in the conventional yogurt group ( p = 0.134 ) . In conclusion probiotic yogurt significantly decreased hs-CRP in pregnant women but had no effect on TNF-alpha Background : Previous studies showed beneficial effects of specific dairy foods on bone health in middle-aged adults . Objective : We examined the association of milk , yogurt , cheese , cream , fluid dairy ( milk + yogurt ) , and milk + yogurt + cheese intakes with bone mineral density ( BMD ) and 4-y percentage of change in BMD [ ▵ % BMD ; femoral neck , trochanter , and lumbar spine ( LS ) ] . We further assessed whether these associations were modified by vitamin D supplement use in this cohort of older adults . Methods : Food-frequency question naire responses , baseline BMD ( hip and spine , n = 862 in 1988 - 1989 ) , and follow-up BMD ( n = 628 in 1992 - 1993 ) were measured in the Framingham study , a prospect i ve cohort study of older Caucasian men and women aged 67 - 93 y. Outcomes included baseline BMD and ▵ % BMD . Dairy-food intakes ( servings per week ) were converted to energy-adjusted residuals , and linear regression was used , adjusting for covariates . These associations were further examined by vitamin D supplement use . Results : The mean age of the participants was 75 y. In the full sample , dairy-food items were not associated with BMD ( P = 0.11 - 0.99 ) or with ▵ % BMD ( P = 0.29 - 0.96 ) . Among vitamin D supplement users , but not among nonusers , higher milk , fluid dairy , and milk + yogurt + cheese intakes were associated with higher LS BMD ( P = 0.011 - 0.009 ) . Among vitamin D supplement users , but not among nonusers , higher milk + yogurt + cheese intakes were protective against trochanter BMD loss ( P = 0.009 ) . Conclusions : In this population of older adults , higher intakes of milk , fluid dairy , and milk + yogurt + cheese were associated with higher LS BMD , and a higher intake of milk + yogurt + cheese was protective against trochanter BMD loss among vitamin D supplement users but not among nonusers . These findings underscore that the benefits of dairy intake on the skeleton may be dependent on vitamin D intake Background : Alteration in plasma lipid and lipoprotein profile has been documented in diabetic patients . The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of probiotic and conventional yogurt on lipid profile in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients . Material s and Methods : A total of 44 patients with type 2 diabetes aged 30 - 60 years old who had low density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-c ) ≥100 mg/dl enrolled in this r and omized , double – blind controlled trial and were assigned to two intervention and control groups . The subjects in the intervention group consumed 300 g/d probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5 and Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12 and subjects in the control group consumed 300 g/d conventional yogurt for 8 weeks . Anthropometric indices , dietary intake , and serum lipid profile were evaluated at the beginning and end of the intervention . Independent- sample t-test , paired sample t-test , ANCOVA , and repeated measures were used for statistical analysis . Results : The consumption of probiotic yogurt caused significant decrease in LDL-c/high density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-c ) ratio ( 3.13 ± 1.00 - 2.07 ± 0.71 , P = 0.016 ) . The levels of HDL-c were increased significantly ( 43.66 ± 6.80 - 50.42 ± 6.64 , P = 0.023 ) in the intervention group postintervention . However , there were no significant differences in triglyceride and total cholesterol levels between two groups postintervention ( P < 0.05 ) . Conclusion : It is suggested that probiotic yogurt consumption may be used as an alternative prevention approach and treatment method to improve dyslipidemia in patients with type 2 diabetes Fermented dairy products like yogurt have been suggested to protect against  colorectal cancer ( CRC )  . We conducted a prospect i ve study on 45,241 ( 14,178 men ; 31,063 women ) volunteers of the EPIC‐Italy cohort who completed a dietary question naire  including specific  questions on yogurt intake . During 12 years of follow‐up , 289 volunteers were diagnosed with CRC . Hazard ratios ( HRs ) for the disease and 95 % confidence intervals ( CIs ) were estimated by Cox proportional hazard models , stratified by dietary question naire and adjusted for energy intake and other potential confounders . Yogurt intake was inversely associated with CRC risk . For the energy‐adjusted model , HR for CRC in the highest versus lowest tertile of yogurt intake was 0.62 ( 95 % CI , 0.46–0.83 ) . In the full model adjusted for energy , simple sugar , calcium , fiber , animal fat , alcohol and red meat intake , as well as body mass index , smoking , education and physical activity , HR was 0.65 ( 95 % CI , 0.48–0.89 ) in the highest versus lowest tertile . The protective effect  of yogurt was evident in the entire cohort , but was stronger in men , although there was no interaction of sex with the yogurt – CRC association ( pinteraction 0.20 , fully adjusted model ) . In our prospect i ve study , high yogurt intake was significantly associated with decreased CRC risk , suggesting that yogurt should be part of a diet to prevent the disease . Investigation of larger cohorts is necessary to reveal any residual confounding of the association of yogurt intake with CRC risk Background : Due to enhanced fat storage primarily during the mid-pregnancy period , pregnancy is associated with elevated levels of lipid profiles . To our knowledge , no reports are available indicating the effects of probiotic yoghurt consumption on serum lipid profiles in pregnant women . Objective : This study was design ed to determine the effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on lipid profiles of Iranian pregnant women . Methods : This r and omized single-blinded controlled clinical trial was performed among 70 pregnant women , primigravida , aged 18–30 years old who were carrying singleton pregnancy at their third trimester . Subjects were r and omly assigned to consume 200 g/d of conventional ( n = 33 ) or the probiotic group ( n = 37 ) for 9 weeks . The probiotic yoghurt was a commercially available product prepared with the starter cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus , enriched with probiotic culture of two strains of lactobacilli ( Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 ) and bifidobacteria ( Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 ) with a total of min 1 × 107 colony-forming units . The conventional yoghurt contained the starter cultures of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus . Fasting blood sample s were taken at baseline and after 9-weeks intervention to measure serum lipid profiles . Results : Although consumption of probiotic yogurt for 9 weeks had been result ed in a significant reduction in serum total- ( −53.7 mg/dL , p = 0.001 ) , LDL- ( −35.2 mg/dL , p = 0.006 ) and HDL-cholesterol levels ( −9.8 mg/dL , p = 0.002 ) as well as serum triglyceride concentrations ( −42.8 mg/dL , p = 0.029 ) , no significant differences were found comparing probiotic and conventional yogurts in terms of their effect on serum lipid profiles . Within-Group differences in conventional yogurt group revealed a significant reduction in HDL-cholesterol levels ( −8.4 mg/dL , p = 0.005 ) and borderline significant reduction in serum total cholesterol concentrations ( −21.6 mg/dL , p = 0.08 ) . Conclusion : In conclusion , consumption of probiotic yogurt among pregnant women could not affect serum lipid profiles as compared to the conventional yogurt The aim of this study was to determine if supplementation of healthy children with milk fermented by yogurt cultures and Lactobacillus casei strain DN-114 001 could affect the incidence of acute diarrhoea when compared with traditional yogurt . The study was a multicentre , r and omised , double-blind trial , conducted over four months , on 928 children aged , at inclusion , 6 - 24 months . The study consisted of two periods : supplementation and observation . Subjects were supplemented daily with 100 g of one of the two dairy products being tested : st and ard yogurt and milk fermented by yogurt cultures and Lactobacillus casei ( 10(8 ) cfu/ml ) . Frequency or duration of any diarrhoea episode was evaluated . As far as frequency was concerned there was a statistically significant difference between the groups , the incidence of diarrhoea being significantly reduced by supplementation with L. casei fermented milk ( 15.9 % ) compared with yogurt ( 22 % ) ( p = 0.03 ) . These results suggest an additional benefit of L. casei in acute diarrhoea in children compared with st and ard yogurt BACKGROUND AND AIMS In addition to improving gastrointestinal health and intestinal microflora , probiotic bacteria have been recently suggested to decrease cariogenic agents in the oral cavity . The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of probiotic yogurt and xylitol-containing chewing gums on reducing salivary Streptococcus mutans levels . STUDY DESIGN This r and omized clinical trial recruited 50 female students with over 105 colony forming units S. mutans per milliliter of their saliva . The participants were r and omly allocated to two equal groups to receive either probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 and Bifidobacteriumbifidum ATCC 29521 ( 200 g daily ) or xylitol-containing chewing gums ( two gums three times daily after each meal ; total xylitol content : 5.58 g daily ) for three weeks . At baseline and one day , two weeks , and four weeks after the interventions , saliva sample s were cultured on mitis-salivarius-bacitracin agar and salivary S. mutans counts were determined . Data were analyzed with independent t-tests , analysis of variance , and Fisher 's least significant difference test . RESULTS In both groups , S. mutans counts on the first day , second week , and fourth weeks after the intervention were significantly lower than baseline values ( P < 0.05 ) . The greatest level of reduction in both groups was observed in the second week after the intervention . Moreover , although the reduction was greater in probiotic yogurt consumers , the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant . CONCLUSION Probiotic yogurt and xylitol-containing chewing gums seem to be as effective in reduction of salivary S. mutans levels . Their constant long-term consumption is thus recommended to prevent caries BACKGROUND Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt ( AB-yogurt ) can suppress Helicobacter pylori . Improvement of the eradication rate by quadruple therapy of residual H. pylori after failed triple therapy is needed . OBJECTIVE We tested whether prior treatment with AB-yogurt improved the efficacy of quadruple therapy  in eradicating residual H. pylori after failed triple therapy . DESIGN One hundred thirty-eight patients in whom triple therapy failed were enrolled for a culture study of H. pylori to assess antimicrobial resistance . These patients were then r and omly assigned in equal numbers to either a yogurt-plus-quadruple therapy group or a quadruple therapy-only group . The patients received 1 wk of quadruple therapy with or without a 4-wk pretreatment with AB-yogurt ( 400 mL/d ) . In the yogurt-plus-quadruple group , excessive delta(13)CO(2)/mL values of the (13)C-urea breath test were collected before and every 2 wk during the 4-wk ingestion of yogurt . For both groups , a (13)C-urea breath test was conducted > or = 6 wk after the quadruple therapy to assess the outcome of residual H. pylori eradication . RESULTS For the patients in the yogurt-plus-quadruple therapy group infected with either antibiotic-sensitive or -resistant H. pylori , the excessive delta(13)CO(2)/mL values of the (13)C-urea breath test were significantly decreased after the 4-wk ingestion of AB-yogurt ( P < 0.0001 ) . The yogurt-plus-quadruple therapy group had a higher H. pylori eradication rate than did the quadruple therapy-only group ( intention-to-treat analysis : 85 % compared with 71.1 % , P < 0.05 ; per- protocol analysis : 90.8 % compared with 76.6 % , P < 0.05 ) . CONCLUSION A 4-wk pretreatment with AB-yogurt can decrease H. pylori loads despite antimicrobial resistance , thus improving the efficacy of quadruple therapy  in eradicating residual H. pylori Background Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease ( NAFLD ) is the most common chronic liver disease in developed and developing countries . The use of synbiotics has been proposed as a probable management strategy for patients with NAFLD . Objective We investigated the effects of synbiotic yogurt on hepatic steatosis and liver enzymes as primary outcomes and on oxidative stress markers , adipokine concentration , and gut peptide concentration as secondary outcomes in patients with NAFLD . Methods In this 24-wk , open-label , r and omized controlled clinical trial , 102 patients [ 50 men and 52 women ; mean age : 40 y ; body mass index ( in kg/m2 ) ( mean ± SD ) : 31.2 ± 4.9 ] were r and omly assigned to 3 groups , including 2 intervention groups and 1 control group . The intervention groups consumed 300 g synbiotic yogurt containing 108 colony-forming units Bifidobacterium animalis/mL and 1.5 g inulin or conventional yogurt daily and were advised to follow a healthy lifestyle ( i.e. , diet and exercise ) . The control group was advised to follow a healthy lifestyle alone . We evaluated differences between groups in liver function measures by using repeated- measures ANOVA , ANCOVA , and logistic regression . Results At the end of the study , the grade s of NAFLD , as determined by ultrasonography , showed a significant decrease in the synbiotic group compared with the conventional and control groups ( P < 0.001 ) . The following significant mean ± SD decreases were seen in the synbiotic , conventional , and control groups , respectively : serum concentration of alanine aminotransferase ( -14.5 ± 15.6 compared with 4.6 ± 15.4 and 3.1 ± 14.4 IU/L ; P = 0.008 ) , aspartate aminotransferase ( -7.5 ± 6.1 compared with 3.0 ± 8.2 and 3.1 ± 5.7 IU/L ; P < 0.001 ) , alkaline phosphatase ( -26.2 ± 16.8 compared with 3.4 ± 30.1 and 1.5 ± 31.9 IU/L ; P = 0.024 ) , and γ-glutamyltransferase ( -6.0 ± 6.0 compared