Bioscience company Chr. Hansen completed new research on a branded probiotic strain (L. casei 431, Lactobacillus paracase) and whether it benefits immunity against influenza following vaccination.

The trial period lasted for six weeks, and two weeks into the experiment, scientists administered an influenza vaccination to monitor its effects with or without the probiotic strain.

The British Medical Journal (BMJ) published this 2011 study, in which the team stated that the levels of “vaccine-specific secretory” found in the volunteers’ salivas were greater than those who were not given the probiotic in experimentation. Compared with the placebo group, those who were fed either capsules or dairy products containing L. casei 431 showed significantly better signs of immunity.

Chr. Hansen will continue to involve approximately 1,058 healthy adult volunteers in the observation of this probiotic strain expected to be completed during press time (November 2011).

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, December 2011