The impact of raw fermented milk products on perceived health and mood among Dutch adults

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to evaluate health conditions prior to and at least two months after the start of consuming raw fermented milk (RFM) products. Design/methodology/approach One-Item health score, 1-item immunity score, immune status (ISQ), mood, bowel and skin conditions were rated for the period prior and post switching to RFM products. A linear mixed model was used to evaluate the post to prior RFM health and mood scores, taking into account gender, location of living and health group. Data from 390 participants (mean age of 54 years old) were included for the analysis, of which 277 (45 per cent) were allocated to the poor health group. Participants were allocated to the poor health group if they reported being immune depressed or suffering from a chronic disease prior to RFM; otherwise, they were allocated to the normal health group. Findings The highest intake of RFM was from RF kefir. Post RFM, people consumed around 1 glass (200 ml) of RF kefir per day. After switching to RFM, significant improvements on health and mood scores were reported. The strongest improvements after switching to RFM consumption were seen in subjects from the poor health group. With the exception of skin score, all measured health items significantly improved (p < 0.001). Health, immunity, bowel and mood scores increased with around 20 per cent in the poor health group and around 8 per cent in the normal health group. Women had more health complaints prior to RFM and had stronger health improvement post RFM compared to men. Bowel and mood scores were overall lower in women than in men. Living location had no significant impact on RFM-related health changes. This consumer survey suggests that positive health and mood changes are associated with the consumption of RFM products. Originality/value The consumption of RFM products improved the self-reported health status of adults. Immune-depressed people or people suffering from a chronic disease prior to RFM reported the strongest impact on their health, immunity, bowel and mood scores post switching RFM consumption compared to people with a normal health.

Development and Validation of the Immune Status Questionnaire (ISQ)

“…Of the sample, 35.1% were men, and 45.0% reported to have poor health before switching to consuming RFM products. After the dietary change to RFM significant improvements on health and mood scores were reported, and the strongest improvements were reported by participants from the “poor health” group (discussed in detail elsewhere [26]). The health improvements in the “poor health” group were accompanied by a significant reduction in ISQ scores, suggesting improved immune fitness (see Figure 6).…”

“…To develop and validate the ISQ, five studies were conducted. The ISQ was implemented in two subsequent studies [25,26]. The seven studies (summarized in Figure 1) are detailed in following sections.…”

“…Study 7 examined the ISQ before and after a dietary change in a Dutch adult sample with “poor health” or “normal health” [26]. A survey was conducted among Dutch adults to evaluate their health status before and after the start of consuming raw fermented milk (RFM) products [26]. They were recruited at a Dutch farm where they bought RFM products.…”

The Impact of Mood and Subjective Intoxication on Hangover Severity

“…The items were scored on a scale ranging from 0 (absent) to 10 (extreme). The 11-point scale has successfully been used in previous research [ 30 , 31 ], which showed that single item visual analog scales are just as sensitive and reliable as full-scale construct assessments of mood states like depression [ 32 ], fatigue [ 33 ], or quality of life [ 34 ].…”

The food-gut axis: lactic acid bacteria and their link to food, the gut microbiome and human health

“… 2016 ), reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (Sonestedt et al . 2011 ), beneficial effects on metabolism (Fernandez and Marette 2018 ), and positive changes in health and mood (Baars 2019 ). High consumption of cultured milk lowered the risk of developing bladder cancer (Larsson et al .…”