Abstract
In the last decades changes in the pattern of health and disease in Latin America and in the world has been observed, with an increase in cases of chronic non-communicable diseases. Changes in intestinal microbiota composition can contribute to the development of these diseases and be useful in their management. In this context, the consumption of fermented foods with probiotic properties, such as kefir, stands out due to its gut microbiota-modulating capacity. There is an increasing interest in the commercial use of kefir since it can be marketed as a natural beverage containing health-promoting bacteria and has been gaining international popularity in Latin America. Also the consumption of these drinks in Latin America seems to be even more relevant, given the socioeconomic situation of this population, which highlights the need for disease prevention at the expense of its treatment. In this narrative review, we discuss how kefir may work against obesity, diabetes mellitus, liver disease, cardiovascular disorders, immunity, and neurological disorders. Peptides, bioactive compounds and strains occurring in kefir, can modulate gut microbiota composition, low-grade inflammation and intestinal permeability, which consequently may generate health benefits. Kefir can also impact on the regulation of organism homeostasis, with a direct effect on the gut-brain axis, being a possible strategy for the prevention of metabolic diseases. Further studies are needed to standardize these bioactive compounds and better elucidate the mechanisms linking kefir and intestinal microbiota modulation. However, due to the benefits reported, low cost and ease of preparation, kefir seems to be a promising approach to prevent and manage microbiota-related diseases in Latin America and the rest of the world.
Highlights
In the last decades, a major change in global health has been observed [1], with changes in the intestinal microbiota
Jejunum and ileum have an intermediate amount (104-107 cells per gram) [7] while large intestine has the largest amount with more than 1012 cells per gram, especially anaerobic microorganisms [7, 8]. This microbial diversity suggests the importance of the role that the intestinal microbiota plays in human health, indicating that—unlike what was thought in the past—microorganisms are not necessarily negative or the cause of diseases
It is increasingly clear that they co-evolved with human hosts and the presence of microorganisms can be important for maintaining health [1,2,3,4]
Summary
A major change in global health has been observed [1], with changes in the intestinal microbiota. Jejunum and ileum have an intermediate amount (104-107 cells per gram) [7] while large intestine has the largest amount with more than 1012 cells per gram, especially anaerobic microorganisms [7, 8] This microbial diversity suggests the importance of the role that the intestinal microbiota plays in human health, indicating that—unlike what was thought in the past—microorganisms are not necessarily negative or the cause of diseases. Kefir is a fermented product [11, 16] formed by a single culture composed of lactic and acetic acid bacteria and yeast [17] It is a low-cost food, accessible to the general population, easy to handle and with great functional potential [18] due to its bioactive compounds [11, 18] like exopolysaccharides, conjugated fatty acids and peptidases [11, 16]. The consumption of milk-based fermented drinks is related to the prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases, with an TABLE 1 | Main results of kefir intervention studies
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