Morinaga Milk Industry and Shinshu University are conducting joint research on the effects of lactoferrin intake on the onset and symptoms of winter infectious diseases.As a result, it was confirmed that the intake of lactoferrin reduced the incidence of infectious gastroenteritis and shortened the duration of diarrhea.This research was carried out in collaboration with industry, government and academia as a project of the Matsumoto Regional Health Industry Promotion Council in Nagano Prefecture, to which Morinaga Milk Industry is a member.Received the Society Award and Tomita Award (Applied Category) of the Japan Lactoferrin Society.

 Lactoferrin is a protein contained in the milk and saliva of mammals such as humans, and is contained in many products such as yogurt because it has an infection-protecting effect against various pathogens.Clinical studies have reported that ingestion of lactoferrin by nursery school children at high risk of infection with winter infections reduces the rate of infection with norovirus (a major pathogen of infectious gastroenteritis).

 This time, we conducted a clinical trial to examine the effect of lactoferrin intake on the onset and symptoms of winter infectious diseases in more than 3 nursery school and kindergarten staff who have many opportunities to come into contact with children.For 12 weeks in winter, the subject was asked to take either lactoferrin (200 mg or 600 mg) or a placebo that had no effect, and the onset and symptoms of winter infection during the period were recorded in a diary. We asked them to make a comparative study.

 As a result, the incidence of infectious gastroenteritis was 22.6% in the placebo group, 200% in the 12.1 mg group, and 600% in the 11.6 mg group, and the incidence was low in both lactoferrin groups.In addition, the period during which diarrhea symptoms were observed in people who developed infectious gastroenteritis (per dose) was 1 to 1 days for the placebo group, 6 to 200 days for the 1 mg group, and 2 day for the 600 mg group, 1 mg. The group was short.This indicates that ingestion of lactoferrin suppresses the onset of infectious gastroenteritis and shortens the duration of diarrhea when it does occur.

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