Findings from 1073R-1 lactic acid bacteria research(5)

This placebo-controlled double-blind parallel-group comparison study*1 was conducted in collaboration with Kanagawa Dental University, at two special nursing homes for the elderly in Kanagawa Prefecture from October through December 2014. It involved a subject pool consisting of 96 seniors living in the homes.
Half of the subjects consumed 100 g of yogurt containing 1073R-1 lactic acid bacteria once per day, while the other half consumed placebo yogurt in the same amount and with the same frequency, every day during the 12-week period. Then, changes in the amount of salivary IgA*2 that reacts with influenza A (H3N2) were compared between the two groups. The subjects in both groups were given influenza vaccines in early November, roughly five weeks after initiation of the study.

• *1: This is a type of study in which an experimental food and a placebo food are given to the subjects under identical conditions.
  As both the subjects and the on-site study administrators are not given information that would enable them to distinguish between the two foods being provided (i.e., double-blind study), the result of the study is not affected by any bias that they may have.
• *2: This is a type of antibody in the immune system.
  IgA (Immunoglobulin A) is mainly present in the oral cavity, nose, eyes, digestive tract, and other mucus membranes, and has the function of preventing viruses, bacteria, and other foreign particles from entering the body. Between 50 and 100 mg of IgA per day is known to be secreted in the oral cavity alone, and IgA accounts for a very high ratio of the entire immune function there.

Compared to the group consuming an acidic dairy beverage (placebo), the group consuming a yogurt drink containing 1073R-1 lactic acid bacteria daily showed higher antibody titers against influenza types A (H3N2) and B in the study involving male university students aged 18 to 25, and against influenza types A (H1N1) and B in the study involving males and females aged 25 to 59, showing an unusual progression. These results suggest that the yogurt containing 1073R-1 lactic acid bacteria functions as an adjuvant* to further increase antibody titers after influenza vaccination, potentially enhancing the effectiveness of influenza vaccines.

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