The Preventive effect of lactoferrin-containing yogurt on gastroenteritis in nursery school children

A randomised prospective study by Tsukahara et al. in 2020 evaluated the efficacy of bLf on gastroenteritis in preschool-aged children during the winter season. Pre-school children aged 3-6 years were enrolled in the study and randomised into two groups. 1162 children completed the study. The 578 children in the treatment group were provided 100mg of bLf in yogurt once a day, while the 584 children in the control group received a fruit jelly.

Those children consuming 100mg bLf a day, for at least 3 days a week over a 15 week period demonstrated a significantly lower rate of absent days from school due to vomiting. The difference between the treatment and control group equates to a 49% reduction in absent days from preschool.

The study highlights the consumption of 100mg of lactoferrin in yogurt for more than 3 days/week might help alleviate the symptom of vomiting in pre-school-aged school children during the winter.