with 1.0 ± 6.4 and 7.6 ± 11.4 IU/L ; P < 0.001 ) . Conclusion Synbiotic yogurt consumption improved hepatic steatosis and liver enzyme concentrations in patients with NAFLD . This trial was registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website ( www.i rct .ir ) as I RCT 2017020932417N2 Aim : To assess how consumption of yogurt containing Bifidobacteriumanimalis subsp . lactis DN-173010 probiotic for a period of 2 weeks affects salivary and dental plaque levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment . Methods : A crossover , double-blind , r and omized and placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed with 26 volunteers . The study was divided into four periods . During periods 2 and 4 , the volunteers ingested yogurt containing probiotic or control yogurt daily for 2 weeks . Periods 1 and 3 were a 1-week run-in period and 4-week washout period , respectively . Saliva and dental plaque sample s were collected from each participant at the end of each period . Mutans streptococci , lactobacilli , and total cultivable microorganisms were counted . Values were compared between groups and across periods with the Wilcoxon 's test . Results : There was no difference between the yogurt containing probiotic and the control yogurt for any of the studied variables ( all p > 0.05 ) . A reduction in counts of total cultivable microorganisms was observed in dental plaque sample s after ingestion of either yogurts ( both p < 0.05 vs. baseline ) , but not in saliva ( p < 0.05 ) . Conclusion : Daily ingestion of yogurt with or without B. animalis subsp . lactis for a period of 2 weeks was beneficial in reducing total microbial counts in dental plaque . Therefore , no additional benefits were achieved by the use of the tested probiotic strain Background / objectives : Owing to excess body weight and increased secretion of inflammatory cytokines primarily during the third trimester , pregnancy is associated with elevated insulin resistance . To our knowledge , no report is available indicating the effects of probiotic yoghurt consumption on serum insulin levels in pregnant women . This study was design ed to determine the effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on insulin resistance and serum insulin levels of Iranian pregnant women . Subjects/ methods : In this r and omized controlled clinical trial , 70 primigravida pregnant women with singleton pregnancy at their third trimester were participated . We r and omly assigned participants to consume 200 g per day of conventional ( n=33 ) or the probiotic group ( n=37 ) for 9 weeks . The probiotic yoghurt was a commercially available product prepared with the starter cultures of Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus , enriched with probiotic culture of two strains of lactobacilli ( Lactobacillus acidophilus LA5 ) and bifidobacteria ( Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 ) with a total of min 1 × 107 colony-forming units . Fasting blood sample s were taken at baseline and after 9-week intervention to measure fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin levels . Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance ( HOMA-IR ) was used to calculate insulin resistance score . Results : Although consumption of probiotic yogurt for 9 weeks did not affect serum insulin levels and HOMA-IR score , significant differences were found comparing changes in these variables between probiotic and conventional yogurts ( changes from baseline in serum insulin levels : + 1.2±1.2 vs + 5.0±1.1 μIU/ml , respectively , P=0.02 ; and in HOMA-IR score : −0.2±0.3 vs 0.7±0.2 , respectively , P=0.01 ) . Conclusions : It is concluded that in contrast to conventional yogurt , daily consumption of probiotic yogurt for 9 weeks maintains serum insulin levels and might help pregnant women prevent developing insulin resistance BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that ingesting lactic acid bacteria exerts a suppressive effect on  Helicobacter pylori infection in both animals and humans . Supplementing with Lactobacillus- and Bifidobacterium-containing yogurt ( AB-yogurt ) was shown to improve the rates of eradication of H. pylori in humans . OBJECTIVE We administered AB-yogurt to subjects with asymptomatic H. pylori to test whether the yogurt could inhibit H. pylori growth . DESIGN The in vitro inhibition of H. pylori growth was determined by inoculating Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 or Bifidobacterium lactis Bb12 on plates that were inoculated with H. pylori . Assessment of the viability of H. pylori was performed by the mixed culture method with La5 or Bb12 . In an intervention study , 59 adult volunteers infected with H. pylori were given AB-yogurt ( 10(7 ) colony-forming units of both La5 and Bb12/mL ) twice daily after a meal for 6 wk . Eleven subjects positive for H. pylori infection were treated with milk placebo as control subjects . H. pylori bacterial loads were determined with use of the (13)C-urea breath test , which was performed before and 4 and 8 wk after the start of AB-yogurt supplementation . RESULTS Bb12 exerted an in vitro inhibitory effect against H. pylori , whereas La5 did not show an effect . Administration of AB-yogurt decreased the urease activity of H. pylori after 6 wk of therapy ( P < 0.0001 ) . CONCLUSION Regular intake of yogurt containing Bb12 and La5 effectively suppressed H. pylori infection in humans OBJECTIVE To assess the effects of daily consumption of a synbiotic yogurt drink on the health , growth , and quality of life of healthy children 12 - 48 months of age in out-of-home child care . STUDY DESIGN Healthy children attending child care centers were enrolled in a prospect i ve , double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial . The intervention was a yogurt drink containing Streptococcus thermophilus , Lactobacillus bulgaricus , and Bifidobacterium animalis subspecies lactis ( BB-12 ) ( 5 × 10(9 ) cfu/100 mL serving ) , and 1 g of inulin ( synbiotic group ) vs a similar nonsynbiotic-containing acidified milk drink ( placebo group ) once daily for 16 weeks . The end points were days of diarrhea , fever , vomiting , symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection , use of antibiotics , physician visits , child care absenteeism , parental work absenteeism , and quality of life ( PedsQL 4.0 ; Mapi Research Trust , Lyon , France ) . RESULTS Compared with placebo ( n = 73 ) , children receiving synbiotic ( n = 76 ) had significantly fewer days of reported fever ( 1.85 vs 1.95 , P < .05 ) , significant improvement in social functioning ( P < .035 ; pre-to-end intervention ) , and school functioning ( P < .045 ; pre-to-mid intervention ) . More days with ≥ 3 loose/watery stools were reported in the synbiotic group ( P < .05 ) . CONCLUSIONS Daily supplementation of children 's diet with yogurt containing probiotic bacteria BB-12 and inulin significantly reduced days of fever and improved social and school functioning . The increased frequency of bowel movements may be explained by an accelerating effect of BB-12 and inulin on intestinal transit . Further research on the possible benefits of synbiotics on children 's health is advised . TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov : NCT00653705 OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of yogurt supplementation on the growth of preschool children in Beijing suburbs . METHODS Four hundred and two preschool children ( 217 males , 185 females ) , aged 3 - 5 years , whose height for age and /or weight for age were less than the reference level , were selected as subjects from 7 kindergartens in Beijing Fangshan District . The subjects were divided r and omly into control group ( CG , 201 ) and yogurt supplemented group ( YG , 201 ) . Each subject in YG was given one serving of yogurt ( 125 g ) for 5 days a week from March to December in 2001 , while nothing additional was provided to CG . All subjects kept their usual diet during the study . Anthropometry ( body height and weight and upper-arm circumference ) and the bone mineral density ( BMD ) of forearm were measured every 3 months . Disease status and dietary intake were also recorded and assessed . RESULTS The intake of calcium , zinc , and vitamin B2 in YG was significantly higher than that in CG . The incidence and duration of upper-respiratory infection and diarrhea of children in YG were significantly less than those in CG . The height gain of children in YG was significantly higher than that in CG after yogurt was supplemented for 3 , 6 , and 9 months ( P<0.05 ) ( 1.90+/-0.49 cm vs 1.77+/-0.54 cm , 3.83+/-0.57 cm vs 3.64+/-0.66 cm and 5.43+/-0.69 cm vs 5.24+/-0.76 cm , respectively ) . The weight gain of children in YG was significantly higher than that in CG after yogurt was supplemented for 3 , 6 , and 9 months ( P<0.05 ) ( 0.70+/-0.43 kg vs 0.49+/-0.35 kg , 0.98+/-0.62 kg vs 0.80+/-0.60 kg and 1.42+/-0.76 kg vs 1.20+/-0.67 kg , respectively ) . The BMD of children in YG was significantly higher than that in CG after yogurt was supplemented for 9 months ( P<0.05 ) ( 0.415+/-0.058 g/cm2 vs 0.400+/-0.065 g/cm2 ) . CONCLUSION Yogurt is beneficial to the improvement of calcium , zinc , and vitamin B2 intake , the decreasing of the incidence and duration of upper-respiratory infection and diarrhea , and the promotion of the health and the growth and development of preschool children BACKGROUND Probiotic capsules have been shown to reduce the incidence of  antibiotic-associated diarrhoea  in a number of setting s. If probiotic yogurt were equally efficacious then it would provide a simple and cost-effective means of preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea . AIM To investigate whether eating live bio yogurt at the time of taking oral antibiotics can prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea . DESIGN OF STUDY This study was a three-arm ( bio yogurt , commercial yogurt , no yogurt ) r and omised controlled trial with double blinding between the two yogurt arms . SETTING A single primary care general practice surgery in Hingham , Norfolk . The study population included all ages except babies . METHOD Patients aged over 1 year who required a 1-week course of antibiotics were included in the study . There was complete follow up for 369 patients . The intervention was the consumption of 150 ml of live strawberry-flavoured yogurt for 12 days , starting on the first day of taking the antibiotic .  Diarrhoea was defined as ' three or more loose stools per day over at least 2 consecutive days ' within 12 days of starting the antibiotics . RESULTS Of the 120 patients in the no-yogurt group , 17 ( 14 % , 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] = 9.0 to 21.5 ) developed diarrhoea . Of the 118 given commercial yogurt , 13 ( 11 % , 95 % CI = 6.6 to 17.9 ) developed diarrhoea ; nine of the 131 patients ( 7 % ; 95 % CI = 3.7 to 12.5 ) given bio yogurt developed diarrhoea ( P = 0.17 ) . CONCLUSION Overall , this study failed to demonstrate that yogurt has any effect on antibiotic-associated diarrhoea To compare and assess ingestion of yogurt that contained live Lactobacillus acidophilus with pasteurized yogurt as prophylaxis for  recurrent bacterial vaginosis ( BV ) and c and idal vaginitis  , we design ed a crossover trial during which patients were examined monthly for  c and idal infection and BV while they were receiving either a pasteurized yogurt or a yogurt that contained live L acidophilus .  Forty-six patients in 2 groups of 23 were r and omly assigned to each of the study groups . At least 28 ( 61 % ) participated during the first 4 months of the study . Seven patients completed the entire study protocol . We concluded that daily ingestion of 150 mL of yogurt , enriched with live L acidophilus , was associated with an increased prevalence of colonization of the rectum and vagina by the bacteria , and this ingestion of yogurt may have reduced episodes of BV Background : Control of blood sugar , hypertension , and dyslipidemia are key factors in diabetes management . Cucurbita ficifolia ( pumpkin ) is a vegetable which has been used traditionally as a remedy for diabetes in Iran . In addition , consumption of probiotics may have beneficial effects on people with Type 2 diabetes . The aim of this study was an investigation of the effects of C. ficifolia and probiotic yogurt consumption alone or at the same time on blood glucose and serum lipids in diabetic patients . Methods : Eighty eligible participants r and omly were assigned to four groups : 1 - green C. ficifolia ( 100 g ) ; 2 - probiotic yogurt ( 150 g ) ; 3 - C. ficifolia plus probiotic yogurt ( 100 g C. ficifolia plus 150 g yogurt ) ; and 4 -control ( dietary advice ) for 8 weeks . Blood pressure , glycemic response , lipid profile , and high-sensitive C-reactive protein ( hsCRP ) were measured before and after the intervention . Results : Total cholesterol ( TC ) decreased significantly in yogurt and yogurt plus C. ficifolia groups ( within groups P = 0.010 , and P < 0.001 , respectively ) . C. ficifolia plus yogurt consumption result ed in a decrease in triglyceride ( TG ) and an increase in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( HDL-C ) ( within groups P < 0.001 and P = 0.001 , respectively ) . All interventions led to a significant decrease in blood sugar , hemoglobin A1c ( HbA1c ) , hsCRP , and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDL-C ) level within groups . Blood pressure decreased significantly in Cucurbita group and yogurt group ( within groups P < 0.001 , and P = 0.001 for systolic blood pressure [ SBP ] and P < 0.001 , and P = 0.004 for diastolic blood pressure [ DBP ] , respectively ) . All variables changed between groups significantly except LDL-C level . Conclusions : Variables including TG , HDL-C , TC , fasting blood sugar , HbA1c , SBP , DBP , and hsCRP changed beneficially between groups . It seems that consumption of C. ficifolia and probiotic yogurt may help treatment of diabetic patients Lactase-deficient subjects absorb lactose in yogurt more effectively than lactose in other dairy products . However , as all previous studies were performed without a double-blind design and only after a single ingestion of the test product , the mechanism of this enhanced absorption remains unclear . The aims of this double-blind study were 1 ) to evaluate lactose absorption after prolonged ingestion of yogurt and fermented-then-pasteurized milk ( FPM ) and 2 ) to assess the modification of the lactase activity of the duodenal mucosa . In 16 lactase-deficient subjects we confirmed that yogurt enhances lactose digestion , this beneficial effect being destroyed by pasteurization . Moreover , the long-term ( 8 d ) ingestion of either yogurt or FPM does not modify the results of hydrogen breath tests in comparison with a 24-h ingestion . The mucosal lactase ( Dahlquist method ) and beta-galactosidase ( ONPG method ) activities were not significantly modified by yogurt or FPM ingestion . These results suggest that in lactase-deficient subjects no adaptation occurs after eating yogurt or FPM and that the increased lactose absorption in yogurt must be mainly related to an intraluminal process In scoping review s , boundaries of relevant evidence may be initially fuzzy , with refined conceptual underst and ing of interventions and their proposed mechanisms of action an intended output of the scoping process rather than its starting point . Electronic search es are therefore sensitive , often retrieving very large record sets that are impractical to screen in their entirety . This paper describes methods for applying and evaluating the use of text mining ( TM ) technologies to reduce impractical screening workload in review s , using examples of two extremely large-scale scoping review s of public health evidence ( choice architecture ( CA ) and economic environment ( EE ) ) . Electronic search es retrieved > 800,000 ( CA ) and > 1 million ( EE ) records . TM technologies were used to prioritise records for manual screening .  