Improving Health Outcomes With Kefir

NCT ID: NCT06695221

Last Updated: 2026-01-09

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

156 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2026-01-07

Study Completion Date

2027-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

The purpose of the study is to ascertain whether traditional kefir not only enhances vascular health but also contributes to improved immune outcomes in both male and female participants at higher risk or living with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) after 12 weeks of treatment.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Participants who sign the written consent form will undergo a screening process to determine eligibility for study entry. At the baseline visit, recruited participants will be randomized in a double-blind manner (participant and study coordinator) to consume either 350 mL of traditional fermented kefir or 350 mL of a placebo (milk) daily. During the 12 weeks of intervention, health outcomes will be measured and collected for further analysis.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Systemic Inflammatory Response Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 Cardiovascular Diseases

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Participants living with T2D

Randomly assigned to consume either traditional kefir or milk as a placebo.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Traditional Kefir

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

350 mL/day of traditional fermented/prepared kefir

Milk (placebo)

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

350 mL/day of commercial 2% fat milk

Participants with higher risk of T2D

Randomly assigned to consume either traditional kefir or milk as a placebo.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Traditional Kefir

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

350 mL/day of traditional fermented/prepared kefir

Milk (placebo)

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

350 mL/day of commercial 2% fat milk

Interventions

Learn about the drugs, procedures, or behavioral strategies being tested and how they are applied within this trial.

Traditional Kefir

350 mL/day of traditional fermented/prepared kefir

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Milk (placebo)

350 mL/day of commercial 2% fat milk

Intervention Type DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

1. females and males (24-70 years old) living in Edmonton (or Edmonton area/driving distance);
2. overweight or obesity (BMI \>25 Caucasian, \>23 Asian);
3. at higher risk of T2D (fasting blood glucose ≥ 5.6 - 6.9 mmol/L or/and HbA1C ≥ 5.5 - 6.4%); or
4. with diagnosis of T2D (fasting blood glucose ≥ 7.0 mmol/L or/and HbA1C ≥ 6.5%).

Exclusion Criteria

1. a usual high intake (maximum intake 3 servings/week) of fermented foods excluding cheese (i.e., kefir, kombucha, kimchi, etc.) for the past 3 months;
2. gastrointestinal (GI) disorders of any kind;
3. being pregnant or breastfeeding;
4. monogenic dyslipidemias and endocrine disorders except for diabetes;
5. use of medications within the last 3 months (i.e., antibiotics or antifungals, corticosteroids, methotrexate, or immunosuppressive cytotoxic agents);
6. any health conditions deemed to interfere with primary outcomes at the investigator's discretion (e.g., kidney disease, liver disease, cancer, GI surgery, heavy alcohol consumption, etc.);
7. having a pacemaker or any electrical medical device that prevents the individual from undergoing the bioelectrical impedance analysis bioimmunoassay (BIA) test."
Minimum Eligible Age

24 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

70 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

University of Alberta

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Canada

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Paulina Aldana Hernandez, PhD

Role: CONTACT

780-492-9506

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Paulina Aldana Hernandez, PhD

Role: primary

780-492-9506

References

Explore related publications, articles, or registry entries linked to this study.

Wastyk HC, Fragiadakis GK, Perelman D, Dahan D, Merrill BD, Yu FB, Topf M, Gonzalez CG, Van Treuren W, Han S, Robinson JL, Elias JE, Sonnenburg ED, Gardner CD, Sonnenburg JL. Gut-microbiota-targeted diets modulate human immune status. Cell. 2021 Aug 5;184(16):4137-4153.e14. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.019. Epub 2021 Jul 12.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 34256014 (View on PubMed)

Savaiano DA, Hutkins RW. Yogurt, cultured fermented milk, and health: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2021 Apr 7;79(5):599-614. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa013.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32447398 (View on PubMed)

Braga Tibaes JR, Barreto Silva MI, Makarowski A, Cervantes PB, Richard C. The nutrition and immunity (nutrIMM) study: protocol for a non-randomized, four-arm parallel-group, controlled feeding trial investigating immune function in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Front Nutr. 2023 Sep 1;10:1243359. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1243359. eCollection 2023.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37727636 (View on PubMed)

Bourrie BC, Willing BP, Cotter PD. The Microbiota and Health Promoting Characteristics of the Fermented Beverage Kefir. Front Microbiol. 2016 May 4;7:647. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2016.00647. eCollection 2016.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27199969 (View on PubMed)

Bourrie, B, Cotter, P, Willing, BP, 2018. Traditional kefir reduces weight gain and improves plasma and liver lipid profiles more successfully than a commercial equivalent in a mouse model of obesity. Journal of Functional Foods, 46: 29-37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2018.04.039

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Bourrie BCT, Richard C, Willing BP. Kefir in the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders. Curr Nutr Rep. 2020 Sep;9(3):184-192. doi: 10.1007/s13668-020-00315-3.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32472367 (View on PubMed)

Bourrie BCT, Ju T, Fouhse JM, Forgie AJ, Sergi C, Cotter PD, Willing BP. Kefir microbial composition is a deciding factor in the physiological impact of kefir in a mouse model of obesity. Br J Nutr. 2021 Jan 28;125(2):129-138. doi: 10.1017/S0007114520002743. Epub 2020 Jul 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32684173 (View on PubMed)

Bourrie BCT, Forgie AJ, Ju T, Richard C, Cotter PD, Willing BP. Consumption of the cell-free or heat-treated fractions of a pitched kefir confers some but not all positive impacts of the corresponding whole kefir. Front Microbiol. 2022 Nov 24;13:1056526. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1056526. eCollection 2022.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36504827 (View on PubMed)

Bourrie BCT, Forgie AJ, Makarowski A, Cotter PD, Richard C, Willing BP. Consumption of kefir made with traditional microorganisms resulted in greater improvements in LDL cholesterol and plasma markers of inflammation in males when compared to a commercial kefir: a randomized pilot study. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2023 Sep 1;48(9):668-677. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2022-0463. Epub 2023 May 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 37224566 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

Pro00139307

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Kefir and Metabolic Syndrome
NCT03649828 COMPLETED NA
Dairy and Inflammation Study
NCT04902417 COMPLETED NA
Dairy Fat and Fermentation Study
NCT05840081 COMPLETED NA
Cheese and Human Health
NCT01140165 UNKNOWN NA