Yogurt Can Mitigate Cytokine Storms In COVID-19 Patients

What is a Cytokine Storm?

One of the great mysteries of the new coronavirus is why it causes only mild disease in most people, but turns fatal for others. In many cases, it seems the worst damage may be driven by a deranged immune response to the infection, rather than the virus itself.

In many of the sickest patients with COVID-19, their blood is teeming with high levels of immune system proteins called cytokines.

Scientists believe these cytokines are evidence of an immune response called a cytokine storm, where the body starts to attack its own cells and tissues rather than just fighting off the virus.

How Yogurt can mitigate Cytokine Storms

Yogurt is a fermented probiotic dairy drink. Molecules in this fermented probiotic drink seem to alleviate cytokine storm which is the major cause of Covid-19 death.

It is prepared by inoculating milk with microorganism mixtures. These probiotics in yogurt are known to offer many other benefits like balancing the side effects of antibiotics and soothing tummy issues.

People have relied on yogurt’s potential benefits for years. In India and many other countries it is a tradition drink consumed everyday with meals and otherwise.

Researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have identified molecules in a type of yogurt, Kefir.

PhD student Orit Malka led the study (read below), which was published in the journal Microbiome. Profs. Michael Meijler, Ariel Kushmaro and Ron Apte, all of BGU, participated.

What is a Cytokine Storm?

One of the great mysteries of the new coronavirus is why it causes only mild disease in most people, but turns fatal for others. In many cases, it seems the worst damage may be driven by a deranged immune response to the infection, rather than the virus itself.

In many of the sickest patients with COVID-19, their blood is teeming with high levels of immune system proteins called cytokines.

Scientists believe these cytokines are evidence of an immune response called a cytokine storm, where the body starts to attack its own cells and tissues rather than just fighting off the virus.

How Yogurt can mitigate Cytokine Storms

Yogurt is a fermented probiotic dairy drink. Molecules in this fermented probiotic drink seem to alleviate cytokine storm which is the major cause of Covid-19 death.

It is prepared by inoculating milk with microorganism mixtures. These probiotics in yogurt are known to offer many other benefits like balancing the side effects of antibiotics and soothing tummy issues.

People have relied on yogurt’s potential benefits for years. In India and many other countries it is a tradition drink consumed everyday with meals and otherwise.

Researchers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have identified molecules in a type of yogurt, Kefir.

PhD student Orit Malka led the study (read below), which was published in the journal Microbiome. Profs. Michael Meijler, Ariel Kushmaro and Ron Apte, all of BGU, participated.