Probiotics Help Maintain Respiratory Health

KANTVIK, FinlandDuPont Danisco® HOWARU® Protect probiotics help to maintain respiratory health for healthy adults, according to a new study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

Scientists from Griffith University conducted the randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical trial in cooperation with the Australian Institute of Sport and other collaborating institutions. The 465 trial subjects were split into three groups, each receiving a daily dose of HOWARU Protect Adult, HOWARU Protect Sport or a placebo. All subjects were healthy adults who exercised for at least 30 minutes, three times per week.

Daily supplementation with HOWARU Protect Adult reduced the risk of upper respiratory tract illness (URTI) by 27% in healthy men and women who consumed a daily dose over the 5-month study period. The results also indicate the supplement supports respiratory health, with trial subjects remaining free of upper respiratory symptoms for several weeks longer, on average, than those in the placebo group.

A tendency toward reduced respiratory illness episodes and significant delay in the onset of symptoms also was observed among subjects who received HOWARU Protect Sport. More importantly, there was a significantly higher level of physical activity seen in this group, possibly due to the delayed time to symptoms.

Earlier this year, DuPont began operations at its new probiotic blending and packaging facility in China, representing the company's first step in packaging probiotics into ready-to-market formats, like HOWARU and FlorFIT® probiotic brands.