title: Kefir drink causes a significant yet similar improvement in serum lipid profile, compared with low-fat milk, in a dairy-rich diet in overweight or obese premenopausal women: A randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Controversy exists as to whether the lipid-lowering properties of kefir drink (a fermented probiotic dairy product) in animal models could be replicated in humans.
  
  
  
  To assess and compare the potential lipid-lowering effects of kefir drink with low-fat milk in a dairy-rich diet in overweight or obese premenopausal women.
  
  
  
  In this 8-week, single-center, multiarm, parallel-group, outpatient, randomized controlled trial, 75 eligible Iranian women aged 25 to 45 years were randomly allocated to kefir, milk, or control groups. Women in the control group received a weight-maintenance diet containing 2 servings/d of low-fat dairy products, whereas subjects in the milk and kefir groups received a similar diet containing 2 additional servings/d (a total of 4 servings/d) of dairy products from low-fat milk or kefir drink, respectively. At baseline and study end point, serum levels/ratios of total cholesterol (TC), low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC and HDLC), triglyceride, Non-HDLC, TC/HDLC, LDLC/HDLC, and triglyceride/LDLC were measured as outcome measures.
  
  
  
  After 8 weeks, subjects in the kefir group had significantly lower serum levels/ratios of lipoproteins than those in the control group (mean between-group differences were -10.4 mg/dL, -9.7 mg/dL, -11.5 mg/dL, -0.4, and -0.3 for TC, LDLC, non-HDLC, TC/HDLC, and LDLC/HDLC, respectively; all P < .05). Similar results were observed in the milk group. However, no such significant differences were found between the kefir and milk groups.
  
  
  
  Kefir drink causes a significant yet similar improvement in serum lipid profile, compared with low-fat milk, in a dairy-rich diet in overweight or obese premenopausal women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Yasamin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fathi
authors.affiliation: National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute (WHO Collaborating Center), Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Naeimeh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ghodrati
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad-Javad
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Zibaeenezhad
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: sh_faghih@sums.ac.ir.
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faghih
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000070716:Kefir; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D017697:Premenopause / Q000097:blood*
keywords: Dairy products; Kefir; Lipoproteins; Milk; Obesity; Overweight; Premenopause; Randomized controlled trial