TM performance was measured prospect ively . TM  reduced manual screening workload by 90 % ( CA ) and 88 % ( EE ) compared with conventional screening ( absolute reductions of ≈430 000 ( CA ) and ≈378 000 ( EE ) records ) . This study exp and s an emerging corpus of empirical evidence for the use of TM to expedite study selection in review s. By reducing screening workload to manageable levels , TM made it possible to assemble and configure large , complex evidence bases that crossed research discipline boundaries . These methods are transferable to other scoping and systematic review s incorporating conceptual development or explanatory dimensions OBJECTIVE To assess whether daily ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus prevents  vulvovaginal c and idal infections .  DESIGN Crossover trial for at least 1 year during which patients were examined for c and idal infections and colonizations while receiving either a yogurt-free or a yogurt-containing diet . Patients served as their own controls . SETTING Ambulatory infectious disease center in a teaching hospital providing tertiary care . PATIENTS Thirty-three women with recurrent c and idal vaginitis were eligible after recruitment from community practice s and clinics and through advertising . Twelve patients were eliminated for protocol violations . Of the remaining 21 patients , 8 who were assigned to the yogurt arm initially refused to enter the control phase 6 months later . Thus , 13 patients completed the protocol . INTERVENTIONS Women ate yogurt for 6 months of the study period . MEASUREMENTS Colonization of lactobacilli and c and ida in the vagina and rectum ; c and idal infections of the vagina . MAIN RESULTS Thirty-three eligible patients were studied . A threefold decrease in infections was seen when patients consumed yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus . The mean ( + /- SD ) number of infections per 6 months was 2.54 + /- 1.66 in the control arm and 0.38 + /- 0.51 per 6 months in the yogurt arm ( P = 0.001 ) . C and idal colonization decreased from a mean of 3.23 + /- 2.17 per 6 months in the control arm to 0.84 + /- 0.90 per 6 months in the yogurt arm ( P = 0.001 ) . CONCLUSION Daily ingestion of 8 ounces of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus decreased both c and idal colonization and infection BACKGROUND AND AIMS The adjuvant effects of probiotic-containing yogurt on second-line triple therapy for Helicobacter pylori ( H. pylori ) infection have not been evaluated . METHODS A total of 337 patients with persistent H. pylori infection , after first-line triple therapy , were r and omly assigned to receive either triple therapy with ( yogurt group , n=151 ) or without ( control group , n=186 ) Will yogurt . Triple therapy consisted of 400 mg moxifloxacin q.d . , 1000 mg amoxicillin b.i.d . , and 20 mg esomeprazole b.i.d . for 14 days . Will yogurt contains Lactobacillus acidophilus , Lactobacillus casei , Bifidobacterium longum , and Streptococcus thermophilus . H. pylori eradication was evaluated by the (13)C-urea breath test , histology , or the rapid urease test . RESULTS The eradication rates by intention-to-treat analysis were 66.7 % and 68.9 % in the control and yogurt groups , respectively ( P=0.667 ) . The eradication rates by per- protocol analysis were 78.5 % and 86 % in the control and the yogurt groups , respectively ( P=0.110 ) . The adverse event rates were 25.3 % and 28.5 % in the control group and yogurt group , respectively ( P=0.508 ) . CONCLUSIONS The addition of yogurt containing probiotics to moxifloxacin-containing second-line treatment neither improved H. pylori eradication rates nor reduced the adverse events of treatment We compared the clinical outcome of  acute diarrhea in 96 malnourished boys ( aged 4 to 47 months ) receiving full-strength milk compared with yogurt offered as part of a mixed diet . All had weight for height less than or equal to 80 % of the National Centre for Health Statistics median . They were r and omly assigned to receive milk formula ( MF ; 67 cal/100 ml ) or yogurt formula ( YF ; prepared from the same milk formula ) at the rate of 120 ml/kg body weight in seven divided feedings . Stool-reducing substances ( > 1 % ) were detected more frequently in the MF group , and the differences were significant for day 3 of the study ( p = 0.04 ) . However , the geometric mean ( 95 % confidence interval ) of the total stool weights ( gm/kg ) during 0 to 72 hours ( MF 128.8 [ 103 , 161.4 ] ; YF 110.9 [ 87 , 142.2 ] ) was comparable ( p = 0.37 ) as was the median ( range ) duration of diarrhea ( hours ) ( MF 45 [ 4 , 183 ] ; YF 52 [ 7 , 173 ] p = 0.94 ) . The treatment failure rates in the MF ( 8.2 % ) and YF ( 6.3 % ) groups were also similar ( p = 0.67 ) . The children consuming milk had higher median percent weight gain at the end of 72 hours of the study ( p = 0.04 ) and at recovery ( p = 0.02 ) . Routine substitution of yogurt as small frequent feedings as an addition for semisolid food to malnourished children with acute diarrhea does not achieve any significant clinical benefit versus milk Fermented milk products may protect against  breast cancer  by stimulating immunologic activity . Twenty- five women [ 24.0 ± 0.7 ( SE ) yr ] were assigned r and omly to two groups : control ( n = 12 ) and  yogurt treatment ( n = 13 ) . Controls refrained from yogurt products for three months , whereas the yogurt treatment group consumed two cups ( 454 g/day ) of commercially produced yogurt for three consecutive months . Prior yogurt consumption did not exceed 4 - 6 cups/mo , and subjects consumed their usual diet during the study . Three-day diet records and fasting midluteal blood sample s were obtained during subjects ' first , second , and fourth menstrual cycles ( baseline , Month 1 , and Month 3 , respectively ) . Macronutrient intakes differed between groups only for carbohydrate . Calcium intake increased for yogurt consumers during intervention . Lymphocyte proliferation induced by concanavalin A , phytohemagglutinin , and pokeweed mitogen , interleukin 2 production , and cytotoxic T lymphocyte-mediated cytotoxicity was assessed after baseline and Months 1 and 3 for both groups . No significant immune differences between the control and yogurt treatment group were observed for concanavalin A , phytohemagglutinin , pokeweed mitogen , interleukin-2 , or cytotoxicity . In conclusion , three months of yogurt consumption did not enhance ex vivo cell-mediated immune function in young women BACKGROUND Despite the contribution of dairy foods to total dietary saturated fat intake , available data indicate that dairy consumption may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease . OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to investigate the relation between consumption of milk , cheese , and yogurt and common carotid artery intima-media thickness ( CCA-IMT ) in a cohort of elderly women . DESIGN Dairy consumption was assessed with a vali date d food-frequency question naire in 1080 participants r and omly selected from ambulant white women aged > 70 y living in Perth , Western Australia .  CCA-IMT was assessed by using B-mode carotid ultrasound 3 y later . Cardiovascular disease risk factors , including serum lipids and blood pressure , were assessed at baseline . RESULTS Total dairy product , milk , and cheese consumption was not associated with CCA-IMT ( P > 0.05 ) , whereas yogurt consumption was negatively associated with CCA-IMT ( unadjusted st and ardized β = -0.081 , P = 0.008 ; baseline risk factor-adjusted st and ardized β = -0.075 , P = 0.015 ) . Participants who consumed > 100 g yogurt/d had a significantly lower CCA-IMT than did participants with lower consumption ( unadjusted = -0.024 mm , P = 0.002 ) . This relation remained significant after adjustment for baseline , dietary , and lifestyle risk factors ( multivariable analysis = -0.023 mm , P = 0.003 ) . CONCLUSION Increased consumption of yogurt , but not of other dairy products , is associated with a lower CCA-IMT , independent of other risk factors Aim : To test whether supplements of Lactobacillus‐ and Bifidobacterium‐containing yogurt ( AB‐Yogurt ) affect the success of Helicobacter pylori eradication OBJECTIVE Examine the impact of providing yogurt to women enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women , Infants , and Children ( WIC ) . DESIGN R and omized , controlled intervention trial . SETTING Two California WIC local agency sites . PARTICIPANTS 511 pregnant , breast-feeding , or postpartum women . INTERVENTION Substitution of part of the WIC milk allowance with yogurt accompanied with educational material s. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Participants ' consumption and attitudes regarding yogurt provision . ANALYSIS Chi-square , Fisher exact , and Student t test to compare pre- versus post-intervention responses . Nonparametric Wilcoxon , chi-square , and t test to compare changes in response in intervention versus controls . Analysis of covariance models to test the influence of language preference on outcomes . RESULTS Over 86 % of women wanted to substitute some of their milk vouchers with yogurt . Among these , 62 % reported preferring yogurt to milk . The majority ( 89 % ) redeemed the yogurt coupons . Compared to controls , intervention women reported a trend ( P = .09 ) toward an increase in yogurt intake of 1.0 fl oz/day while not decreasing other dairy consumption . Those in the intervention group with the lowest tertile of yogurt intake at baseline increased yogurt consumption by 2.8 fl oz/day ( P = .003 ) relative to controls with lowest intake . CONCLUSIONS Yogurt is likely to be a popular substitute for milk and could contribute to increased dairy intake among women if it were an option in WIC OBJECTIVES : Minimal hepatic encephalopathy ( MHE ) , the pre clinical stage of overt hepatic encephalopathy ( OHE ) , is a significant condition affecting up to 60 % of cirrhotics . All MHE therapies modify gut microflora , but consensus regarding MHE treatment and long-term adherence studies is lacking . The aim was to determine the effect of probiotic supplementation in the form of a food item , probiotic yogurt , on MHE reversal and adherence . METHODS : Nonalcoholic MHE cirrhotics ( defined by a st and ard psychometric battery ) were r and omized with unblinded allocation to receive probiotic yogurt ( with proven culture stability ) or no treatment ( no Rx ) for 60 days in a 2:1 ratio . Quality of life ( short form [SF]-36 ) , adherence , venous ammonia , model of end-stage liver disease ( MELD ) scores , and inflammatory markers ( tumor necrosis factor [TNF]-α , interleukin [IL]-6 ) were also measured . Outcomes were MHE reversal using blinded scoring , OHE development , and adherence . RESULTS : Twenty-five patients ( 17 yogurt , 8 no Rx ; 84 % Child class A ) were enrolled . A significantly higher percentage of yogurt patients reversed MHE compared to no Rx patients ( 71 % vs 0 % , P= 0.003 , intention-to-treat ) . Yogurt patients demonstrated a significant improvement in number connection test-A ( NCT-A ) , block design test ( BDT ) , and digit symbol test ( DST ) compared to baseline/no Rx group . Twenty-five percent of no Rx versus 0 % of yogurt patients developed OHE during the trial . Eighty-eight percent of yogurt patients were adherent . No adverse effects or change in covariates were observed . All patients who completed the yogurt arm were agreeable to continue yogurt for 6 months if needed . CONCLUSIONS : This trial demonstrated a significant rate of MHE reversal and excellent adherence in cirrhotics  after probiotic yogurt supplementation with potential for long-term adherence AIM To investigate whether composite yogurt with acacia dietary fiber and Bifidobacterium lactis ( B. lactis ) has additive effects in  irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) . METHODS A total of 130 patients were r and omly allocated to consume , twice daily for 8 wk , either the composite yogurt or the control product . The composite yogurt contained acacia dietary fiber and high-dose B. lactis together with two classic yogurt starter cultures . Patients were evaluated using the visual analog scale via a structured question naire administered at baseline and after treatment . RESULTS Improvements in bowel habit satisfaction and overall IBS symptoms from baseline were significantly higher in the test group than in the control group ( 27.16 vs 15.51 , P = 0.010 , 64.2 ± 17.0 vs 50.4 ± 20.5 , P < 0.001 ; respectively ) . In constipation-predominant IBS , improvement in overall IBS symptoms was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group ( 72.4 ± 18.4 vs 50.0 ± 21.8 , P < 0.001 ) . In patients with diarrhea-predominant IBS , improvement in bowel habit satisfaction from baseline was significantly higher in the test group than in the control group ( 32.90 vs 7.81 , P = 0.006 ) . CONCLUSION Our data suggest that composite yogurt enriched with acacia fiber and B. lactis has greater therapeutic effects in patients with IBS than st and ard yogurt The use of fermented dairy foods is common in areas of the world where lactase deficiency is prevalent . Recently , we have shown that the digestion of lactose from yogurt is enhanced as compared to that from milk . This enhanced digestion is apparently due to inherent B-galactosidase in yogurt which is active in the gastrointestinal tract after consumption of the yogurt . Furthermore , yogurt is well tolerated by lactase-deficient subjects result ing in little or no gastrointestinal distress . Since other fermented and microbial-containing dairy foods are consumed worldwide and may also contain some " lactase " activity , we chose to evaluate the digestion of lactose from three of these products : pasteurized yogurt , cultured milk ( buttermilk ) , and sweet acidophilus milk .  