School gastroenteritis is no laughing matter. It means major disruptions on children, families and teachers. A new large scale study of preschool children in Japan compared kids that were fed yoghurt containing lactoferrin to a control group that wasn’t. The study saw a 49% reduction in absent days from school from gastroenteritis.
This is welcome news for consumers and manufacturers. Lactoferrin’s health properties are increasingly being recognised in a positive prevention role, and in broader age groups. This gives supplement manufacturers new possibilities for product innovation and support for realising new market opportunities.
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Study results summary
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 study highlights the consumption of 100mg of lactoferrin in yogurt for more than 3 days/week might help alleviate the symptom of vomiting in preschool aged school children during the winter.