Abstract
Objective: Review the scientific literature on the relationship between interventions performed with kefir and the biochemical parameters associated with Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Methods: A bibliographic search was carried out in the LILACS, PubMed and SciELO databases from June to July 2018, considering articles in all languages, published in the last 10 years. The descriptors used for the research were: "kefir", "diabetes mellitus", "glycemia", "probiotics", combined with the Boolean connectors AND and OR. Results and Discussion: 10 articles were selected in full that met the established criteria, being 8 studies carried out in animals and 2 in humans. The results evidenced by the studies showed positive effects on the biochemical parameters associated with animal or human glycemic disorders, such as fasting glycemia and glycated hemoglobin after different intervention periods. The underlying mechanisms are still unclear, but studies suggest that the positive effects found could be associated with the synergism between bacteria, yeast and other bioactive compounds found in kefir. Conclusion: Kefir seems to present potential to be used in the management of glycemic disorders in animals and humans, however, more clinical, randomized and controled studies are required for confirmation.