Breath hydrogen techniques were used to evaluate lactose malabsorption in nine lactase-deficient subjects . The studies demonstrated that yogurt is unique among the products tested in enhancing the digestion of lactose . Furthermore , pasteurization of yogurt eliminated the enhanced digestion of lactose , reduced the inherent lactase activity of the yogurt by 10-fold and reduced cell counts by 100-fold . Interestingly , eight of nine subjects fed cultured milk experienced gastrointestinal distress , whereas all subjects fed pasteurized yogurt were symptom free , even though the amount of malabsorbed lactose was similar Probiotic organisms have shown promise in treating diseases . Previously , we have reported on the efficacy of microencapsulated Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 in a yogurt formulation at lowering serum cholesterol levels in otherwise healthy hypercholesterolemic adults . This study investigates the safety and toxicology of oral ingestion of microencapsulated L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 in a yogurt formulation . A r and omized group of 120 subjects received a dose of 5 × 10(10 ) CFU microencapsulated L. reuteri NCIMB 30242 in yogurt ( n=59 ) or placebo yogurt ( n=61 ) twice/day for 6 weeks . Clinical chemistry and hematological parameters of safety were analyzed . Fecal sample s were collected at these time points for the analysis of deconjugated bile acids . The frequency , duration and intensity of adverse events ( AEs ) and clinical significance of safety parameters were recorded for both groups . No clinical ly significant differences between the probiotic yogurt and placebo yogurt treated groups were detected in either the blood clinical chemistry or hematology results and there was no significant increase in fecal deconjugated bile acids ( P>0.05 ) between treated and control groups . The frequency and intensity of AEs was similar in the two groups . These results demonstrate the safe use of this formulation in food Background and Aim Helicobacter pylori eradication clearly decreases peptic ulcer recurrence rates . H. pylori eradication is achieved in 70–90 % of cases , but treatment failures due to poor patient compliance and resistant organisms do occur . Lactobacillus gasseri can suppress both clarithromycin-susceptible and -resistant strains of H. pylori in vitro . The aim of this study was to determine the effect of pretreatment with L. gasseri- containing yogurt on H. pylori eradication . We conducted a r and omized , controlled clinical trial in patients with H. pylori infection . Methods A total of 229 patients were r and omized into either a 1-week triple therapy of rabeprazole ( 10 mg bid ) , amoxicillin ( 750 mg bid ) , and clarithromycin ( 200 mg bid ) or triple therapy plus L. gasseri-containing yogurt . In the yogurt-plus-triple therapy groups , yogurt containing L. gasseri OLL2716 ( 112 g ) was given twice daily for 4 weeks ( 3 weeks pretreatment and also 1 week during eradication therapy ) . Clarithromycin resistance was determined by the detection of a mutation in 23S rRNA using nested polymerase chain reaction and the direct sequencing of DNA from pretreatment feces . H. pylori eradication was diagnosed based on the urea breath test and a stool antigen test after 8 weeks of eradication . Results The status of H. pylori susceptibility to clarithromycin  was successively determined in 188 out of 229 sample s. The rate of infection with clarithromycin-resistant strains of H. pylori was 27.1 % . Overall eradication ( intention to treat/per protocol ) was 69.3/74.5 % for the triple-only group , and 82.6/85.6 % for the yogurt-plus-triple group ( P = 0.018/P = 0.041 ) . Eradication of primary clarithromycin-resistant strains tended to be higher for yogurt-plus-triple therapy than triple-only therapy ( 38.5 vs 28.0 % , respectively , P = 0.458 ) . Conclusion This study confirmed that the major cause of treatment failure is resistance to clarithromycin . A 4-week treatment with L. gasseri-containing yogurt improves the efficacy of triple therapy in patients with H. pylori infection Lactose digestion from and tolerance to flavored and frozen yogurts , ice cream , and ice milk were evaluated ( 20 g lactose/meal ) in lactase-deficient subjects by use of breath hydrogen techniques . Unflavored yogurt caused significantly less hydrogen production than milk ( 37 vs 185 delta ppm X h , n = 9 ) . Flavored yogurt was intermediate ( 77 delta ppm X h ) . Subjects were free of symptoms after consuming flavored and unflavored yogurts . Of seven commercial yogurts tested , all contained significant levels of microbial beta-galactosidase ( beta-gal ) . In addition , eight subjects were fed meals of milk , ice milk , ice cream , and frozen yogurts with and without cultures containing high levels of beta-gal . Peak hydrogen excretion after consumption of frozen yogurt with high beta-gal was less than one-half of that observed after the other five test meals and intolerance symptoms were absent . Tolerance to frozen yogurt  , produced under usual commercial procedures , was found to be similar to that of ice milk and ice cream BACKGROUND Animal and human studies have suggested that yogurt containing live active bacteria leads to improved immune and clinical responses . Specific benefits of yogurt containing L. acidophilus on allergic asthma  have been hypothesized but not studied . METHODS In a crossover double-blinded design , the effect of live active yogurt ( 225 g twice daily ) with or without L. acidophilus was studied in 15 adult patients with moderate asthma .  Immune and clinical parameters were measured before and after the two 1-month crossover phases . RESULTS No significant changes were noted in peripheral cell counts , IgE , IL-2 , or IL-4 when comparing the two diets to each other . Concanvalin A-stimulated lymphocytes from patients who consumed yogurt containing L. acidophilus produced borderline elevated interferon gamma levels ( P = .054 ) . No differences were noted in mean daily peak flows or changes in spirometric values . Quality of life indices were unchanged when comparing the two groups . CONCLUSIONS Yogurt containing L. acidophilus generated trends in the increase in interferon gamma and decreased eosinophilia ; however , we were unable to detect changes in clinical parameters in asthma patients in association with these modest immune changes Background : The aim of the current study was to determine effects of probiotic yoghurt and multispecies probiotic capsule supplementation on biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors in petrochemical workers . Methods : This r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled trial was done among petrochemical workers . Subjects were r and omly divided into three groups to receive 100 g/day probiotic yogurt ( n = 12 ) or one probiotic capsule daily ( n = 13 ) or 100 g/day conventional yogurt ( n = 10 ) for 6 weeks . The probiotic yoghurt was containing two strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis with a total of min 1 × 107 CFU . Multispecies probiotic capsule contains seven probiotic bacteria spices Actobacillus casei 3 × 103 , L. acidophilus 3 × 107 , Lactobacillus rhamnosus 7 × 109 , Lactobacillus bulgaricus 5 × 108 , Bifidobacterium breve 2 × 1010 , Bifidobacterium longum 1 × 109 and Streptococcus thermophilus 3 × 108 CFU/g . Fasting blood sample s were obtained at the beginning and end of the trial to quantify biomarkers of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors . Results : Although a significant within-group decrease in plasma protein carbonyl levels was seen in the probiotic capsule group ( 326.0 ± 308.9 vs. 251.0 ± 176.3 ng/mL , P = 0.02 ) , the changes were similar among the three groups . In addition , significant within-group decreases in plasma iso prostagl and in were observed in the probiotic supplements group ( 111.9 ± 85.4 vs. 88.0 ± 71.0 pg/mL , P = 0.003 ) and in the probiotic yogurt group ( 116.3 ± 93.0 vs. 92.0 ± 66.0 pg/mL , P = 0.02 ) , nevertheless there were no significant change among the three groups . Conclusions : Taken together , consumption of probiotic yogurt or multispecies probiotic capsule had beneficial effects on biomarkers of oxidative stress in petrochemical workers Background A large portion of daily intake comes from snacking . One of the increasingly common , healthier snacks includes Greek-style yogurt , which is typically higher in protein than regular yogurt . This study evaluated whether a 160 kcal higher-protein ( HP ) Greek-style yogurt snack  improves appetite control , satiety , and delays subsequent eating compared to an isocaloric normal protein ( NP ) regular yogurt in healthy women . This study also identified the factors that predict the onset of eating . Findings Thirty-two healthy women ( age : 27 ± 2y ; BMI : 23.0 ± 0.4 kg/m2 ) completed the acute , r and omized crossover- design study . On separate days , participants came to our facility to consume a st and ardized lunch followed by the consumption of the NP ( 5.0 g protein ) or HP ( 14.0 g protein ) yogurt at 3 h post-lunch . Perceived hunger and fullness were assessed throughout the afternoon until dinner was voluntarily requested ; ad libitum dinner was then provided . Snacking led to reductions in hunger and increases in fullness . No differences in post-snack perceived hunger or fullness were observed between the NP and HP yogurt snacks . Dinner was voluntarily requested at approximately 2:40 ± 0:05 h post-snack with no differences between the HP vs. NP yogurts . Ad libitum dinner intake was not different between the snacks ( NP : 686 ± 33 kcal vs. HP : 709 ± 34 kcal ; p = 0.324 ) . In identifying key factors that predict eating initiation , perceived hunger , fullness , and habitual dinner time accounted for 30 % of the variability of time to dinner request ( r = 0.55 ; p < 0.001 ) . Conclusions The additional 9 g of protein contained in the high protein Greek yogurt was insufficient to elicit protein-related improvements in markers of energy intake regulation BACKGROUND AND AIMS Epidemiological studies on the association between yogurt consumption and the risk of overweight/obesity are scarce . We prospect ively examined the association of yogurt consumption with overweight/obesity and average annual weight gain . METHODS AND RESULTS Prospect i ve cohort study of 8516 men and women ( mean age 37.1 , SD : 10.8 y ) . Participants were followed-up every two years . Participants were classified in 5 categories of yogurt consumption at baseline : 0 - 2 , > 2-<5 , 5-<7 , 7 and ≥ 7 servings/week . Outcomes were : 1 ) average yearly weight change during follow-up ; and 2 ) incidence of overweight/obesity . Linear regression models and Cox models were used to adjust for potential confounders . After a median follow-up of 6.6 years , 1860 incident cases of overweight/obesity were identified . A high ( > 7 servings/week ) consumption of total and whole-fat yogurt was associated with lower incidence of overweight/obesity [ multivariable adjusted hazard ratios = 0.80 ( 95 % CI : 0.68 - 0.94 ) ; and 0.62 ( 0.47 - 0.82 ) respectively ] in comparison with low consumption ( 0 - 2 servings/week ) . This inverse association was stronger among participants with higher fruit consumption . CONCLUSION In this Mediterranean cohort , yogurt consumption was inversely associated with the incidence of overweight/obesity , especially among participants with higher fruit consumption Evidence -based practice involves the use of evidence from systematic review s and r and omised controlled trials , but the extent of this evidence in physiotherapy has not previously been surveyed . The aim of this survey is to describe the quantity and quality of r and omised controlled trials and the quantity of systematic review s relevant to physiotherapy . The Physiotherapy Evidence Data base ( PEDro ) was search ed . The quality of trials was assessed with the PEDro scale . The search identified a total of 2,376 r and omised controlled trials and 332 systematic review s. The first trial was published in 1955 and the first review was published in 1982 . Since that time , the number of trials and review s has grown exponentially . The mean PEDro quality score has increased from 2.8 in trials published between 1955 and 1959 to 5.0 for trials published between 1995 and 1999 . There is a substantial body of evidence about the effects of physiotherapy . However , there remains scope for improvements in the quality of the conduct and reporting of clinical trials Introduction Dietary phytochemicals are found in plant-based foods such as fruits , vegetables and grains and may be categorised in a nested hierarchical manner with many hundred individual phytochemicals identified to date . To associate phytochemical intakes with positive health outcomes , a fundamental step is to accurately estimate the dietary phytochemical intake from foods reported . The purpose of this systematic review protocol is to describe the process to be undertaken to summarise the evidence for food-based dietary phytochemical intakes and health outcomes for adults . Methods and analysis The review will be undertaken following the PRISMA guidelines and the Cochrane H and book for Systematic Review s of Interventions using the Review Manager software . Phytochemical subclasses ( phenolic acids , flavanols , etc ) will be used to search for relevant studies using the Web of Science and Scopus scientific data bases . The retrieved studies will be screened based on inclusion of natural whole food items and health outcomes . Phytochemical studies related to cardiovascular disease , cancer , overweight , glucose tolerance , digestive , reproductive , macular and bone health and mental disorders , fatigue and immunity will be examined based on prior scoping . The evidence will be aggregated by the food types and health outcomes . Comparison of differences in the outcomes for r and omised controlled trials and observational studies will be undertaken . The strength of the review lies in its focus on whole food items and health conditions rather than one type of phytochemical related to one single health condition . Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will be conducted where an adequate number of publications are found per phytochemical subclass . Dissemination By comparing the outcomes from experimental and observational studies , the review will determine whether the overall conclusions related to the phytochemical subclasses are the same between study types for the identified health conditions . This is useful to public health policymakers and health professionals alike . Trial registration number # CRD42014015610 BACKGROUND Probiotic dairy products are increasingly gaining popularity . Although the role of probiotic bacteria in the prevention and treatment of pediatric and antibiotic associated diarrhea is fairly well established , their role in the prevention of adult infectious diarrhea has not been well investigated . METHODS Five hundred forty-one , young male military recruits were enrolled and r and omly assigned to receive a yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei ( n = 275 ) or a nonprobiotic yogurt ( n = 266 ) . The incidence and duration of diarrhea were documented and stool sample s examined for bacteria and parasites . RESULTS Five hundred and two participants were eligible for final analysis , 254 receiving probiotic yogurt and 248 in the control group . Seventy-one participants ( 14.14 % ) experienced diarrhea during the study period . The incidence of diarrhea in the probiotic group and the control group was 12.2 % and 16.1 % , respectively ( P = .207 ) . The mean duration of diarrhea was 3 + /- 1.95 days in the probiotic group and 2.6 + /- 1.08 days in the control group ( P = .276 ) . CONCLUSION Our study demonstrated a nonsignificant trend for reduction of the incidence of diarrhea among healthy young adults consuming yogurt containing Lactobacillus casei . Further study is needed to evaluate the role of probiotics in adults Objectives : The purpose of this study was to investigate whether probiotics had an effect on proinflammatory markers and cytokines in overweight and obese individuals and whether they could have synergistic effects with weight-loss diets . Methods : A total of 75 healthy overweight and obese individuals completed this r and omized doubled-blind controlled clinical trial . Participants were r and omly assigned to groups consuming regular yogurt with a low-calorie diet ( LCD , RLCD ; n = 25 ) or receiving probiotic yogurt with LCD ( PLCD ; n = 25 ) or consuming probiotic yogurt without LCD ( PWLCD ; n = 25 ) for 8 weeks . The pribiotic regimen contained 200 g/day yogurt , enriched by Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 , Bifidobacterium BB12 , and Lactobacillus casei DN001 108 colony-forming units/g . Body fat percentage , high-sensitive C-reactive protein ( hs-CRP ) , tumor necrosis factor-alpha ( TNF-α ) , leptin , and mRNA levels of inflammation-related genes ( TNF-α and RAR-related orphan receptor gamma [ ROR-γt ] ) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( P BMC s ) were measured . Results : A reduction in body mass index ( BMI ) , fat percentage , and leptin level was observed that was more obvious in groups who received the weight-loss diet with probiotic yogurt . Reduction in the gene expression of ROR-γt was significant in the PLCD group ( p < 0.001 ) . The expression of TNF-α did not change among all groups after intervention . The mean concentration of leptin was significantly decreased in all groups after the dietary intervention , but the mean changes in leptin level in the PLCD group was more prominent compared to the other two groups ( −2.38 , p < 0.001 [ PLCD ] vs −1.75 , p = 0.002 [ RLCD ] and −0.55 ng/mL , p = 0.12 [ PWLCD ] ) . The reduction in serum levels of hs-CRP was more evident in the PWLCD group compared to the PLCD and RLCD groups after the 8-week intervention ( −3.4 , p = 0.03 vs −1.76 , p < 0.001 and −2.98 pg/mL , p < 0.001 , respectively ) . Conclusion : Our results suggested that the weight-loss diet and probiotic yogurt had synergistic effects on T-cells subset specific gene expression in P BMC s , fat percentage , and body weight among overweight and obese individuals BACKGROUND Despite evidence for the beneficial effects of probiotics and low-fat dairy products , to our knowledge , no study has compared the beneficial effect on weight loss of consuming a probiotic yogurt ( PY ) compared with a st and ard low-fat yogurt ( LF ) during a hypoenergetic program . OBJECTIVE We compared the effect of the PY with LF yogurt consumption on body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in women during a weight-loss program . DESIGN Overweight and obese women [ body mass index ( in kg/m(2 ) ) : 27 - 40 ; age : 18 - 50 y ) who usually consumed st and ard LFs  were asked to consume either PY or LF every day with their main meals for 12 wk while following a weight-loss program . RESULTS A total of 89 participants were r and omly assigned to one of the 2 intervention groups . Baseline variables were not significantly different between groups . A statistically significant reduction in anthropometric measurements and significant improvements in cardiometabolic risk characteristics were observed over the 12 wk in both groups . However , no significant differences in weight loss and anthropometric measurements were seen between groups after the intervention . Compared with the LF group , the PY group had a greater ( mean ± SD ) decrease in total cholesterol ( PY = -0.36 ± 0.10 mmol/L , LF = -0.31 ± 0.10 mmol/L ; P = 0.024 ) , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( PY = -0.35 ± 0.10 mmol/L , LF = -0.31 ± 0.11 mmol/L ; P = 0.018 ) , homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( PY = -0.55 ± 0.32 , LF = -0.42 ± 0.20 ; P = 0.002 ) , 2-h postpr and ial glucose ( PY = -0.61 ± 0.24 mmol/L , LF = -0.44 ± 0.19 mmol/L ; P < 0.001 ) , and fasting insulin concentration ( PY = -1.76 ± 1.01 mU/mL , LF = -1.32 ± 0.62 mU/mL ; P = 0.002 ) , as secondary endpoints after the study . No significant differences were found for fasting plasma glucose , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol , or triglycerides within both groups after the 12 wk . CONCLUSION Consumption of PY compared with LF with main meals showed no significant effects on weight loss . However , it may have positive effects on lipid profiles and insulin sensitivity during a weight-loss program . This trial was registered at http://www.i rct .ir/ as I RCT 201402177754N8 Probiotic bacteria are thought to reduce the risk of disease . Previous studies have suggested that lactobacilli-derived probiotics in dairy products may affect the oral ecology , but the effect of bifidobacteria has not previously been reported . The aim of the present study was to examine whether or not short-term consumption of yogurt containing bifidobacteria would affect the salivary levels of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in young adults . A double-blind , r and omized crossover study was performed and 21 healthy subjects were followed over four periods . During periods 2 and 4 ( 2 weeks each ) , they ingested 200 g yogurt containing Bifidobacterium DN-173 010 once daily or a control yogurt without viable bacteria . Periods 1 and 3 were run-in and washout periods , respectively . Salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli were enumerated with chair-side kits . A statistically significant reduction ( p<0.05 ) of salivary mutans streptococci was recorded after the probiotic yogurt consumption , which was in contrast to the controls . A similar trend was seen for lactobacilli , but this decrease failed to reach statistical significance . In conclusion , probiotic bifidobacteria in yogurt may reduce the levels of selected caries-associated microorganisms in saliva Previous studies have suggested that probiotic supplements in dairy products may affect the oral microbial ecology , but the effect in orthodontic patients has not previously been reported . The aim of the present study was to examine whether short-term consumption of fruit yogurt containing probiotic bifidobacteria would affect the levels of salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in patients with fixed orthodontic appliances . A double-blind , r and omized crossover study was performed and 24 healthy adolescents ( 12 - 16 years ) undergoing orthodontic treatment were followed over four periods . During periods 2 and 4 ( 2 weeks each ) , the subjects ingested 200 g fruit yogurt containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp . lactis DN-173010 ( 2 x 10(8 ) colony forming units/g ) once daily or a control yogurt without viable bacteria . Periods 1 and 3 were run-in and wash-out periods of 1 and 6 weeks , respectively . Salivary mutans streptococci and lactobacilli were enumerated with chair-side kits before and after the yogurt consumption periods . Pre- and post-treatment values within each regimen were compared with a two-tailed marginal homogeneity test for categorical data . A statistically significant reduction of salivary mutans streptococci was recorded after probiotic yogurt consumption ( P < 0.05 ) , which was in contrast to the control yogurt . No significant alterations of the salivary lactobacilli counts were observed . Short-term daily consumption of fruit yogurt containing Bifidobacterium animalis subsp . lactis DN-173010 may reduce the levels of mutans streptococci in saliva during orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances Low food intake in elderly individuals increases the risk for many nutrition-related acute or chronic illnesses . It is not known whether aging is associated with changes in hunger and satiety , or whether elderly individuals can regulate energy intake in response to manipulations of the energy or nutrient content of foods . Therefore , this study investigated short-term energy regulation in healthy elderly ( n = 16 ; aged 60 - 84 y ) and young ( n = 16 ; aged 18 - 35 y ) men . Participants were given yogurt preloads that varied in energy and macronutrient content ( low-fat , low-energy , 962 kJ ; high-fat , high-energy , 2134 kJ ; high-carbohydrate , high-energy 2134 kJ ) , or no yogurt , followed by a self-selected lunch ( presented 30 min after subjects began to consume the yogurt ) . Energy intake , the percentage of macronutrients consumed in the meals , and subjective sensations of hunger and satiety were analyzed . The elderly men consumed significantly less energy than the young men in the baseline ( no yogurt ) condition . Lower intake was concordant with subjective sensations of satiety ; visual analog data indicated that the older men were less hungry and more full at the start of lunch . Compensation for energy in the preloads was less precise in the elderly than in the young men , in that elderly men consistently overate at the self-selected lunch . Young men consumed + /- 10 % total energy ( lunch + yogurt ) in the yogurt preload conditions compared with their baseline intake ; elderly men overate between 10 % and 30 % in relation to their baseline intake . ( ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS Although previous studies have shown successful treatment of  persistent diarrhea ( PD ) with the use of yogurt-based diets , some recent ones speculate the need of special formulas for the nutritional management of PD complicated cases . In the present study , we tested the hypothesis that the consumption of 3 lactose-free diets , with different degrees of complexity , is associated with lower stool output and shorter duration of diarrhea when compared with the use of a yogurt-based one on the nutritional management of PD . A total of 154 male infants , aged between 1 and 30 months , with PD and with or without dehydration , were r and omly assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups . Throughout the study , the patients were placed in a metabolic unit ; their body weights and intakes of oral rehydration solution , water , and formula diets , in addition to outputs of stool , urine , and vomit , were measured and recorded at 24-hour intervals . Four different diets were used in this study : diet 1 , yogurt-based formula ; diet 2 , soy-based formula ; diet 3 , hydrolyzed protein-based formula ; and diet 4 , amino acid-based formula . Throughout the study , only these formula diets were fed to the children . The data showed that children fed the yogurt-based diet ( diet 1 ) or the amino acid-based diet ( diet 4 ) had a significant reduction in stool output and in the duration of diarrhea . The use of an inexpensive and worldwide-available yogurt-based diet is recommended as the first choice for the nutritional management of mild to moderate PD . For the few complicated PD cases , when available , a more complex amino acid-based diet should be reserved for the nutritional management of these unresponsive and severe presentations . Soy-based or casein-based diets do not offer any specific advantage or benefits and do not seem to have a place in the management of PD BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE : We have previously demonstrated an antiobesity effect of dietary Ca ; this is largely mediated by Ca suppression of calcitriol levels , result ing in reduced adipocyte intracellular Ca2 + and , consequently , a coordinated increase in lipid utilization and decrease in lipogenesis . Notably , dairy Ca is markedly more