Comparative case study investigates anti-inflammatory effects of artisanal and commercial milk kefir, suggesting microbial composition influences health outcomes.
Kefir is produced through the symbiotic activity of lactic and acetic acid bacteria along with yeasts, microbiota’s structure differs between artisanal grain-based kefir beverage (KB) and commercial kefir (KC) and its contribution in ameliorating inflammation is still not elucidated. This case study combines culture-dependent and culture-independent (qPCR-based) quantification to characterize kefir microbiota, including kefir-associated grains (KG), to assess their potential anti-inflammatory properties. qPCR-based quantification revealed a higher concentration of different LAB and yeasts species in KB and KG compared to KC, along with Acetobacter spp., underscoring the microbial variety. Anti-inflammatory analysis using inflamed intestinal epithelial cells showed a greater ability of KB to reduce pro-inflammatory IL-6 and IL-17A cytokines expression, potentially driven by KG. Results suggests the potential role of microbial composition of kefir grains on kefir’s anti-inflammatory effects, warranting further research to ultimately guide the development of targeted functional foods for improving gut health.
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Dell’Orco et al. (2026) studied this question.
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