title: Effects of yogurt containing Lactobacillus plantarum HOKKAIDO on immune function and stress markers.
abstract: Lactobacillus plantarum HOKKAIDO (HOKKAIDO strain) was isolated from well-pickled vegetables in Hokkaido, Japan. We report a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the effects of L. plantarum HOKKAIDO on immune function and stress markers in 171 adult subjects. Subjects were divided into three groups: the L. plantarum HOKKAIDO yogurt group, the placebo-1 group who ingested yogurt without the HOKKAIDO strain, and the placebo-2 group who ingested a yogurt-like dessert without the HOKKAIDO strain. Hematological tests and body composition measurements were performed before and after 4 and 8 weeks of blinded ingestion. Although no significant differences in natural killer cell activity were observed, it was found that neutrophil ratio significantly decreased and lymphocytes tended to increase in the HOKKAIDO strain yogurt group compared with the yogurt-like dessert group. In addition, the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, a stress marker, tended to improve in the HOKKAIDO strain yogurt group compared with the yogurt-like dessert group. These results suggest that the ingestion of HOKKAIDO strain yogurt tends to improve immune activity and decrease stress markers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Management and Informatics, Hokkaido Information University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Mie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Management and Informatics, Hokkaido Information University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan; Pathophysiology and Therapeutics, Hokkaido University Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sapporo, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohkawara
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido Milk Product Co. Ltd., Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tetsuka
authors.affiliation: Hokkaido Milk Product Co. Ltd., Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Yo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.affiliation: Food Processing Research Center, Hokkaido Research Organization, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryoji
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nakagawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Management and Informatics, Hokkaido Information University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Management and Informatics, Hokkaido Information University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Management and Informatics, Hokkaido Information University, Ebetsu, Hokkaido, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nishihira
keywords: BMI, body mass index; BW, body weight; FPG, fasting plasma glucose; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; HPA, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; Immune activity; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Lactobacillus plantarum HOKKAIDO; NK, natural killer; NLR, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; Natural killer cell; Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio; Stress markers; TC, total cholesterol; TG, triglyceride