effective than other Ca sources . DESIGN : Obese subjects were placed on balanced deficit ( −500 kcal/day ) diets and r and omized to control ( 400–500 mg Ca/day ; n=16 ) or yogurt ( 1100 mg Ca/day ; n=18 ) treatments for 12 weeks . Dietary macronutrients and fiber were held constant at the US average . MEASUREMENTS : Body weight , body fat and fat distribution ( by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry ) , blood pressure and circulating lipids were measured at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention . RESULTS : Fat loss was markedly increased on the yogurt diet ( −4.43±0.47 vs −2.75±0.73 kg in yogurt and control groups ; P<0.005 ) while lean tissue loss was reduced by 31 % on the yogurt diet . Trunk fat loss was augmented by 81 % on the yogurt vs control diet ( P<0.001 ) , and this was reflected in a markedly greater reduction in waist circumference ( −3.99±0.48 vs −0.58±1.04 cm , P<0.001 ) . Further , the fraction of fat lost from the trunk was higher on the yogurt diet vs control ( P<0.005 ) . CONCLUSION : Isocaloric substitution of yogurt for other foods significantly augments fat loss and reduces central adiposity during energy restriction Support for prospect i ve registration of protocol s for systematic review s has been gathering momentum . The PRISMA statement , a guideline for reporting systematic review s and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health-care interventions , advocates registration . Well-conducted systematic review s are accepted as the best- quality evidence to inform policy and practice , and the dramatic upward trend in the number of systematic review s published annually ( fi gure ) is set to continue . However , there is currently no single facility for identifying this type of research in advance of the appearance of the results of the review . There is concern about and evidence of publication and selective outcome -reporting biases associated with systematic review s. An open registry of review s captured at the protocol stage would facilitate good practice in systematic review s by providing transparency of the review process and outcomes . Discrepancies between the methods of the published review and those planned in the registered protocol could be more readily identifi ed . Registration might also encourage full publication of the review ’s fi ndings and transparency in changes to methods that could bias fi ndings . In both the prevention and revelation of potential bias , registration should improve quality and increase confi dence that policy or practice informed by the fi ndings of systematic review s are indeed drawing on best- quality evidence . A registry of protocol s of systematic review s could assist those planning new review s and updating existing ones . Easy access to information about ongoing review s should help to optimise the use of fi nite re sources by enabling funding and commissioning agencies to avoid unnecessary duplication and encourage collaboration . A comprehensive registry could also create opportunities for method ological and other research , both within and across disciplines . Existing access to systematic - review protocol s is limited to the outputs of individual organisations , such as the Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations and the Joanna Briggs Institute . The National Public Health Service for Wales is piloting an All Wales Systematic Review s Register , but , up to now , there has been no central ised comprehensive registry of systematic - review protocol s. We are developing an international facility to register the details of ongoing systematic review s in health and social care . Our registry is being established with the existing platform and infrastructure that supports the Data base of Abstract s of Review s of Eff ects ( DARE ) , the NHS Economic Evaluations Data base ( NHS EED ) and the Health Technology Assessment ( HTA ) data base produced by the Centre for Review s and Dissemination . The initial scope of the registry will be limited to systematic review s of the eff ectiveness of health interventions . However , the longterm aim is for the registry to include details of all ongoing systematic review s with a health-related outcome in the broadest sense . Ultimately , inclusion will encompass systematic review s of health-care interventions , and review s of the social determinants of health , of service delivery , and of risk factors and genetic associations . Our web-based registry will off er free public access , be electronically search able , and open to all prospect i ve registrants . Registration will require the provision of a minimum data set , the completeness of which will be checked automatically before registration . After acceptance , the registry ’s entry and protocol for the review , if available , will be loaded on the data base as a permanent entry and a unique identifi cation number issued . An audit trail for any amendments to the information will be available within the record . Links to result ing publications will be added . These provisions ensure that the registry will match the relevant criteria required of clinical trials registries Objective : To investigate in adult male volunteers the effect of a new fermented milk product , fermented by Lactobacillus acidophilus and with fructo-oligosaccharides added , on blood lipids . Design : R and omized placebo-controlled double-blind two-way cross over trial with two treatment periods of three weeks , separated by a wash-out period of one week . Setting : the study was performed at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Zeist , The Netherl and s . Subects : Thirty normal healthy men , aged 33–64 y ( mean serum total cholesterol level : 5.23±1.03 ( s.d . ) ) , were selected for this study . Normal health was assessed by pre study screening . All subjects were used to an average Dutch food pattern . Interventions : During the treatment periods subjects consumed three times daily a 125 ml of either test or reference product as a part of their habitual diet . The test product was a milk , fermented by yogurt starters and Lactobacillus acidophilus , and contained 2.5 % fructo-oligosaccharides , 0.5 % vegetable oil and 0.5 % milk fat . The reference product was a traditional yogurt ( milk fermented only by yogurt strains ) , containing 1 % milk fat . Blood sample s for serum lipid analysis and blood glucose measurements were taken before the start of the experiment and at the end of both treatment periods . Results : As compared to the reference product , consumption of the test product result ed in significantly lower values for serum total cholesterol ( P<0.001 ) , LDL-cholesterol ( P<0.005 ) , and the LDL/HDL-ratio ( P<0.05 ) by 4.4 , 5.4 and 5.3 % respectively . Levels of serum HDL-cholesterol , triglycerides and blood glucose remained essentially unchanged . The beneficial effects of the test product on serum cholesterol were largely related to an increase of this parameter during the consumption of the reference product . Conclusions : As compared to traditional yogurt , daily consumption of three times 125 ml of test product specifically lowered serum LDL-cholesterol levels in normal healthy male adult subjects with borderline elevated levels of serum total cholesterol within three weeks . Sponsorship : The study was sponsored by Danone , France Objective To estimate the efficacy of a probiotic yogurt compared to a pasteurised yogurt for the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children . Design and setting This was a multisite , r and omised , double-blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial conducted between September 2009 and 2012 . The study was conducted through general practice s and pharmacies in Launceston , Tasmania , Australia . Participants and interventions Children ( aged 1–12 years ) prescribed antibiotics  , were r and omised to receive 200 g/day of either yogurt ( probiotic ) containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG ( LGG ) , Bifidobacterium lactis ( Bb-12 ) and Lactobacillus acidophilus ( La-5 ) or a pasteurised yogurt ( placebo ) for the same duration as their antibiotic treatment . Outcomes Stool frequency and consistency were recorded for the duration of treatment plus 1 week . Primary outcome was stool frequency and consistency , classified at different levels of diarrhoea severity . Due to the small number of cases of diarrhoea , comparisons between groups were made using Fisher 's exact analysis . Results 72 children commenced and 70 children ( 36 placebo and 34 probiotic ) completed the trial . There were no incidents of severe diarrhoea ( stool consistency ≥6 , ≥3 stools/day for ≥2 consecutive days ) in the probiotic group and six in the placebo group ( Fisher 's exact p=0.025 ) . There was also only one episode of minor diarrhoea ( stool consistency ≥5 , ≥2 stools/day for ≥2 days in the probiotic group compared to 21 in the placebo group ( Fisher 's exact p<0.001 ) . The probiotic group reported fewer adverse events ( 1 had abdominal pain , 1 vomited and 1 had headache ) than the placebo group ( 6 had abdominal pain , 4 had loss of appetite and 1 had nausea ) . Conclusions A yogurt combination of LGG , La-5 and Bb-12 is an effective method for reducing the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children . Trial registration number Australian New Zeal and Clinical Trials Registry Statement of the Problem Dental caries is the most common disease of childhood . Using probiotics has recently been introduced to reduce the incidence of dental caries . It consists of live microbial food supplements that beneficially affect the host , and hence are considered an alternative way to eradicate the infections . Purpose The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of consumption of probiotic yogurt on the children ’s salivary cariogenic microflora .  Material s and Method A double-blind r and omized study was performed recruiting 2 parallel groups ; 24 healthy children in the case and 25 children in the control group . All healthy children were followed- up over 4 periods . Periods 1 and 3 were wash-out periods with duration of 1 and 2 weeks , respectively . During periods 2 and 4 ( 2weeks duration each ) , the case group consumed 200 g yogurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis ( 1 × 106 per gram ) once daily and the control group consumed normal yogurt .  Salivary Streptococci mutans and Lactobacilli were enumerated before and after the yogurt consumption periods . Pre- and post-treatment values within and between regimens were compared using the t-test and paired sample s. Results There was a reduction in Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus counts in the control group , but for Streptococcus mutans , the count reduction between phases 1 and 4 was statistically significant ( p= 0.009 ) . In the case group , neither the Streptococcus mutans count nor the Lactobacilli count was significantly reduced . Conclusion Based on the findings of this study , short-term daily consumption of probiotic yogurt containing Bifidobacterium lactis could not reduce the levels of salivary Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli in 6 to 12 year-old children , while normal yogurt could reduce the Streptococcus mutans counts significantly The Human Immunodeficiency Virus has devastating effects worldwide . The burden is less pronounced , but still present in Canada where approximately 64,000 men and women are HIV positive . The virus and the life-saving antiretroviral therapies often contribute to diarrhea and other gastrointestinal disturbances . Certain probiotic organisms , such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 , have been shown to alleviate diarrhea as well as delay the decline of CD4 lymphocytes in some subjects . In addition , micronutrient formulae have been used extensively among HIV positive persons as a cost-effective method for improving quality of life and immune function . The objective of the present study was to combine probiotics and micronutrients into an affordable and highly palatable nutritional supplement and assess outcomes in 21 HIV-positive participants receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy in London , Ontario , Canada . The design was a r and omized , double blind , three-period , cross-over controlled trial with three different formulations of supplemented yogurt ; micronutrient and probiotic ( A ) , micronutrient alone ( B ) and probiotic alone ( C ) . The period of intake for each of the types was 30 days with a 14 day wash-out period between the intervention types . The mean increase in CD4 was greatest with B ( 41 cells/µL , SD 221 ) . Supplement A showed a mean change of + 19 cells/µL ( SD 142 ) and supplement C a mean change of – 7 cells/µL ( SD 154 ) . All yogurt types caused an increase in subjective energy and ability to perform daily activity scores . According to the safety measures taken to assess the tolerance of the yogurt , there were no adverse events and the yogurt was well-tolerated . These preliminary findings suggest that micronutrient supplemented probiotic yogurt may support immune function among people living with HIV In order to determine the effect of milk products on serum cholesterol , triglycerides , and diet , 54 volunteers were studied for varying periods with dietary supplementation of nonpasteurized yogurt , pasteurized yogurt and 2 % butterfat milk .  