What is this study about?

Diet, lifestyle and environment—from pregnancy through a child’s 5th birthday are critical for lifelong health across generations (1).

During pregnancy, women experience big hormonal shifts that can influence insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism, inflammation, and gut microbiota (2). Lactation adds further metabolic demands on the woman's body to support milk production (3).

Diets rich in fermented foods and drinks have been shown to improve gut microbiota diversity, lower inflammation, and support immune function in healthy adults (4). Fermented dairy foods and beverages, in particular, offer high-quality protein, bioavailable calcium, beneficial microbes, and bioactive compounds that are unique from other foods (5).

Despite their potential benefits, fermented dairy foods and drinks are underutilized in individuals from different populations within the United States (6).

Some reasons for lower use of fermented dairy foods and drinks could be related to cultural or culinary unfamiliarity, limited availability or insufficient information about their potential health benefits.

The NIFTY Study is designed as two separate studies to address these gaps in knowledge. The first study is an electronic survey designed to identify the relationships between demographic, cultural factors, perceptions, knowledge and acceptability with the use of fermented dairy foods and drinks in individuals who are eligible to receive Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) or receive WIC. The second study is a randomized controlled trial that determines the effect of providing fermented dairy products on health and diet quality of WIC-eligible individuals or WIC recipients.

References

  1. Gluckman, P. D. & Hanson, M. A. Living with the Past: Evolution, Development, and Patterns of Disease. Science 305, 1733-1736 (2004).
     
  2. Koren, O., Goodrich, J. K., Cullender, T. C., Spor, A., Laitinen, K., Kling Bäckhed, H., Gonzalez, A., Werner, J. J., Angenent, L. T. & Knight, R. Host Remodeling of the Gut Microbiome and Metabolic Changes During Pregnancy. Cell 150, 470-480 (2012).
     
  3. Kovacs, C. S. Calcium and Bone Metabolism During Pregnancy and Lactation. Journal of mammary gland biology and neoplasia 10, 105-118 (2005).
     
  4. Wastyk, H. C., Fragiadakis, G. K., Perelman, D., Dahan, D., Merrill, B. D., Yu, F. B., Topf, M., Gonzalez, C. G., Van Treuren, W. & Han, S. Gut-Microbiota-Targeted Diets Modulate Human Immune Status. Cell 184, 4137-4153. e4114 (2021).
     
  5. Mukherjee, A., Breselge, S., Dimidi, E., Marco, M. L. & Cotter, P. D. Fermented Foods and Gastrointestinal Health: Underlying Mechanisms. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology 21, 248-266 (2024).
     
  6. Cifelli, C. J., Fulgoni, K., Fulgoni III, V. L. & Hess, J. M. Disparity in Dairy Servings Intake by Ethnicity and Age in Nhanes 2015–2018. Current Developments in Nutrition 7, 100010 (2023).