Evaluation of the effect of kefir supplementation on inflammatory markers and clinical and hematological indices in COVID-19 patients; a randomized double-blined clinical trial

Abstract

Background

The aim of the present study was to evaluation the impacts of kefir intake, as a popular traditional probiotic product on the immune response and the recovery process of COVID-19 patients admitted to the hospital.

Methods

We conducted a double-blind randomized controlled trial on 100 COVID-19 patients selected from Emam Reza Hospital between February 9, 2022, and March 9, 2022. In the intervention group, participants received kefir grains (2–10 %) to milk twice a day (250 ccs each time) for two weeks. Clinical outcomes such as fever, pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and dyspnea were collected at the beginning and end of the study using a checklist prepared by the research team. Also, each group measured inflammatory indices (ESR & CRP) and hematological factors before and after the intervention.

Results

The mean age of participants was 47.06 ± 8.90 years. WBC before (p = 0.001), neutrophil before (p = 0.001), lymphocyte before (p = 0.000) and after (p = 0.001) the intervention, hemoglobin before (p = 0.001) and after (p = 0.001) the intervention, CRP before (0.001), ESR after (p = 0.011), and oxygen saturation after (p = 0.001) the intervention had statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Overall, two weeks of kefir intakes in COVID-19 patients had beneficial effects on ESR, WBC count, and Oxygen saturation levels. However, this probiotic product did not influence other evaluated indices including CRP and Hemoglobin in COVID-19 patients. More studies are required to clarify this topic.