Serum cholesterol was significantly reduced by 5 to 10 % after 1 week of supplementation with either nonpasteurized or pasteurized yogurt ; 2 % butterfat milk reduced serum cholesterol to a smaller and less significant effect . Serum triglycerides were unaffected by the diet and dietary intake studies confirmed that intake of other nutrients remained relatively stable throughout the study . Supplementation of diet with yogurt may have a helpful hypocholesterolemic effect BACKGROUND Low serum concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [ 25(OH)D ] have been associated with impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes . OBJECTIVE This study aim ed to compare the effects of daily intake of vitamin D- or vitamin D(3 ) + calcium-fortified yogurt drink on glycemic status in subjects with type 2 diabetes ( T2D ) . DESIGN Ninety diabetic subjects were r and omly allocated to 3 groups to consume plain yogurt drink ( PY ; containing no vitamin D and 150 mg Ca/250 mL ) , vitamin D-fortified yogurt drink ( DY ; containing 500 IU vitamin D(3 ) and 150 mg Ca/250 mL ) , or vitamin D + calcium-fortified yogurt drink ( DCY ; containing 500 IU vitamin D(3 ) and 250 mg Ca/250 mL ) twice per day for 12 wk . Fasting serum glucose ( FSG ) , glycated hemoglobin ( Hb A(1c ) ) , homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance ( HOMA-IR ) , serum lipid profile , and percentage fat mass ( FM ) were assessed before ( baseline ) and after the intervention . RESULTS In both the DY and DCY groups , mean serum 25(OH)D(3 ) improved ( + 32.8 ± 28.4 and + 28.8 ± 16.1 nmol/L , respectively ; P < 0.001 for both ) , but FSG [ -12.9 ± 33.7 mg/dL ( P = 0.015 ) and -9.6 ± 46.9 mg/dL ( P = 0.035 ) ] , Hb A(1c ) [ -0.4 ± 1.2 % ( P < 0.001 ) and -0.4 ± 1.9 % ( P < 0.001 ) ] , HOMA-IR [ -0.6 ± 1.4 ( P = 0.001 ) and -0.6 ± 3.2 ( P < 0.001 ) ] , waist circumference ( -3.6 ± 2.7 and -2.9 ± 3.3 ; P < 0.001 for both ) , and body mass index [ in kg/m(2 ) ; -0.9 ± 0.6 ( P < 0.001 ) and -0.4 ± 0.7 ( P = 0.005 ) ] decreased significantly more than in the PY group . An inverse correlation was observed between changes in serum 25(OH)D(3 ) and FSG ( r = -0.208 , P = 0.049 ) , FM ( r = -0.219 , P = 0.038 ) , and HOMA-IR ( r = -0.219 , P = 0.005 ) . CONCLUSION Daily intake of a vitamin D-fortified yogurt drink , either with or without added calcium , improved glycemic status  in T2D patients . This trial was registered at clinical trials.gov as NCT01229891 Persistent diarrhea is an episode of diarrhea that begins acutely but lasts longer than expected for this usually self-limited disease . Treatment of this ill-defined syndrome is not well st and ardized but immediate intervention is required to minimize the risk of malnutrition with its various consequences . This r and omized clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the clinical efficacy of substituting yogurt for milk , as the only treatment . After a one to two-day observation period during which a st and ard milk diet was given , 78 children aged 3 to 36 months with confirmed persistent diarrhea of more than 15 days but less than one month duration and negative tests for fecal blood were fed either milk ( infant formula ) or yogurt ( infant formula fermented with Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus ) . At inclusion both groups were comparable for age , nutritional status , diarrhea , and lactose hydrogen breath test results .  Clinical treatment failure ( weight loss greater than 5 % in one day or persistent diarrhea after 5 days ) was significantly less common in children fed yogurt ( 15 + /- 6 % ) than in children fed milk ( 45 + /- 8 % ) . The beneficial effects of feeding yogurt were apparent within 48 hours in 67 + /- 8 % of infants . In conclusion , these data confirm the clinical efficacy of substituting yogurt for milk in young children with persistent diarrhea .  They also suggest that yogurt may be a good alternative for the initial treatment of persistent diarrhea BACKGROUND & AIMS Low levels of serum 25-hydroxy vitamin D ( 25(OH)D ) are common in type 2 diabetic patients and cause several complications particularly , in postmenopausal women due to their senile and physiological conditions . This study aim ed to assess the effects of vitamin D-fortified low fat yogurt on glycemic status , anthropometric indexes , inflammation , and bone turnover in diabetic postmenopausal women . METHODS In a r and omized , placebo-controlled , double-blind parallel-group clinical trial , 59 postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes received fortified yogurt ( FY ; 2000 IU vitamin D in 100 g/day ) or plain yogurt  ( PY ) for 12 weeks . Glycemic markers , anthropometric indexes , inflammatory , and bone turnover markers were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks . RESULTS After intervention , in FY group ( vs PY group ) , were observed : significant increase in serum 25(OH)D and decrease of PTH ( stable values in PY ) ; significant improvement in serum fasting insulin , HOMA-IR , HOMA-B , QUICKI , and no changes in serum fasting glucose and HbA1c ( significant worsening of all indexes in PY ) ; significant improvement in WC , WHR , FM , and no change in weight and BMI ( stable values in PY ) ; significant increase of omentin ( stable in PY ) and decrease of sNTX ( significant increase in PY ) . Final values of glycemic markers ( except HbA1c ) , omentin , and bone turnover markers significantly improved in FY group compared to PY group . Regarding final values of serum 25(OH)D in FY group , subjects were classified in insufficient and sufficient categories . Glycemic status improved more significantly in the insufficient rather than sufficient category ; whereas the other parameters had more amelioration in the sufficient category . CONCLUSIONS Daily consumption of 2000 IU vitamin D-fortified yogurt for 12 weeks improved glycemic markers ( except HbA1c ) , anthropometric indexes , inflammation , and bone turnover markers in postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes . TRIAL REGISTRATION www.i rct .ir ( I RCT 2013110515294N1 ) Background The purpose of this study was to determine whether a high-protein afternoon yogurt snack  improves appetite control , satiety , and reduces subsequent food intake compared to other commonly-consumed , energy dense , high-fat snacks . Findings Twenty , healthy women ( age : 27 ± 2 y ; BMI : 23.4 ± 0.7 kg/m2 ) completed the r and omized crossover design study which included 3 , 8-h testing days comparing the following 160 kcal afternoon snacks : high-protein yogurt ( 14 g protein/25 g CHO/0 g fat ) ; high-fat crackers ( 0 g protein/19 g CHO/9 g fat ) ; and high-fat chocolate ( 2 g protein/19 g CHO/9 g fat ) . Participants were acclimated to each snack for 3 consecutive days . On day 4 , the participants consumed a st and ardized breakfast and lunch ; the respective snack was consumed 3-h post-lunch . Perceived hunger and fullness were assessed throughout the afternoon until dinner was voluntarily requested . An ad libitum dinner was then provided . The consumption of the yogurt snack led to greater reductions in afternoon hunger vs. chocolate ( p < 0.01 ) . No differences in afternoon fullness were detected . The yogurt snack also delayed eating initiation by approximately 30 min compared to the chocolate snack ( p < 0.01 ) and approximately 20 min vs. crackers ( p = 0.07 ) . The yogurt snack led to approximately 100 fewer kcals consumed at dinner vs. the crackers ( p = 0.08 ) and chocolate ( p < 0.05 ) . No other differences were detected . Conclusion These data suggest that , when compared to high-fat snacks , eating less energy dense , high-protein snacks like yogurt  improves appetite control , satiety , and reduces subsequent food intake in healthy women Although the pathophysiology of persistent diarrhea in children remains unclear , it has been suggested that it may be related to the composition of the food ingested . Since lactase deficiency and cow 's milk protein intolerance are often identified in children with persistent diarrhea , replacement of milk with yogurt should be beneficial . We , therefore , compared the clinical outcome of children ( aged 3–36 months ) with persistent diarrhea r and omly assigned to receive either milk or yogurt for 5 days . Preliminary results on 45 of the 100 children indicated clinical failure , which was determined after a 5 % loss of body weight per day or the persistence of diarrhea after 5 days , in only 14 % of the children fed yogurt compared to 42 % of those fed milk ( p < 0.05 ) . These preliminary results strongly suggest a clinical advantage of feeding yogurt rather than milk in children with persistent diarrhea Background and aims . Espar is a dairy product of probiotic nature that contains useful bacteria and high calcium content . The aim of this study was to analyze effects of daily consumption of Espar on the number of salivary mutans streptococci and the level of calcium content in a population of 15 to 17 year-old female students . Material s and methods . A double-blind r and omized crossover study ( n = 50 ) of healthy female adolescents was implemented in four stage intervals . The first and third stages were ‘ run-in ’ and ‘ wash-out ’ intervals . For the second and fourth stages , two weeks long in duration , the participants consumed 100 grams of Espar or 200 grams of plain yogurt . At the end of each stage , the number of salivary mutans streptococci and the level of calcium content were documented . Results . There was a statistically significant decrease in the number of salivary mutans streptococci subsequent to Espar consumption when compared to ordinary yogurt ( p < 0.01 ) . Additionally , salivary calcium content increased significantly subsequent to the consumption of Espar and yogurt . However , Espar yielded a higher level of significant increase in salivary calcium when compared to plain yogurt ( p < 0.01 ) . Conclusion . This study found that daily consumption of Espar increased the salivary calcium level while decreasing mutans streptococci of the saliva The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of long-term optional intake of vegetable oils ( canola , grape seed , corn ) and yogurt butter on the serum , liver and muscle cholesterol status .  Twenty-five male Wistar rats were r and omly categorized into five groups ( n=5 ) as follows : control , canola oil , grape seed oil , corn oil and manually prepared yogurt butter . In each group , 24h two bottle choice ( oil and water ) tests were performed for 10 weeks . Serum cholesterol values showed a trend to decrease in grape seed oil , corn oil and yogurt butter groups compared to the control . Optional intake of yogurt butter made a significant increase in HDL-C values ( 42.34+/-9.98 mg/dL ) yet decrease in LDL-C values ( 11.68+/-2.06 mg/dL ) compared to the corresponding control ( 19.07+/-3.51 ; 30.96+/-6.38 mg/dL , respectively ) . Furthermore , such findings were concomitant with a significant decrease in the liver TC levels ( 1.75+/-0.31 mg/g liver ) and an increase in the muscle TC levels ( 1.85+/-0.32 mg/g liver ) compared to the corresponding control ( 2.43+/-0.31 ; 0.94+/-0.14 mg/g liver , respectively ) . Optional intake of manually prepared yogurt butter has more beneficial effects on serum lipoprotein cholesterol values with some alterations in the liver and muscle cholesterol states than the vegetable oils Objective . To evaluate the potential benefit of dietary supplementation of a rice-lentil ( Khitchri ) and yogurt diet with 3 mg/kg/d of elemental zinc ( as zinc sulfate ) in hospitalized malnourished children ( age 6–36 months ) with persistent diarrhea for 14 days . Methodology . R and omized , double-blind placebo-controlled trial . Setting . Nutrition Research Ward at the National Institute of Child Health , Karachi , Pakistan , where children were admitted for 14 days of inpatient supervised rehabilitation . Main Outcome Measures . Primary outcome : overall weight gain by day 14 . Secondary outcomes : overall energy intake , stool output , time to diarrheal recovery and weight gain ( ≥3 days ) , plasma zinc , copper , prealbumin , and insulin-like growth factor-1 . Results . Of 87 children r and omized for supplementation with either zinc or placebo , the two groups were comparable at admission in terms of severity and duration of diarrhea , as well as nutritional and anthropometric parameters . The overall weight gain , stool volume , stool frequency , as well as the time taken for diarrheal recovery or steady weight gain , were comparable for both supplemented children and controls . Supplemented children had a significant improvement in plasma zinc levels and serum alkaline phosphatase by day 14 of therapy in comparison with controls . Plasma copper levels were low in both groups at admission and although an increase was seen in control children , levels decreased further after zinc supplementation . There was no significant difference between the two groups for hemoglobin , serum albumin , prealbumin , and plasma insulin-like growth factor-1 increments during the course of therapy . Evaluation of primary and secondary outcome criteria among the subset of children with plasma zinc levels < 60 μg/d at admission did not reveal any significant differences . Conclusions . Although there was satisfactory recovery in malnourished children with persistent diarrhea receiving the Khitchri-yogurt diet , there was no evidence of improved weight gain or acceleration of recovery from diarrhea with zinc supplementation . In contrast , the reduction in plasma copper levels in zinc-supplemented malnourished children suggests that caution should be exercised in supplementing severely malnourished children with zinc alone The Bulletin ’s editorial team has decided to encourage systematic review s. This is an important decision and is to be welcomed . However it is possible that it will not be received positively by all . Some may feel that systematic review s are not suitable for answering wider public health questions , and that the new section will simply result in the publication of systematic review s addressing narrowly focused , clinical questions with a focus on r and omized controlled trials alone.1 There is no reason why this should be so , and there are far too many examples of systematic review s of non- clinical interventions ( including government policies ) , which include non-r and omized studies , to list.2 Systematic review s of qualitative research are also becoming more common.3 Nonetheless misconceptions about the scope and flexibility of systematic review s still surface occasionally and it never fails to surprise me when I stumble across one of these hoary old chestnuts . If it really were true that systematic review s were only for simple , individual-level interventions , systematic review ers working in public health would be very concerned . After all , public health problems require us to draw on complex sets of qualitative as well as quantitative evidence ; and some policy interventions have never been subjected to r and omized controlled trials ( RCTs ) but have been evaluated using other approaches ; everything from controlled and uncontrolled before- and -after studies , to time series