This study investigated the preventive effects of lactoferrin (LF) on subjective acute gastrointestinal symptoms during the winter in a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled parallel-group comparative trial. The eligible subjects were healthy adults working at kindergartens and nursery schools. We randomized the subjects to the Placebo group (0 mg/day), the Low LF group (200 mg/day), and the High LF group (600 mg/day) for 12 weeks. The prevalence of acute gastrointestinal symptoms was significantly lower in the High LF (13/112 vs. 26/116; p = 0.030) and the Low LF (13/107 vs. 26/116; p = 0.040) groups than in the Placebo group. The adjusted odds ratio for the prevalence of acute gastrointestinal symptoms was 2.78 (95% CI: 1.19-6.47) in the Placebo group compared with the High LF group. LF is useful to prevent acute gastrointestinal symptoms among childcare workers, who mainly consist of women.
Keywords: diarrhea; kindergarten; lactoferrin; subjective acute gastrointestinal symptoms; winter.