ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Microbiol.
Sec. Food Microbiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1587831
This article is part of the Research TopicMechanisms of Fermented Foods and Interactions with the Gut MicrobiomeView all 3 articles
Evaluation of kefir consumption on gut microbial diversity in a healthy young population using full-length 16S rRNA sequencing
Provisionally accepted
Yejin Choi1
Gi Beom Keum1Juyoun Kang1
Hyunok Doo1
Jinok Kwak1Haram Kim1Yeongjae Chae1Suyoung Lee1Hyunjin Yang1Sheena Kim1
Xingmin Sun2
Hyeun Bum Kim1*
Soo Jin Yoo3*- 1Departement of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Chenonan, Republic of Korea
- 2Department of Molecular Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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A balanced gut microbiota is essential for maintaining digestive, immune, and metabolic health.Kefir, a fermented milk beverage, influences gut microbiota through its probiotic composition and bioactive compounds, exhibiting various health-promoting effects. However, evidence on the effects of kefir on gut microbiota, particularly in healthy populations, is still limited.This study aimed to elucidate the effects of kefir on gut microbiota composition in healthy young adults under a controlled dietary environment. In this randomized, controlled, parallel-group trial, 28 healthy participants aged 18-30 years were assigned to one of three groups: kefir (n=13), unfermented milk (n=9), and yogurt (n=6). Participants consumed 150 mL of their assigned beverage daily for two weeks. Stool samples were collected before and after the intervention to analyze gut microbiota composition using 16S rRNA sequencing.Bifidobacterium breve, Ruthenibacterium lactatiformans, Weissella koreensis, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The genus Blautia also increased, with significant changes observed in Blautia luti and Blautia wexlerae. These shifts in species abundance were associated with increases in the shortchain fatty acid (SCFA) production pathway. In summary, this study highlights kefir's potential to modulate gut microbiota composition in healthy individuals, emphasizing its role in supporting gut health.
Keywords: Kefir, Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), 16S rRNA sequencing, Probiotics, gut health, Healthy young adult, Gut Microbiota
Received: 05 Mar 2025; Accepted: 28 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Choi, Keum, Kang, Doo, Kwak, Kim, Chae, Lee, Yang, Kim, Sun, Kim and Yoo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Hyeun Bum Kim, Departement of Animal Biotechnology, Dankook University, Chenonan, Republic of Korea
Soo Jin Yoo, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sanggye Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.