analyses , to qualitative methods . In such cases , systematic review s that focused on RCTs alone would have little to say and we would end up producing many “ empty review s ” , which contain no studies at all . These would be undoubtedly quicker to do and quicker to read than the typical systematic review , but would be of limited use for making policy . However this is not the case . In public health we already have a wealth of review s that prioritize RCTs where they are available , but which draw upon a range of other evidence where they are appropriate to answering the review question .2 Take , as an example , transport policies , an important social determinant of health.4 Public health decision-makers have been interested in the effects on health of building new roads for decades , but there has never been a r and omized controlled trial , for obvious reasons . Yet it would make no sense to cl aim that there is no evidence to be review ed ; rather , there have been many controlled and uncontrolled studies that have examined the effects of new roads on respiratory symptoms , injuries , community severance , disturbance and a variety of other outcomes of public health importance . These studies have in fact been systematic ally review ed.5 Many other examples of review s of complex interventions that impact on public health could be given , which appear on the Cochrane Data base and elsewhere,6,7 and such review s are the main focus of the recently-established Cochrane Public Health Review Group . It is also worth noting that both the Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration include increasing numbers of review s that are relevant to low- and middle- income countries,8 though there is a particular need for more systematic review s that consider the effects on equity of the interventions that they include.9 Currently systematic review s have a “ utilitarian bias ” – they tend to be concerned more with the effects on population s and average effects than with distributional effects and impacts in disadvantaged subgroups . It is to be hoped that systematic review s su bmi tted to the Bulletin will routinely consider the effects of interventions on health inequities . The Cochrane Health Equity Field ( http://equity.cochrane.org/en/index.html ) was set up explicitly to further this agenda , to encourage systematic review authors to explicitly assess the effects of interventions not only on the whole population , but on the disadvantaged . So where does this leave non- systematic review s ? Should every review be a systematic review ? This is a difficult question to answer in a short editorial . My own view is that not all review s need to be systematic review s ; there is still a place for review papers that provide a broad overview , and that discuss a range of evidence and make a contribution to wider debates about what might work in particular setting s. However , while such discussion s help place evidence in context and suggest how it may be used , they should not be confused with the evidence -based conclusions of a transparent , scientific review , which systematic ally attempts to find all the relevant evidence , appraises its strengths and limitations in a transparent fashion , and draws that evidence together in such a way that the more robust studies are given greater weight . Finally , the challenges are many . Evidence on interventions to improve public health is in short supply , particularly evidence on social determinants . Systematic review ers therefore face a real challenge in making best use of the sometimes poor , often sparse and usually heterogeneous evidence available to them . It is easy to set narrow inclusion criteria for a review and then sift through the evidence before concluding that there is n’t enough – and what there is , is n’t very good anyway . Such “ evidential nihilism ” is probably not helpful to decision-makers , and public health systematic review ers need to continue to develop new methods and better frameworks within which different types of research evidence can be integrated to inform decision-making . Publishing systematic review s in the Bulletin should give an added impetus to this ongoing work . The objectives of this study were to determine if high-protein versions of the same food systems show more sensory-specific satiety than lower-protein versions , and to determine the effect of these protein differences on hunger levels following a meal . Subjects ate a high-protein and a low-protein version of a food system ( either strawberry yogurt or a s and wich ) as test meals . The high-protein strawberry yogurt test meal consisted of a serving of strawberry yogurt that contained whey protein isolate ; the low-protein yogurt test meal consisted of a close-to-commercial strawberry yogurt . The high-protein s and wich meal consisted of a ham s and wich ; the low-protein s and wich meal consisted of a bacon s and wich . Subjects tasted small portions of a set of foods ( which included a sample of the test meal ) , and rated their liking of these foods before and after eating a test meal . Sensory-specific satiety occurred for all test meals . The decreases in liking when the high-protein versions of the test meals were eaten were significantly greater than the decreases in liking for the paired low-protein test meals . Higher-protein versions of the test meals also decreased hunger more than the lower-protein versions Dietary regulation of appetite may contribute to the prevention and management of excess body weight . The present study examined the effect of consumption of individual dairy products as snacks on appetite and subsequent ad libitum lunch energy intake . In a r and omised cross-over trial , forty overweight men ( age 32 ( sd 9 ) years ; BMI 27 ( sd 2 ) kg/m2 ) attended four sessions 1 week apart and received three isoenergetic ( 841 kJ ) and isovolumetric ( 410 ml ) servings of dairy snacks or water ( control ) 120 min after breakfast .  Appetite profile was determined throughout the morning and ad libitum energy intake was assessed 90 min after the intake of snacks . Concentrations of amino acids , glucose , insulin , ghrelin and peptide tyrosine tyrosine were measured at baseline ( 0 min ) and 80 min after the intake of snacks . Although the results showed that yogurt had the greatest suppressive effect on appetite , this could be confounded by the poor sensory ratings of yogurt . Hunger rating was 8 , 10 and 24 % ( P < 0·001 ) lower after the intake of yogurt than cheese , milk and water , respectively . Energy intake was 11 , 9 and 12 % ( P < 0·02 ) lower after the intake of yogurt , cheese and milk , respectively , compared with water ( 4312 ( se 226 ) kJ ) . Although there was no difference in the postpr and ial responses of hormones , alanine and isoleucine concentrations were higher after the intake of yogurt than cheese and milk ( P < 0·05 ) . In conclusion , all dairy snacks reduced appetite and lunch intake compared with water . Yogurt had the greatest effect on suppressing subjective appetite ratings , but did not affect subsequent food intake compared with milk or cheese Yogurt helps in treatment and prevention of diarrhea . The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of consumption of local factory yogurt , which is made with pasteurized milk , on moderately dehydrated hospitalized infants aged 6 - 24 months with acute non-bloody and non-mucoid diarrhea . Eighty moderately dehydrated breast-feeding children aged between 6 - 24 months with acute non-bloody and non-mucoid diarrhea for fewer than four days were included in the study . Patients were r and omly separated into two groups according to their treatment . Infants in the case group received at least 15 ml/kg/day of pasteurized cow milk yogurt orally plus routine hospital treatment . Infants in the control group received routine hospital treatment as in the case group .  Weight gains , period of hospitalization , and reduction in diarrhea frequency during hospitalization period of the two groups were compared . Mean duration of hospitalization ( days ) , weight gain , and reduction in diarrhea frequency were 2.7 + /- 0.91 vs 3.1 + /- 0.74 days , 435 + /- 89.20 vs 383 + /- 98.9 g , and 4.30 + /- 1.74 vs 3.60 + /- 1.23 times for case and control groups , respectively . Significant differences were observed in mean hospitalization days ( p=0.035 ) , reduction in diarrhea frequency ( p=0.049 ) and weight gain ( p=0.017 ) . This study recommends universal use of yogurt in acute non-bloody diarrhea Abstract Purpose The possible effects of dairy consumption on diabetes prevention remain controversial . The aim of this study was to investigate the association between the dairy consumption and  type 2 diabetes ( T2D ) risk  in an elderly Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk . Methods We prospect ively followed 3,454 non-diabetic individuals from the PREDIMED study .  Dairy consumption was assessed at baseline and yearly using food frequency question naires and categorized into total , low-fat , whole-fat , and subgroups : milk , yogurt , cheeses , fermented dairy , concentrated full fat , and processed dairy .  Hazard ratios ( HRs ) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards regression models . Results During a median follow-up of 4.1 years , we documented 270 incident T2D cases . After multivariate adjustment , total dairy product consumption was inversely associated with T2D risk [ 0.68 ( 95 % CI 0.47–0.98 ) ; P-trend = .040 ] . This association appeared to be mainly attributed to low-fat dairy ; the multivariate HRs ( 95 % CIs ) comparing the highest versus the lowest tertile consumption were 0.65 ( 0.45–0.94 ) for low-fat dairy products and 0.67 ( 0.46–0.95 ) for low-fat milk ( both P-trend < .05 ) . Total yogurt consumption was associated with a lower T2D risk [ HR 0.60 ( 0.42–0.86 ) ; P-trend = .002 ] . An increased consumption of total low-fat dairy and total yogurt during the follow-up was inversely associated with T2D ; HRs were 0.50 ( 0.29–0.85 ) , 0.44 ( 0.26–0.75 ) , and 0.55 ( 0.33–0.93 ) , respectively . Substituting one serving/day of a combination of biscuits and chocolate and whole grain biscuits and homemade pastries for one serving/day of yogurt was associated with a 40 and 45 % lower risk of T2D , respectively . No significant associations were found for the other dairy subgroups ( cheese , concentrated full fat , and processed dairy products ) . Conclusions A healthy dietary pattern incorporating a high consumption of dairy products and particularly yogurt may be protective against T2D in older adults at high cardiovascular risk Background Identifying all existing evidence is a crucial aspect in conducting systematic review s. Since the retrieval of electronic data base search es alone is limited , guidelines recommend the use of additional search strategies . The aim of this investigation was to assess the efficiency and contribution of additional search strategies for identifying r and omized controlled trials in conducting a systematic review on interventions after performing a sensitive electronic data base search . Design and Methods Seven electronic data bases , 3 journals and 11 systematic review s were search ed . All first authors of the included studies were contacted ; citation tracking and a search in clinical trial registers were performed . A priori defined evaluation criteria were calculated for each search strategy . Results A total of 358 full-text articles were identified ; 50 studies were included in the systematic review , wherefrom 84.0 % ( 42 ) were acquired by the sensitive electronic data base search and 16.0 % ( 8) through additional search strategies . Screening reference lists of related systematic review s was the most beneficial additional search strategy , with an efficiency of 31.3 % ( 5 ) and a contribution of 10.0 % ( 5/50 ) , whereas h and - search ing and author contacts contributed two and one additional studies , respectively . Citation tracking and search ing clinical trial registers did not lead to any further inclusion of primary studies . Conclusions Based on our findings , h and - search ing contents of relevant journals and screening reference lists of related systematic review s may be helpful additional strategies to identify an extensive body of evidence . In case of limited re sources , a sensitive electronic data base search may constitute an appropriate alternative for identifying relevant trials . Significance for public health Systematic review s provide the strongest form of evidence synthesis for therapeutic interventions and are of high relevance for decision makers in public health . Preparing high quality systematic review s can be very time-consuming since all existing evidence should be identified , but the retrieval of electronic data base search es is limited and therefore additional search strategies are recommended . However , the time needed for conducting full systematic review s does often not address the need for urgent evidence . Thus , priorities of summarizing all available evidence and providing fast evidence -based recommendations may conflict . So far , no consensus exists regarding which additional search strategies are beneficial and sparsely time-consuming for conducting systematic review s. We examined the efficiency and contribution of additional search strategies performed after a sensitive electronic data base search . Our results provide highly relevant information for research ers conducting systematic review s in various fields of public health research and for establishing guidelines for conducting rapid review
For studies of a similar design and which assessed the same outcomes in similar population groups , we report the potential for the combining of data across studies in systematic review s. CONCLUSIONS This scoping review has revealed the extensive evidence base for many outcomes which could be the focus of systematic review s exploring the health effects of conventional yogurt consumption
BACKGROUND The health effects of conventional yogurt have been investigated for over a century ; however , few systematic review s have been conducted to assess the extent of the health benefits of yogurt .
OBJECTIVE The aim of this scoping review was to assess the volume of available evidence on the health effects of conventional yogurt .