Pediatria pre prax 6/2021

Fermented dairy products and their health benefits in the light of new metaanalysis

Over the last hundred years, people’s eating habits have changed more that in the millennia before, with some positive but also negative aspects, such as the development of non-infectious, common, socially serious diseases (civilization diseases). Many experts (sometimes with government support), began looking for their causes and ways to eliminate them. At that time, Mečnikov’s work (on „beneficial intestinal bacteria“) was „rediscovered“. Highest content of probiotics is in the fermented dairy products, which have a wide range of uses, are traditional, are administered repeatedly and for a long time and have the expected desired positive effects. Fermented dairy products (yoghurts, kefir, bryndza and others) are formed by the action of lactic acid bacteria in these products. In this work we present an annotated analysis of some systematic reviews and meta-analyzes of works, that assessed the effects of fermented milk drink containing L. casei CNCM I-1518 and yogurt cultures on the incidence, duration and severity of common infectious diseases. According to the results of the evaluation, the use of these fermented dairy products in children led to a significant reduction in the likelihood of acute infectious disease of the digestive or respiratory tract (p = 0.029), to a significant reduction in their incidence per subject (p = 0.001). Based on scientific work, it is assumed that this effect may be mediated mainly by the fact, that e.g. L. acidophilus contributes to the intestinal microbial balance in infants and young children, strengthens the epithelium, improves barrier function by inhibiting the adhesion and growth of pathogenic strains, and stimulates the maturation and differentiation of intestinal epithelial cells. After regular use of L. casei in fermented products, is documented e.g. positive effect on student success, in athletes undergoing a stress test, but also during lactation in women in the first trimester after childbirth. The relationship between diet and health is currently a major challenge for scientists, epidemiologists, health care providers and health insurers. Residents and patients need to have sufficient knowledge and be able to make informed choices about the foods they will consume. Of particular importance is the education of parents in the field of healthy nutrition, thanks to which it is possible to prevent a large number of diseases in children, even in their later lives.

Keywords: Lactobacillus casei, functional foods, meta-analysis, health benefits, children