Location: Immunity and Disease Prevention Research
Project Number: 2032-10700-002-011-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jan 1, 2023
End Date: Jun 30, 2025
Objective:
1) Determine whether a 1, 2, or 3 week intervention with dairy yogurt increases markers of mucosal immunity (total fecal sIgA, fecal mucin-2 mRNA) in healthy adult consumers aged 50-75 years.
2) Determine whether gastrointestinal mucosal immunity returns to baseline 2 weeks after yogurt discontinuation.
Approach:
Healthy men and women aged 50-75 years who have not consumed fermented foods or probiotics in the previous two weeks will be recruited for an intervention. Upon enrollment, participants will undergo a two-week baseline period without yogurt consumption, followed by a three week intervention of two 6-oz servings of dairy yogurt per day, followed by two weeks of follow-up with no yogurt consumption. Throughout the trial, participants will be asked to abstain from all other fermented foods and probiotics. Stool samples will be collected at end of baseline period, at 1, 2, and 3 weeks intervention, and 2 weeks post-intervention for measurement of fecal sIgA, fecal mucin-2 mRNA, and fecal pH. Sufficient stool samples will be collected to enable future analysis of fecal SCFA and fecal microbiota, including quantitation of lactic acid bacteria, if follow-up analysis is warranted.
